Come all you railroaders for I want you to hear
A story told of an engineer,
Casey Jones was the hogger's name,
'Twas on the Illinois Central that he rode to fame
He pulled into Memphis on Number Four,
The engine foreman met him at the roundhouse door;
Said, "Joe's got sick, can't make his run
I'm asking you to double back on Number One."
Out of South Memphis yard on the fly
Fireman Webb said, "you got a white-eye"
All the switchmen knew by the whistle's moans
That the man at the throttle was Casey Jones.
Pulling out an hour and a quarter late,
Making up time at a breakneck rate.
He turned to his fireman, and said, "all right
She's got her high-heeled slippers on tonight."
(break)
Around a curve, in the pouring rain
He spied the lights of a stalled freight train
He turned to his fireman, with a face of ash, saying
"Sim, you better jump, she's going to crash."
With a warnin' whistle and a screaming brake
Vaughan, Mississippi was wide awake
Sim Webb jumped but Casey stayed on
He's a good engineer but he's dead and gone
His wife and family got the news
How he saved the passengers and crews
They buried him in Jackson, Tennessee
Close by the tracks of the old IC |