In my early days of singing, I did folk songs and tragic songs,
and this was one of my favorites
when I used to do concerts all alone in college,
first one place to another, when I was called
on to take the guitar and
play and sing.
That's the best way to do folk songs,
just with a guitar.
Then you can use any meter you want to, out of time,
out of meter, stop and talk a minute
it and start again.
That's the way I used to like to do tunes.
This is a song coming
from the hills of
Kentucky in the coal mining country.
They used to bring it out in these
dinky little trains, you know.
And they were always
jumping the track.
And this is the
story of one of them.
It's the wreck of number nine.
One dark stormy night,
not a star was in sight
The north wind came
howling down the line
There stood a brave engineer,
with his sweet heart so dear
And his orders to flow number nine
She kissed him goodbye
with a tear in her eye
The joy in his heart he couldn't hide
The whole world seemed bright
for she told him that night
That tomorrow she'd
be his blushing bride
The wheels hummed a song
as the train rolled along
The black smoke came
pouring from the stack
The headlight, a gleam,
seemed to brighten his dream
Of tomorrow, when he'd be going back
He sped round the hill and
his brave heart stood still
The headlight was shining in his face
He whispered a prayer as
he threw on the air
For he knew this would be
his final race
In the wreck he was found
lying there on the ground
He asked them to raise his weary head
His breath slowly went as
this message he
Sent to a maiden who thought
she would be wed
There's a little white home
that I built for our own
Where I dreamed we'd be happy,
you and I
But I leave it to you,
for I know you'll be true
Till we meet at the golden gates, goodbye