The Wreck Of Ol' 97 Tab par Johnny Cash

The Wreck Of Ol' 97

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Well, they gave him his orders at Monroe, Virginia
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Sayin', "Steve you're way behind time
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This is not Thirty-Eight it is old Ninety-Seven
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you must put her into Spencer on time."

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Then he turned and said to his black greasy fireman
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"Hey, shovel in a little more coal
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For when we cross that White Oak Mountain
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Watch old Ninety-Seven roll."

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It's a mighty rough road from Lynchburg to Danville
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with a line on a three mile grade
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it was on that grade that he lost his airbrakes
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see what a jump he made

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He was going down the grade makin' ninety miles an hour
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When his whistle broke into a scream
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He was found in the wreck, with his hand on the throttle,
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scalded to death by the steam                     

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The telegram came from the Washington station
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this is how it read
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"Oh that brave engineer that run old Ninety-Seven 
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is lying in old Danville dead

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So now all you ladies you better take fair warnin'
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From this time on and learn
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Never speak harsh words to your true lovin' husband
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he may leave you and never return