Ben never lived to tell that awful tale
Ben Dewberry was the engineer
Two more roads that he wanted to ride
Without any warning then she took the ditch
Said the A and B, it's the A and B
Ben looked at his watch, shook his head
His fireman asked him what could they be
Yeah, she went in the ditch, well, she took the ditch
When Ben Dewberry made his final run
Without any warning then she took the ditch
Stick your head out the window, watch the drivers roll
Ben Dewberry said before he died
Well the big locomotive leaped from the rail
Said the old Northeastern and the A and B
The train was flying by the troubling switch
We may make Atlanta but we'll all be dead
He didn't have no fear, he didn't have no fear
On the fatal morning it began to rain
With the throttle wide open and without any fear
He had her running wide open without any fear
Watch the drivers roll, watch the drivers roll
Around the curve come a passenger train
His life was ended and his work was done
All I want is the water and coal
Stick your head out the window, watch the drivers roll
He made his final run, he made his final run
Said the old Northeastern, it's the A and B
