Ballad Of Casey Jones

Lyrics: Traditional (Mississippi John Hurt)
Music: Traditional (Mississippi John Hurt)

Not to be confused with the Hunter/Garcia song "Casey Jones." This is a traditional song, with Jerry playing the version recorded by Mississippi John Hurt.

The Dead played this song in some acoustic sets in 1970, and Jerry played it with the Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band as well as with John Kahn and David Grisman. This is the version Jerry played with the Dead and the JGAB:

Casey Jones was an old engineer (note 1)
Called for his fireman, tonight he will fear
All I need is my water and coal
Look out the window, see my driving wheel roll

One Sunday morning, in the driving rain
Around the bend came a passenger train
In the cabin stood Casey Jones
Noble engineer but he's dead and gone (note 2)

Mrs Casey when she heard the news
Sitting on her bedside, she was lacing up her shoes
Children, children now hold your breath (note 3)
You will draw a pension at your Papa's death

Children, children now get your hat
Tell me Mama what do you mean by that?
Get your hat, put it on your head
Go down town, see your daddy is dead (note 4)

Casey said before he died
Fix the blinds so that the bums can't ride (note 5)
If they ride, let them ride the rods
Put their trust in the hand of God

Casey said just before he died
Two more roads that I want to ride
People said, what roads can they be?
Old Colorado and the Santa Fe

I woke up this mornin', four o'clock
Mister Casey told his fireman, get his boiler hot
Put on your water, put on your coal
Put your head out of the window, see my drivers roll
See my driver roll
Put your head out of the window, see my driver roll

Lord, some people say that Mister Casey couldn't run
Let me just tell you what Mister Casey has done
He left Memphis, it was quarter to nine
Got to Newport News, it was dinnertime
It was dinnertime
Got to Newport News, it was dinnertime

I've sold my gin, I've sold it straight
Police run me to my woman's gate
She comes to the door, she nod her head
She made me welcome to the foldin' bed
To the foldin' bed
Made me welcome to the foldin' bed

Lord, the people said to Casey "You're runnin' over time"
"You'll have another loser with the one-o-nine"
Casey said, "This ain't in mind
I'll run it in close just to make my time"
Said to all the passengers, "Better keep yourself hid
Naturally gonna shake it like Chainey did"
Like Chainey did
Naturally gonna shake it like Chainey did

Mister Casey run his engine within a mile of the place
Number four stared him in the face
The depot told Casey "Well, you must leave town"
"Believe to my soul I'm Alabama bound"
"Alabama bound"
"Believe to my soul I'm Alabama bound"

Missus Casey said she dreamt a dream
The night she bought her sewin' machine
The needle got broke, she could not sew
She loved Mister Casey, 'cause she told me so
Told me so
Loved Mister Casey, 'cause she told me so

There was a woman name Miss Alice Fry
Said, "I'm gonna ride with Mister Casey 'fore I die"
I ain't good looking but I take my time
A rambling woman with a rambling mind
Got a rambling mind

Casey looked at his water, water was low
Looked at his watch, his watch was slow

On the road again
Natural born Eastman on the road again

Lord, there's people tell by the throttle moan
The man at the fire's Mister Casey Jones
Mister Casey Jones

Mister Casey said, before he died
One more road that he wants to ride
People tells Casey, "Which road is he?"
"The Southern Pacific and the Santa Fe
Santa Fe"

This mornin' I heard someone was dyin'
Missus Casey's children on the doorstep cryin'
Mama, mama, I can't keep from cryin'
Papa got killed on the Southern line
On the Southern line
Papa got killed on the Southern line

"Mama, mama, how can it be
Killed my father and you weren't the first to grieve?"
"Children, children want you to hold your breath
Draw another pension from your father's death
From your father's death"

On the road again
I'm a natural born Eastman on the road again

Tuesday mornin', it looked like rain
Around the curve came a passenger train
Under the boiler lay Mister Casey Jones
Good old engineer, but he's dead and gone
Dead and gone

On the road again
I'm a natural born Eastman on the road again

I left Memphis to spread the news
Memphis women don't wear no shoes
Had it written in the back of my shirt
Natural born Eastmen don't have to work
Don't have to work
I'm a natural born Eastman, don't have to work

Come all you rounders, for I want you to hear
The story told of an engineer.
Casey Jones was the rounder's name,
A heavy right-wheeler of a mighty fame

Caller called Jones about half past four;
He kissed his wife at the station door,
Climbed into the cab with his orders in his hand,
Says, "This is my trip to the holy land."

Through South Memphis yards, on the fly,
He heard the fire-boy say, "You've got a white eye."
All the switchmen knew, by the engine moan,
That the man at the throttle was Casey Jones.

It had been raining some five or six weeks,
The railroad track was like the bed of a creek;
They rated him down to a thirty-mile gait,
Threw the south-bound mail about eight hours late.

Fireman says, "Casey, you're running too fast,
You run the block-board the last station you passed."
Jones says, "Yes, I believe we'll make it through,
For she steams better than I ever knew."

Jones says, "Fireman, don't you fret;
Keep knocking at the fire-door, don't give up yet.
I'm going to run her till she leaves the rail,
Or make it in on time with the Southern mail."

Around the curve and down the dump
Two locomotives were bound to bump.
Fireman hollered, "Jones, it's just ahead;
We might jump and make it, but we'll all be dead."

'Twas around this curve he spied a passenger-train.
Reversing his engine, he caused the bell to ring.
Fireman jumped off, but Jones stayed on -
He's a good engineer, but he's dead and gone.

Poor Casey Jones was all right,
For he stuck to his duty both day and night.
They loved to hear his whistle and ring of number three,
As he came into Memphis on the old I. C.

Headaches and heartaches, and all kinds of pain,
Are not apart from a railroad train.
Tales that are in earnest, noble and grand,
Belong to the life of a railroad man.

Come all you rounders if you want to hear
A story about a brave engineer
Casey Jones was the rounders name
On a 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
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 hands
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 hours late with the 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 an awful shrill
The switchman knew by the engine's moan
That the man at the throttle was Casey Jones
He pilled up within two miles of the place
Number four stared him right in the face
Turned to the fireman, said, boy you'd better jump
'Cause there's two locomotives thats a-going to bump

Casey Jones, two locomotives
That's a-going to bump
Casey Jones, two locomotives
There's two locomotives that's a-going to bump

Casey said just before he died
There's 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

Mrs Casey Jones, got another papa
Mrs Casey Jones, on that Salt Lake line
Mrs Casey Jones, got another papa
And you got another papa on that Salt Lake line

Come all you rounders if you want to hear
The story about a brave engineer
Casey Jones was the roller's name
On a 6-8 wheeler course he rode to fame

The caller called Casey about a half past four
He kissed his wife at the station door
He climbed in the cabin with his orders in his hand
Said this is the trip to the promised land

Casey Jones climbed into the cabin
Casey Jones, orders in his hands
Casey Jones, leaning out the window
Taking a trip to the promised land

Through South Memphis yards on a fly
Rain been a-falling and the water was high
Everybody knew by the engine's moan
That the man at the throttle was Casey Jones

Well Jones said, fireman, now, don't you fret
Sam Webb said we ain't giving up yet
We're eight hours late with the southbound mail
We'll be on time or we'll leaving the rails

Casey Jones climbed into the cabin
Casey Jones, orders in his hands
Casey Jones, leaning out the window
Taking a trip to the promised land

Dead on the rail was a passenger train
Blood was a-boiling in Casey's brain
Casey said, hey, now, look ahead
Jump, Sam, jump or we'll all be dead

With a hand on the whistle and a hand on the brake
North Mississippi was soon wide awake
I see, a railroad official said
He's a good engineer to be a-laying dead

Casey Jones climbed into the cabin
Casey Jones, orders in his hands
Casey Jones, leaning out the window
Now he's made a trip to the promised land

Headaches and heartaches and all kind of pain
All a part of a railroad train
Sweat and toil, the good and the grand
Are part of the life of a railroad man

Casey Jones climbed into the cabin
Casey Jones, orders in his hands
Casey Jones, leaning out the window
Now he's made a trip to the promised land

Once he had climbed on board, in itself a very dangerous task, a hobo would try and make his way to the 'blinds' if he could. These were the baggage cars next to the tender, which were 'blind' having no end door so the conductor or railroad police could not walk through the train to the first vehicle, behind the locomotive. Hence it was a relatively comfortable safe haven. More dangerous, but out of sight and unreachable by the railroad workers, was to perch on the brake rods that ran beneath the freight cars. Risking his life he might try to worm his way across these, finding a means of balancing precariously there, or he might carry a small board to throw across the rods and then lie on it in the narrow gap between them and the underneath of the rail car.