Oh They gave Stevie's his orders in Monroe, Virginia Sayin' Steve you're always behind time This is not Thirty-Eight, but it's old 'Ninety-Seven You must put her into Spencer on time Well he turned and he said to his black, greasy fireman Jus' shove on in a lil' more coal And when we cross that wide old mountain You can watch old '97 roll It's a mighty rough road from Lynchburg to Danville In a line on a three mile grade It was on this grade that he lost his airbrake And you see what a jump he made He was goin' down the grade makin' ninety miles an hour When his whistle begin to scream He was found in the wreck with his hand on the throttle And a scalded to death by the steam Now come on you young ladies take warnin' from this Never is for to return Never speak harsh words To your true love and husband He may leave you and never return