So now all you ladies you better take a warnin'
Shovel on a little more coal
He was found in the wreck with his hand on the throttle
From this time on and learn
A scalded to death by the steam
And when we cross that white oak mountain, watch old '97 roll
'Cause he was goin' down the grade makin' 90 miles an hour
Then he turned around and said to his black greasy fireman
It said that brave engineer that done run old '97
This is not 38, this is old '97, put her into Spencer on time
His whistle broke into a scream
Never speak hard words to your true lovin' husband
He's lying down in Danville dead
And then a telegram came to Washington station, this is how it read