Wreck of the Old 97
Wreck of the Old 97
Classic Country
Flatt & Scruggs
Johnny Cash
Chords you’ll need to know
C
D
G
Chord Chart
Lyrics
Well, they give him his orders in Monroe, Virginia
Saying, Steve, you're way behind time
This is not 38, but it's old 97
And you've got to be in Center on time
But he turned around to his black greasy fireman
Said, Shovel in a little more coal
When we cross that White Oak Mountain
You can watch old 97 roll
Well, it's a mighty rough road from Lakesburg to Danville
and a line on a three mile grade
It was on this grade that he lost his airbrakes
And you see what a jump he made
He was a-going down the grade making ninety miles an hour
And his whistle broke out in a scream
It was on that grade that he lost his airbrakes
And you see what a jump he made
Well, ladies, you can all take warning
From this time now and on
Never speak harsh words to your true loving husband
He might leave you and never come home
He was a-going down the grade making ninety miles an hour
And his whistle begin to scream
And we found him in the wreck with his hand on his throttle
And scalded to death by the steam
Well, ladies, you can all take warning
From this time now and on
Never speak harsh words to your true loving husband
He might leave you and never return
Demo Videos
Instrument Lessons
Wreck of Ol' 97 - 2 Arrangements - Guitar Lesson
Music With Ryan
Wreck of the Old 97– Carter-Style Guitar Exercise!
Banjo Ben Clark
Wreck of the Old 97– Banjo Build-a-Break Lesson!
Banjo Ben Clark
Bag O' Licks in E Mandolin Lesson!
Banjo Ben Clark
"Wreck of the Old 97" Five String Banjo Lesson
williamanesbitt
Learn to Play - Wreck of the Old 97 - Bluegrass Banjo
Jim Pankey
"Wreck of the Old '97" - 3 Finger Banjo Song & Tab
Fingerstyle Banjo (Scruggs/bluegrass, Old-Time)
About This Song
Wreck of the Old 97 is a classic train wreck ballad that became one of the first million-selling country records when Vernon Dalhart recorded it in 1924. The song tells the true story of a 1903 mail train crash in Virginia, and its driving rhythm and dramatic narrative have made it a bluegrass standard for generations.