The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #20196   Message #2095141
Posted By: GUEST,TJ in San Diego
05-Jul-07 - 07:35 PM
Thread Name: Train Songs
Subject: RE: Train Songs
"2:10, 6:18" - The Kingston Trio performed it, and I think John Stewart wrote it.

"The Wreck of the Old 97" hit a nerve only because, several years ago, I was enjoying Christmas dinner with an old family friend, Dr. Vann. He was 98 years of age at the time, a very courtly and dignified gentleman, and a retired Navy doctor. He mentioned that his home town was Danville, Virginia. I asked if he was familiar with the song about the "Old 97" and his eyebrows went up a bit. It turns out that he, as a thirteen year old boy, had hitched up a wagon for his father, who was the only doctor in the area, and driven him to the wreck to minister to the living victims - mostly morphine.
It's not often that you meet a living connection to the music. He even corrected some of the "poetic license" particulars in the song, about the setting, the distance, etc., etc.