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