Transcribed by R. Patterson
(Standard Tuning)

    [B]            [G]            [F#]
E A D G B E    E A D G B E    E A D G B E
X 2 4 4 X X    3 5 5 X X X    2 4 4 X X X

[E]Well, they gave him his orders at Monroe, Virginia
said, [B]"Steve you're way behind [E]time.
This is not Thirty-Eight; this is old Ninety-Seven,
so [B]put her into Spencer on [E]time."

Then he [A]turned around and said to his black, greasy [E]fireman
[A]"Shovel on a little more [B]coal
and [E]when we cross that White Oak [A]Mountain,
[E]watch old [B]Ninety-Seven [E]roll"

[E]And then the telegram came from [A]Washington station
and [B]this is how it [E]read:
"Oh that brave engineer that [A]ran old Ninety-Seven 
is [B]lying in old Danville [E]dead"

'Cause he was [A]going down the grade makin' ninety miles an [E]hour
when the [A]whistle broke into a [B]scream
He was [E]found in the wreck, with his hand on the [A]throttle,
[B]scalded to death by the [E]steam

[E]Now all you ladies you [A]better take warnin'
from [B]this time on and [E]learn
Never speak harsh words to a [A]true lovin' husband
he [B]may leave you and never re[E]turn

'board 'board

[B]Yodel-ay-hee [A]hee [G]hee [F#]hee hee [E]hee

Back to tab index