Wreck Of The Old 97
Vernon Dalhart Lyrics
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At Monroe, Virginia
Sayin' Pete you're way behind time
This is not '38, but its old '97
You must put her into Spencer on time
He looked round an' said
To his black, greasy fireman
Jus' shove on in a lil' more coal
And when we cross that wide old mountain
You can watch old '97 roll
It's a mighty rough road
From Lynchburg to Danville
In a line on a three mile grade
It was on that grade
That he lost his airbrake
And you see what a jump he made
He was goin' down the grade
Makin' ninety miles an hour
When his whistle broke into a scream
He was found in the wreck
With his hand on the throttle
And a scalded to death by the steam
Now ladies you must take warnin'
From this time now and on
Never speak harsh words
To your true love and husband
He may leave you and never return
Vernon Dalhart's song Wreck Of The Old 97 narrates the tragic story of a train wreck that happened on September 27, 1903, near Danville, Virginia. The train referred to as Old 97 was a Southern Railway Mail train that had left Washington, D.C. en route Spencer, North Carolina. The song begins with the train's conductor, Pete's boss in Monroe, Virginia, instructing him to speed up and make up for the lost time. However, the train's speed was not meant to match that of the newer train models, but to be maintained at a speed of 35 miles per hour.
The song's lyrics continue to describe the train's journey, and it becomes apparent that the train's speed is too high for the track's condition, and it is still running on the three-mile grade. The train subsequently loses control and crashes, killing eight of the nine crew members. The song is a cautionary tale, warning women to watch their words and actions when they interact with their husbands and true love, as their harsh words may lead to them leaving and never returning.
Line by Line Meaning
They gave him his orders
At Monroe, Virginia, the authorities laid out some instructions for Pete to follow.
Sayin' Pete you're way behind time
The instructions conveyed to him that he was a bit late already and he had to hurry up.
This is not '38, but its old '97
The authorities reminded him that it's not 1938 anymore, but it was the year of the old '97.
You must put her into Spencer on time
He was given instructions to ensure that the vehicle reaches Spencer on time without any further delay.
He looked round an' said
Pete glanced around and conveyed his message.
To his black, greasy fireman
Pete conveyed his message to his black and greasy fireman who was riding with him.
Jus' shove on in a lil' more coal
He asked his fireman to add more coal to the furnace.
And when we cross that wide old mountain
He referred to the mountain they were about to cross.
You can watch old '97 roll
He wanted his fireman to enjoy the sight of the old '97 rolling down the mountain.
It's a mighty rough road
The road from Lynchburg to Danville was an extremely rough and demanding one.
From Lynchburg to Danville
The journey started in Lynchburg and lasted till Danville.
In a line on a three mile grade
They were travelling in a queue formation on a steep 3-mile stretch of the road.
It was on that grade
It was on that steep stretch that the incident occurred.
That he lost his airbrake
He lost control of his airbrake on the steep slope.
And you see what a jump he made
This resulted in a catastrophic jump, which eventually led to the crash.
He was goin' down the grade
While speeding down the grade, he encountered an issue with his airbrake.
Makin' ninety miles an hour
Even at this point, the old '97 was travelling at a speed of 90 miles per hour.
When his whistle broke into a scream
Due to the rapid speed and the subsequent crash, the whistle of the old '97 broke and made a horrible screaming sound.
He was found in the wreck
Pete was found amidst the wreckage.
With his hand on the throttle
He still had his hand on the throttle even during the crash.
And a scalded to death by the steam
Unfortunately, he was scalded to death by the steam that was released during the crash.
Now ladies you must take warnin'
This incident serves as a warning, especially for women.
From this time now and on
Starting from now, women must take this incident into consideration.
Never speak harsh words
Women should never use harsh words against their true love and husbands.
To your true love and husband
This warning is specifically directed towards true love and husbands.
He may leave you and never return
Such harsh words might make them leave forever and never return again.
Writer(s): LEWEY FRED J, WORK HENRY CLAY, NOELL CHARLES W
Contributed by Daniel Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@samueld2630
I’m pretty drunk right now but it’s so crazy to me that we have almost 100 years worth of music at our fingertips
@georgewomack8260
What you sipping on?
@axlrozes1777
i'm pretty stoned rn too and idk how i even got here but i feel the same way
@HaulinOats315
More than a hundred... right here on youtube you can listen to recordings from the 1890s.
@joelbizzell1386
Oh I know exactly how you feel.
I am obsessed with those first sound recordings. And silent movies. Those earliest films from very early 1900s are mesmerizing.
There are such things as ghosts, and these are truly them.
@that1guyalex509
Dunk you has pretty good taste
@WayneMona1
Sure do miss my Mom when I hear this song. Almost 70 and still have tears when I hear this song.
@mbjasniewski
First song my Mum ever taught me to sing and play. When I hear it, I still see her playing and singing it to my 2 brothers and me as we went off to sleep as kids. Didn't know how lucky we were. Triple bunk-beds...
@josephpacchetti5997
I know what you mean Brother.
@Trip0905
I’m curious, did your mom have any relation to the ‘artist’ or the real driver and fireman?