It was April 27 in the year of 91
Bout a mile below the surface and the warm kentucky sun
The late shift was ending and the early shift was late.
The foreman ate his dinner from a dirty tin plate
Blood on the tracks, blood in the mine,
Brothers and sisters what a terrible time.
Ole 97 went in the wrong hole,
Now in mine number 60 there's blood on the coal,
Blood on the coal, blood on the coal.
The slag pits were steamin' it was 7:25,
Every miner worked the coal face, every one of them alive
The train came round the corner, you could hear the tressel groan,
But the switcher wasn't listnin' so he left the switch alone!
Blood on the tracks, blood in the mine,
Brothers and sisters what a terrible time.
Ole 97 went in the wrong hole,
Now in mine number 60 there's blood on the coal,
Blood on the coal, blood on the coal.
Well the walls began to tremble and the men began to yell
They could hear that lonesome whistle, like an echo out of well
They dropped their picks and shovels, as to safety they did run
For to stay among the living in the year of ninety-one
Blood on the tracks, blood in the mine,
Brothers and sisters what a terrible time.
Ole 97 went in the wrong hole,
Now in mine number 60 there's blood on the coal,
Blood on the coal, blood on the coal.
An Irishman named Murphy said "I'll stop that iron horse!"
And he stood to athwart it's passage, and it crushed him dead of course.
And I hope he hears the irony when e're this tale is told,
The train that took his life was burning good Kentucky coal, (Hey!)
Blood on the tracks, blood in the mine,
Brothers and sisters what a terrible time.
Ole 97 went in the wrong hole,
Now in mine number 60 there's blood on the coal,
Blood on the coal, blood on the coal.