Digital Tradition Mirror

Casey Jones

(This score available as ABC, SongWright, PostScript, PNG, or PMW, or a MIDI file)
Pennywhistle notation and Dulcimer tab for this song is also available

Casey Jones

Come all you rounders that want to hear
The story of a brave engineer.
Casey Jones was the rounder's name,
On a six eight wheeler, boys, he won his fame.

     Casey Jones mounted to his cabin,
     Casey Jones with his orders in his hand
     Casey Jones mounted to his cabin,
     And he took his farewell trip to that promised land.

The caller call Casey at half past four,
He kissed his wife at the station door,
He mounted to the cabin with the orders in his hand,
And he took his farewell trip to that promised land.

When he pulled up that Reno hill,
He whistled for the crossing with an awful shrill;
The switchman knew by the engine's moan
That the man at the throttle was Casey Jones.

He looked at his water and his water was low;
He looked at his watch and his watch was slow;
He turned to his fireman and this is what he said,
"Boy, we're going to reach Frisco, but we'll all be dead."

"So turn on your water and shovel in your coal,
Stick you head out the window, watch those drivers roll;
I'll drive her till she leaves the rail,
For I'm eight hours late by that Western Mail.

When he was within six miles of the place,
There number four stared him straight in the face.
He turned to his fireman, said "Jim you'd better jump,
For there're two locomotives that are going to bump.

Casey said just before he died,
"There're two more roads I would like to ride."
The fireman said, "Which ones can they be?"
"Oh the Northern Paceific and the Santa Fe."

Mrs. Jones sat at her bed a-sighing
Just to hear the news that her Casey was dying.
"Hush up children, and quit your crying',
For you've got another poppa on the Salt Lake Line."


Many songs have been sung about Casey Jones and the famous train
wreck of 1909.  At the time of the tragedy, according to one
legend, Casey, throttle puller of the Illinois Central's crack
Cannonball, was driving No. 638, making a run for a friend who
was ill.  The train was wrecked at Vaughn, Mississippi, and Casey
died at the throttle.  Wallace Saunders, his Negro engine wiper,
set down the story of his death and it was sung to the then
popular tune of "Jimmy Jones."

DT #633
Laws G1
DC

Thanks to Mudcat for the Digital Tradition!