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Wreck Of The Old 97 by Johnny Cash
Wreck Of The Old 97
Tuning:E A D G B E
Capo:no capo
|G |C
They gave him his orders at Monroe, Virginia
|G |D
sayin' Steve your way behind the time
|G |C
this is not thirty eight this is old ninety seven
|G |D |G
you must pull her into Spencer on time.
|G |C
He turned and he said to his black greasy fireman
|G |D
let's shovel on a little more coal
|G |C
and when we cross that wide oak mountain
|G |D |G
just watch old ninety seven roll.
|G |C
Was a mighty rough road from Lenburg to Danvill
|G |D
on a climb with a three mile grade
|G |C
it was on that grade that he lost his air brakes
|G |D |G
see what a jump he made.
|G |C
He was comin' down the grade makin' ninety miles an hour
|G |D
his whistle broke into a scream
|G |C
he was found in the wreck with his hand on the throttle
|G |D |G
scalded to death by the steam
|G |C
Well all you ladies had better take a warnin'
|G |D
from this time on and learn
|G |C
never speak harsh words to your true love or husband
|G |D |G
he may leave you and never re-turn.
------------------
version 2
Tuning:E A D G B E
Capo:no capo
[Verse]
G C
Well, they gave him his orders at Monroe, Virginia
G D
Sayin' Steve you're way behind time
G C
This is not Thirty Eight, this is Old Ninety-Seven
G D G
You must put her into Spencer on time
[Verse]
G C
Then he turned around and said to his black greasy fireman
G D
Shovel on a little more coal
G C
And when we cross that wide oak mountain
G D G
Watch Old Ninety-Seven roll
[Solo]
G C G D
G C G D G
[Verse]
G C
But it's a mighty rough road from Lynchburg to Danville
G D
On a line with a three mile grade
G C
It was on that grade that he lost his air brakes
G D G
See what a jump he made
[Verse]
G C
He was goin' down the grade makin' ninety miles an hour
G D
His whistle broke into a scream
G C
He was found in the wreck with his hand on the throttle
G D G
a-scalded to death by the steam
[Solo]
G C G D
G C G D G
[Verse]
G C
Then a telegram come to Washington station
G D
And this is how it read
G C
Well that brave engineer that run Old Ninety-Seven
G D G
He's a-lyin' in ol' Danville dead
[Verse]
G C
So now, all you ladies you better take a warnin'
G D
From this time on and learn
G C
Never speak harsh words to your true lovin' husband
G D G
He may leave you and never return
------------------
version 3
Tuning:E A D G B E
Capo:1st fret
Intro:
| A | A | A | A |
| E | A | A |
A D
Well, they gave him his orders at Monroe, Virginia.
A E
Said, "Steve, you're way behind time.
A D
This is not Thirty-Eight, this is old Ninety-Seven.
A E A
Put her into Spencer on time."
A D
Then he turned around and said to his black, greasy fireman,
A E
"Shovel on a little more coal.
A D
And when we cross that White Oak Mountain,
A E A
Watch old Ninety-Seven roll."
Guitar Solo:
Instrumental verse
A D
And then a telegram comes from Washington Station,
A E
This is how it read:
A D
"Oh, that brave engineer that run old Ninety-Seven
A E A
Is lyin' in old Danville dead."
A D
'Cause he was goin' down a grade makin' ninety miles an hour,
A E
The whistle broke into a scream.
A D
He was found in the wreck with his hand on the throttle,
A E A
Scalded to death by the steam. One more time!
Guitar Solo:
Instrumental verse
A D
Well, now, all you ladies, you better take the warnin'
A E
From this time on and learn.
A D
Never speak hard words to your true lovin' husband.
A E A
He may leave you and never re-turn. Poor boy.
------------------
version 4
Tuning:E A D G B E
Capo:no capo
[Verse]
A D
Well, they gave him his orders at Monroe, Virginia.
A E
Said, "Steve, you're way behind time.
A D
This is not Thirty-Eight, this is old Ninety-Seven.
A E A
Put her into Spencer on time".
[Verse]
A D
Then he turned around and said to his black, greasy fireman,
A E
Hey "shovel on a little more coal.
A D
And when we cross that White Oak Mountain,
A E A
Watch old Ninety-Seven roll."
[Solo]
e|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
G|------------------------------2-------------2-4-2------4-----4------------|
D|------2-2-2-2--------0-0-0-0-4---4-2-2-2-2-4-------4h6---4h6---6p4/2------|
A|--0-4--------4-0-2-4------------------------------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------------------------|
B|-------------------------------------------------------------|
G|------2-2-2-------------------2------------------------------|
D|--2-4-------4-2-----0-0-0-0-4---4-2-2-2---0------------PM----|
A|----------------2-4---------------------4---4-2-0---(4-2-0)--|
E|-------------------------------------------------------------|
[Verse]
A D
And then a telegram came from Washington station,
A E
this is how it read:
A D
"Oh that brave engineer that run old Ninety-Seven,
A E A
is lyin' in old Danville dead".
[Verse]
A D
He was going down the grade makin' ninety miles an hour.
A E
His whistle broke into a scream.
A D
He was found in the wreck, with his hand on the throttle,
A E A
scalded to death by the steam.
[Solo]
e|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
G|------------------------------2-------------2-4-2------4-----4------------|
D|------2-2-2-2--------0-0-0-0-4---4-2-2-2-2-4-------4h6---4h6---6p4/2------|
A|--0-4--------4-0-2-4------------------------------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------------------------|
B|-------------------------------------------------------------|
G|------2-2-2-------------------2------------------------------|
D|--2-4-------4-2-----0-0-0-0-4---4-2-2-2---0------------PM----|
A|----------------2-4---------------------4---4-2-0---(4-2-0)--|
E|-------------------------------------------------------------|
[Verse]
A D
Now all you ladies you better take a warnin',
A E
From this time on and learn
A D
Never speak harsh words to your true lovin' husband
A E A
he may leave you and never return.
| h Hammer-on
| p Pull-off
| / Slide up
------------------
version 5
Capo on 1st fret.
The solo that Bob Wootton plays at San Quentin,
is the same except for the part with the slide.
I think Wootton plays it like this instead: G|--4-44--
D|-6-6--6-
If you want to play along with the recording,
you have to tune up your guitar 3/4 (or 1/4 with the capo on 1st fret).
This will match Luther's tuning.
[Intro]
e|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
b|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
G|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
D|------0-2-2-2---0----------PM------------------------------------|
A|--4-4---------4---4-2-0--(4-2-0)---------------------------------|
E|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
A D
Well, they gave him his orders at Monroe, Virginia.
A E
Said, "Steve, you're way behind time.
A D
This is not Thirty-Eight, this is old Ninety-Seven.
A E A
Put her into Spencer on time".
Well he turned around and said to his big, greasy fireman,
Hey "shovel on a little more coal.
And when we cross that White Oak Mountain,
Watch old Ninety-Seven roll."
[Solo]
e|-------------------------------------------------------------|
b|-------------------------------------------------------------|
G|------------------------------2-----------2-4-2--------------|
D|------2-2-2---------0-0-0-0-4---4-2-2-2-4-------4/6----------|
A|--0-4-------4-0-2-4------------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------------------------|
b|-------------------------------------------------------------|
G|------2-2-2-------------------2------------------------------|
D|--2-4-------4-2-----0-0-0-0-4---4-2-2-2---0------------PM----|
A|----------------2-4---------------------4---4-2-0---(4-2-0)--|
E|-------------------------------------------------------------|
It's a mighty rough road from Lynchburg to Danville.
In a line on a three mile grade.
It was on that grade that he lost his airbrakes,
You'd see what a jump he made.
He was going down the grade makin' ninety miles an hour.
His whistle broke into a scream.
He was found in the wreck, with his hand on the throttle,
scalded to death by the steam.
Now all you ladies you better take a warnin',
From this time on and learn
Never speak harsh words to your true lovin' husband
he may leave you and never return.
|This verse wasn't in the original Sun-recording,|
|but Johnny sings it in the San Quentin version. |
|So here it is (3rd verse). |
And then a telegram came from Washington station,
this is how it read:
"Oh that brave engineer that run old Ninety-Seven,
is lyin' in old Danville dead".
------------------
version 6
Capo:no capo
for Two Guitars
Luther is electric and Johnny is acoustic. This is how the song was meant to be
performed, along with bass and drums. It's also meant to sound like a train.
The drums have a clackity sound and Luther, when Johnny is singing, has a rythm
that can't be mistaken for anything but a locomotive. You'll have to listen to
the song to really understand what I'm talking about. The whole energy of the
band pushes home the idea of a runaway train. This version is recorded live . .
I think at San Quentin.
Johnny: Acoustic, Capo on 3rd fret
Luther: Electric, Capo on 1st Fret, palm-muted during the singing (If you want to
make this song a lot easier to play, remove the capo fromLuther and move Johnny's
to the second. The tab is relative to the capo so it will still work).
Luther Intro:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
---4--5--7-7-7--5--4--5-5-5--4--2--0---------------------------------------------|
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Johnny Verse Rythm:
G C
Well, they gave him his orders at Monroe, Virginia
G D
Said, "Steve you're way behind time
G C
This is not Thirty-Eight this is old Ninety-Seven
G D G
Put her into Spencer on time."
Luther Verse: (This part is played -very- fast, with up-down stroke picking)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
---------------------------------2--2-2-2-2-2-2--2--2-2-2-2-2-2------------------|
-2--2-2-2-2-2-2--2--2-2-2-2-2-2--0--0-0-4-4-4-4--0--0-0-4-4-4-4------------------|
-0--0-0-4-4-4-4--0--0-0-4-4-4-4--------------------------------------------------|
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
PM...............................................................................
Well they gave him his orders in M o n r o e, V i r g i n i a, said
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
-2--2-2-2-2-2-2--2--2-2-2-2-2-2--------------------------------------------------|
-0--0-0-4-4-4-4--0--0-0-4-4-4-4--2--2-2-2-2-2-2--2--2-2-2-2-2-2------------------|
---------------------------------0--0-0-4-4-4-4--0--0-0-4-4-4-4------------------|
PM...............................................................................
Steve you're way behind time This is
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
---------------------------------2--2-2-2-2-2-2--2--2-2-2-2-2-2------------------|
-2--2-2-2-2-2-2--2--2-2-2-2-2-2--0--0-0-4-4-4-4--0--0-0-4-4-4-4------------------|
-0--0-0-4-4-4-4--0--0-0-4-4-4-4--------------------------------------------------|
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
PM...............................................................................
not Thirty - Eight this is old Ninety-Seven
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
-2--2-2-2-2-2-2------------------2--2-2-2-2-2-2----------------------------------|
-0--0-0-4-4-4-4--2--2-2-2-2-2-2--0--0-0-4-4-4-4----------------------------------|
-----------------0--0-0-4-4-4-4--------------------------------------------------|
PM...............................................................................
put her into Spencer on time."
Luther Solo: (I hate to say there is one part in here, where he slides, I've yet to
figure out exactly as he plays. Everything else is correct, and when I figure that
part out I'll fix it. He plays this part twice during the song and it's exactly the
same each time. Throughout the solo, Johnny plays the same thing that he does during
the verse).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
------------------------------------------------------------------2--5--5--5-----|
----------------------------------------------2----------------2-----------------|
-----------------------------0-0-0-0-0-0-4-4-----4--2-2-2-2-2--------------------|
---0-2--4-4-4-4--2-0--0-2--4-----------------------------------------------------|
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
--3-2-0--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
---------2-2-2-2-2----------------------2----------------------------------------|
-------------------2--------0-0-0-0-0-4---4--2-2-2-2-2---------------------------|
----------------------2--4------------------------------4-4-2--0-----------------|
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
That's really the whole song, as far as guitar is concerned.
Well, they gave him his orders in Monroe, Virginian,
Said, "Steve, you're way behind time,
"This is not 38, this is Ol'97,
"Put her into Spencer on time."
Then he turned around and said to his black, greasy fireman,
"Shovel on a little more coal.
And when we reach that White Oak mountain,
"Watch Ol'97 roll."
And then a telegran come from Washington station,
This is what it read,
"Oh that brave engineer that run '97,
"Is lyin' in Danville dead."
"Cause he was going down a grade making 90 miles an hour,
The whistle broke into a scream.
He was found in the wreck with his hand on the throttle,
Scalded to death by steam."
One more time!
Oh, now all you ladies better take a warning,
From this time on and learn.
Never speak harsh to your true-lovin' husband,
He may leave you and never return.
Poor Boy.
------------------
version 7
Capo:no capo
Standard Tunning
Intro:
----------------------------------------------------|
----------------------------------------------------|
----------------------------------------------------|
----------------------------------------3--3--3--3--|
-7--8--10-10-10--7--8--7--5--3--3--3--3--3--3--3--3-|
-------------------------------3--3--3--3-----------|
Solo:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
----------------------------------7h10--7--5-5--7--10--12--10--9-12-9-12-|
-7--8--10-10-10--7--3--5--7--8-8-8---------------------------------------|
-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
------------------------------------------------------------------------|
------------------------------------------------------------------------|
------------------------------------------------------------------------|
9--7--5--7--9-10-10--7--5-3-3-3--7h10--7--5-5--2p0-2p0------------------|
-------------------------------------------------------3----------------|
------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Well, they gave him his orders in Monroe, Virginian,
Said, "Steve, you're way behind time,
"This is not 38, this is Ol'97,
"Put her into Spencer on time."
Then he turned around and said to his black, greasy fireman,
"Shovel on a little more coal.
And when we reach that White Oak mountain,
"Watch Ol'97 roll."
And then a telegran come from Washington station,
This is what it read,
"Oh that brave engineer that run '97,
"Is lyin' in Danville dead."
"Cause he was going down a grade making 90 miles an hour,
The whistle broke into a scream.
He was found in the wreck with his hand on the throttle,
Scalded to death by steam."
One more time!
Oh, now all you ladies better take a warning,
From this time on and learn.
Never speak harsh to your true-lovin' husband,
He may leave you and never return.
Poor Boy.
------------------