in the heat of the day, down in mobile, alabama

Workin' on the railroad with a steel drivin' hammer

Tryin' to get some money, get some brand new shoes

Tryin to find a lady, chase away my blues

Hot and wasted lord sweatin' in the sun

'cause i'm not a foreman 'till my work is all done



Later in the evening when the sun is sinking low

I'll be out there waitin' for the whistle to blow

Sittin' in the teepee smokin' out on the track

Rollin' them bones (meaning dice) till my foreman get back

Suddenly i hear the breakman up and shout

There's a non-stop train comin' two miles out



Everybody jumpin' and a scrambling around

Tryin to get the line an get the teepee down

Railroad owner's 'bout to go insane

Tryin' to get the workers out the way of the train

Here come the engineer honk his horn

He got a non-stop train, we got to let it roll on!