Wreck Of The Old 97 Lyrics - Roy Acuff

They gave him his orders at Monroe, Virginia 

Sayin', "Steve, you're way behind time 

This is not 38 but it's old 97 

You must put her into Spencer on time" 

He looked round and said to his black, greasy fireman 

Shovel on a little more coal 

And when we cross that White Oak Mountain 

You can watch old 97 roll 

It's a mighty rough road from Lynchburg to Danville 

With a line on a three mile grade 

It was on that grade that he lost his air brakes 

And see what a jump we made 

He was goin' down the grade making ninety miles an hour 

When his whistle began to a scream 

He was found in the wreck with his hand on the throttle 

And scalded to death by the steam