G                      C
Well, they gave him his orders at Monroe, Virginia
       G                       D
Sayin' Steve you're way behind time
        G                         C
This is not Thirty Eight, this is Old Ninety-Seven
         G            D          G
You must put her into Spencer on time

[Verse]
        G                             C
Then he turned around and said to his black greasy fireman
G                       D
Shovel on a little more coal
    G                  C
And when we cross that wide oak mountain
G                D     G
Watch Old Ninety-Seven roll

[Solo]
G     C     G     D
G     C     G  D  G

[Verse]
           G                      C
But it's a mighty rough road from Lynchburg to Danville
     G                      D
On a line with a three mile grade
       G                     C
It was on that grade that he lost his air brakes
G             D       G
   See what a jump he made

[Verse]
       G                            C
He was goin' down the grade makin' ninety miles an hour
    G                    D
His whistle broke into a scream
       G                           C
He was found in the wreck with his hand on the throttle
  G          D            G
a-scalded to death by the steam

[Solo]
G     C     G     D
G     C     G  D  G

[Verse]
       G                C
Then a telegram come to Washington station
    G              D
And this is how it read
          G                   C
Well that brave engineer that run Old Ninety-Seven
       G            D        G
He's a-lyin' in ol' Danville dead

[Verse]
        G                  C
So now, all you ladies you better take a warnin'
     G                D
From this time on and learn
      G                         C
Never speak harsh words to your true lovin' husband
        G            D       G
He may leave you and never return