|
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Come all you rounders if you want to hear
a story about a brave Engineer
Casey Jones was the Rounders name
On an six eight wheeler boys he won his fame
The caller called Casey at a half past four
He kissed his wife at the station door
He mounted to the cabin with his orders in his hand
and he took his farewell trip to that promised land.
Casey Jones! mounted to the cabin
Casey Jones with his orders in his hand
Casey Jones mounted to the cabin
and he took his farewell trip to that promised land.
Put in your water and shovel in your coal
Put your head out the window watch them drivers roll
I'll run her till she leaves the rail
Cause I'm eight hour late with that western mail
He looked at his watch and his watch was slow
He looked at the water and the water was low
He turned to the Fireman and he said we're going to reach Frisco
but we'll all be dead
Casey Jones! going to reach Frisco
Casey Jones but we'll all be dead
Casey Jones going to reach Frisco
we're going to reach Frisco but we'll all be dead.
Casey pulled up that Reno hill
he tooted for the crossing with a awful shrill
The switchman knew by the engines moan
That the man at the throttle was Casey Jones
He pulled up with-in two miles of the place
number four stared him right in the face
He turned to the Fireman said Boy you'd better jump
cause there's two Locomotives thats a going to bump
Casey Jones! two locomotives
Casey Jones thats a going to bump
Casey Jones two locomotives
there's two locomotives thats a going to bump.
Casey said just before he died
theres two more roads that I'd like to ride
Fireman said what could that be
The Southern Pacific and the Santa Fe
Mrs. Jones sat on her bed a sighing
just received a message that Casey was dying
Said go to bed children and hush your crying
cause you got another papa on the Salt Lake line.
Casey Jones! got another papa
Mrs. Casey Jones on that Salt Lake Line
Mrs. Casey Jones got another papa
and you've got another Papa on that Salt Lake Line.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Come all you rounders, I want you to hear
The story of a brave engineer;
Casey Jones was the rounders name,
On a big eight-wheeler, boys, he made his fame.
[chorus]
Casey Jones, he pushed on the throttler,
Casey Jones was a brave engineer,
Come on, Casey, and blow the whistler,
Blow the whistler so they all can hear!
Now Casey said, "Before I die
There's one more train that I want to try,
And I will try ere many a day
The Union Pacific and the Santa Fe."
[chorus]
The caller called Casey at half past four,
He kissed his wife at the station door,
Climbed in his cab and was on his way,
"I've got my chance at the Santa Fe!"
[chorus]
Down the slope he went on the fly,
Heard the fireman say, "You've got a white eye!"
Well, the switchman knew by the engine's moan
That the man at the throttle was Casey Jones!
[chorus]
The rain was a-pounding down like lead,
The railroad track was a river bed.
They slowed her down to a thirty-mile gait,
And the southbound mail was eight hours late.
[chorus]
Fireman says, "Casey, you're running too fast!
You run the blackboard at the last station you passed!"
Casey says, "I believe we'll make it through,
For the steam's much better than I ever knew!"
[chorus]
Around the curve comes a passenger train,
Her headlight was shining in his eyes through the rain.
Casey blew the whistle a mighty blast
But the locomotive was a-comin' fast.
[chorus]
The locomotives met in the middle of the hill,
In a head-on tangle that's bound to kill.
He tried to do his duty, the yard men said,
But Casey Jones was scalded dead.
[chorus]
Headaches and heartaches and all kinds of pain
They all ride along with the railroad train.
Stories of brave men, noble and grand,
Belong to the life of the railroad man!
[chorus]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Note: If you're of the right age, you'll recognize the tune to "Casey Jones" as the Good 'n'
Plenty jingle from the mid-1960s:
Charlie say, "Love my Good 'n' Plenty!"
Charlie says, "Really rings a bell!"
Charlie says, "Love my Good 'n' Plenty!
Don't know any other candy that I love so well!"
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Casey Jones was an old engineer,
Call for his family tonight, they will fear,
All I need is my water and coal,
Look out the windows, see my drag wheel roll.
One sunday morning in a driving rain,
Around the curve came a passenger train,
In the cabin stood Casey Jones,
Bold engineer but he's dead and gone.
Mrs. Casey when she heard the news
Sitting at her bedside she was lacing up her shoes
Children, children now catch your breath,
You will draw a pension if your Papa's dead.
Children, children now can you hear,
Tell me Mama what do you mean by that?
Get your hat, put it on your head,
Go to town, see your Daddy's dead,
Casey said just before he died,
Fix the blinds so that the bums can ride,
If they ride, let them ride rock,
Put their trust in the hands of God.
Casey said just before he died,
Two more roads that I want to ride.
People said, what roads, Casey, can they be?
Gold Colorado and the Santa Fe.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Casey Jones-The Union Scab
Joe Hill wrote"Casey Jones" in 1911 as a topical comment on a strike of Southern Pacific railroad
workers in California.
The workers on the S.P. line to strike sent out a call;
But Casey Jones the engineer wouldn't strike at all.
His boiler it was leaking and his drivers on the bum,
And his engine and its bearings,they were all out of plumb.
Casey Jones kept his junkpile running,
Casey Jones was working double time.
Casey Jones got a woodenmedal
for being good and faithful on the S.P. Line.
The workers said to Casey,"Won't you help us win this strike?"
But Casey said,"Let me alone. You'd better take a hike!"
Then Casey's wheezy engine ran right off the worn-out track,
And Casey hit the river with an awful crack.
Casey Jones hit the river bottom,
Casey Jones broke his blooming spine.
Casey Jones became an angeleno,
and took a trip to heaven on the S.P. Line.
When Casey Jones got up to heaven-to the Pearly Gate,
He said,"I'm Casey Jones, the guy that pulled the S.P. freight."
"You're just the man,"said Peter. "Our musicians are on strike;
You can get a job a-scabbing any time you like.
"Casey Jones got a job in heaven,
Casey Jones was doing mighty fine.
Casey Jones went a-scabbing on the angels,
Just like he did to wokers on the S.P. Line.
The angels got together and they said it wasn't fair,
For Casey Jones to go around a-scabbing everywhere.
The angels union Local Twenty-Three it sure was there,
And they pronptly fired Casey down the Golden Stair.
Casey Jones went to hell a-flying,
Casey Jones,"the devil said, "oh fine.
Casey Jones,get busy shoveling sulphur;
That's what you get for scabbing on the S.P. Line.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Probably the oddest attempt at a song using the Casey Jones name was written for The Grateful Dead (words by Robert Hunter; music by Jerry Garcia), an over-the-hill rock and roll band with a cult-like following. It was more about cocaine than railroading and is hardly worth repeating here.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
