Well they gave him his orders
At Monroe, Virginia
Said, "Steve, you're way behind time
This is not 38
This is old 97
Put her into Spencer on time"
Then he turned around and said
To his black, greasy fireman
"Shovel on a little more coal
And when we cross
That White Oak mountain
Watch old 97 roll"
And then a telegram come
From Washington station
This is how it read
"Oh that brave engineer that run old 97
Is lying in old Danville dead"
Cause he was going down a grade
Making 90 miles an hour
The whistle broke into a scream
He was found in the wreck
With his hand on the throttle
Scalded to death by the steam
One more time
Oh, now all you ladies
You'd better take a warning
From this time on and learn
Never speak hard words
To your true-loving husband
He may leave you and never return
Poor boy