DESCRIPTION:
The Wreck Of The Old 97 by Hank Snow

Lyrics

They give him his orders at Monroe, Virginia
Sayin', "Steve you're way behind time
This is not Thirty-Eight, but it's old Ninety-Seven
You must put her in Spencer on time"
Then he looked 'round and said to his black greasy fireman
"Just shovel in a little more coal
And when we cross that white oak mountain
You can watch old Ninety-Seven roll"
It's a mighty rough road from Lynchburg to Danville
In a line on a three mile grade
It was on that grade where he lost his air brakes
So you see what a jump he made
He was goin' down grade makin' ninety miles an hour
And his whistle broke into a scream
He was found in the wreck, with his hand on the throttle
And scalded to death by the steam
Now, ladies, you must all take warning
From this time on and learn
Never speak harsh words to your true lovin' husband
He may leave you and never return
Songwriters: Charles W. Noell / Fred J. Lewey / Henry Whitter
Wreck Of The Old 97 lyrics © Shapiro Bernstein & Co. Inc.


..this is the song that Jake & Elwood couldn't remember the words to and Bob told them that's okay and they could relearn them and include it next time when they come back again - in the movie "The Blues Brothers" - 1980

Wreck of the Old 97
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Wreck of the Old 97 was an American rail disaster involving the Southern Railway mail train, officially known as the Fast Mail, while en route from Monroe, Virginia, to Spencer, North Carolina, on September 27, 1903. Due to excessive speed in an attempt to maintain schedule, the train derailed at the Stillhouse Trestle near Danville, Virginia where it careened off the side of the bridge, killing eleven on-board personnel and injuring seven others. The wreck inspired a famous railroad ballad, which was the focus of a convoluted copyright lawsuit but became seminal in the genre of country music.[1]
( long interesting article continued )
- for full article go to
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wreck_of_the_Old_97
.