Well, they gave him his orders at Monroe, Virginia   Said, "Steve, you're way behind time   This is not 38, this is Old 97   Put her into Spencer on time"      Then he turned around and said to his black, greasy fireman   "Shovel on a little more coal   And when we cross that White Oak Mountain   Watch Old 97 roll"      And then a telegram come from Washington station   This is how it read   "Oh that brave engineer that run Old 97   Is lyin' in old Danville dead"      'Cause he was going down a grade making 90 miles an hour   The whistle broke into a scream   He was found in the wreck with his hand on the throttle   Scalded to death by the steam      One more time      Oh, now all you ladies you'd better take a warning   From this time on and learn   Never speak hard words to your true-lovin' husband   He may leave you and never return, poor boy