he's a good engineer to be a laying dead

Jonathan Luther "John" "Casey" Jones (March 14, 1863 – April 30, 1900)
from Jackson, Tennessee, was an American railroader who worked for the Illinois Central Railroad (IC). As a boy, he lived near Cayce, Kentucky, where he acquired the nickname of "Cayce," which he chose to spell as "Casey." On April 30, 1900, he alone was killed when his passenger train, the Cannonball Express, collided with a stalled freight train at Vaughan, Mississippi, on a foggy and rainy night.
His dramatic death, trying to stop his train and save lives, made him a hero he was immortalized in a popular ballad sung by his friend Wallace Saunders, an African-American engine wiper for the IC


eddy arnold casey jones

Come all you rounders, if you wanna hear
The story 'bout a brave engineer
Casey Jones was the rounder's name
On a 6'8 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 it took his final trip to the Promised Land

Casey Jones mounted to the cabin
Casey Jones with the orders in his hand
Casey Jones mounted to the cabin
And it took his final trip to the Promised Land

Put in your water and shovel your coal
Put your head out the window watch the drivers roll
I'll run her till she leaves the rails
'Cause I made hours late with the western mail

He looked at his watch but the watch was slow
He looked at the water and the water was low
He looked at the fireman and then he said
"We're gonna reach Frisco Buffalo'd be dead"

Casey Jones gonna reach Frisco
Casey Jones Buffalo'd be dead
Casey Jones we're gonna reach Frisco
We're gonna reach Frisco Buffalo'd be dead

Casey 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 pulled up within two miles of the place
There number four stared him straight in the face
He turned to his fireman, said, "Boy, you'd better jump
'Cause there's two locomotives that are going to bump"

Casey Jones two locomotives
Casey Jones that's going to bump
Casey Jones two locomotives
There's two locomotives that's going to bump

Casey said just before he died
"There're two more roads that I'd like to ride"
The fireman said, "Would that be
The Northern Pacific and the Santa Fe"

Mrs. Jones sat at on her bed a sighin'
Just to see the message that Casey was dyin'
Go to bed children and stop your cryin'
'Cause daddy's still a ridin' that heavenly line

Casey Jones mounted to the cabin
Casey Jones with the orders in his hand
Casey Jones mounted to the cabin
And it took his final trip to the Promised Land