Well they gave him his orders at Monroe Virginia
Saying Steve you're way behind time
This is not 38 but it's old 97
You must put her into Spencer on time
Well he turned around and said to his fireman
Shovel in a little more coal
And when we cross this big White Mountain
We'll watch old 97 roll

[Dobro bridge]

It's a mighty rough road from Lynchburg to Danville
And a line on a three mile grade
It's on that grade that he lost his airbrakes
You see what a jump he made
They were goin' down the grade makin' 90 mile an hour
When his whistle broke into a scream
He was found in the wreck with his hand on the throttle
A-scalded to death by the steam

[Fiddle bridge]

Then the telegram come to Washington city
And this is how it read
The brave engineer that run old 97
He's a laying in old Danville dead
Now all you ladies we take a warning
From this time now and learn
Never speak harsh words to your true loving husband