Birmingham Jail

Down on the Levee Levee so low
Late in the evening, hear the train blow
Hear the train blow love hear the train blow
Late in the evening hear the train blow

Roses love sunshine violets and you
Angels in heaven know I love you
Write me a letter send it by mail
Send it in care of Birmingham jail

Birmingham jail love Birmingham jail
Send it in care of Birmingham jail
Bessie my darling Bessie my dear
Bessie I love you goodness I do

Down in the meadow Down on my knee
Praying to heaven give my heart ease
God is the king love Pining for love
Kiss me once more love then I must go

The Letter Edged in Black

I was standing by my window yesterday morning
Without a throught of worry or a care
When I saw the postman swinging up the pathway
With such a cherry smile and jaunty air

He rang the bell and whistled while he waited
And then he said good morning to you Jack
But he little knew the sorrow he had brought me
When he handed me a letter edged in black

With a trebling hand I took the letter from him
I broke the seal and this is what it said
Come home my boy your poor old father wants you
Come home my boy your dear old mothers dead

The last words your mother ever spoke were
Tell my boy I want him to come back
My eyes are blurred my poor old heart is breaking
As Im writing you this letter edged in black

Those angry words I wish I had never spoken
You know I did not mean them don’t you Jack
May the Angels carry with them am asking
Your forgiveness in this letter edged in black

I bow my head in silence and in sorrow
The sunshine of my life it all has fled
Since the postman brought that letter yesterday morning
Stayin come home my boy your dear old mothers dead

Casey Jones

Come all you rounders for I want you to hear
The story of a brave engineer
Casey Jones was the rounders name
On a heavy big eight wheeler of a mighty train

Called called Casey bout half past four
He kissed his wife at the station door
Climbed to the cab with the orders in his hand
He says this is my trip to the holy land

Out of the South Memphis yard on the fly
Heard the firemen say you got a white eye
Well the switchman knew by the engine moan
That the man at the throttle was Casey Jones

The rain was comin down five or six weeks
the railroad track was like the bed of a creek
They slaved her down to a thirty mile gait
And the South bound mail was eight hours late

Fireman says Casey youre runnin too fast
you run that black board the last station you past
Casey says I believe we’ll make it through
For she steams a lot better than I ever know

Casey says firemen, don’t you fret
Keep knocking at the fire door don’t give up yet
Im goign to run her till she leaves the rail
Or Make it on time with the south bound mail

Around the curve and down the dump
two locomotives was abound to jump
Fireman hollered Casey its just ahead
We might jump and make it but we’ll all be dead

Around the curve comes a passenger train
Casey blows the whistle tells the fireman ring the bell
Fireman jumps and says Good-bye
Casey Jones your bound to die

Well Casey Jones was alright
He stuck to his duty day and night
They loved his whistle and his ring number three
And he came into Memphis on the old IC

Fireman goes down the depot track
Begging his noney to take him back
She says Oranges on the table Peaches on the shelf
Youre a goin to get tired sleeping by yourself

Mrs Casy Jones was a sittin on the bed
Telegram comes that Casey is dead
She says children go to bed and hush your cryin
Cause you got another Papa on the Tusco line

Headaches and heartaches and all kinds of pain
They aint apart from a railroad train
Stairs of brave men noble and grand
Belong to the life of a railroad man