LITTLE RED CABOOSE
(Bob Miller, 1928)

Conductor he's a fine old man, his hair is turning gray,
He works all day (works on) in sunshine and in rain;
And the angels all watch over as he rides upon the cars
(And the angels all are sober as he rides all alone)
In that little red caboose behind the train.

'Twas many years ago that his hair was black as jet,
It's whiter now, his heart has lonesome been (has known such pain);
And I'll tell you all his story, a story that is true,
Of that little red caboose behind the train.

He met her in September, she was so fair and sweet,
Oftimes together they walked down lovers' lane;
Never was a girl more fair, no sweeter ever rode
In that little red caboose behind the train.

'Twas on a frosty morning, the cold north winds did blow,
The cold had frozen up the windowpane;
They were riding to the city, 'twas on their honeymoon,
In that little red caboose behind the train.

The engineer had ridden that line for many years,
He said the cold was driving him insane;
But he held on to the throttle, his pal was in the rear,
In that little red caboose behind the train.

The fast express came roarin' at ninety miles an hour,
The brakeman (brakie) tried to see but 'twas in vain;
And (For) his fingers were all frozen; he said a silent prayer
For that little red caboose behind the train.

'Twas after the collision, among the wreckage there,
They found her body crushed amid bloodstain;
Many were the tears and heartaches and many were the prayers
For that little red caboose behind the train

The placed (laid) her in the graveyard beside the railroad track,
He still works in the sunshine and the rain;
And the angels all are sober as he rides all alone,
In that little red caboose behind the train.

Recorded by Bob Ferguson (aka Bob Miller) and his Scalawaggers in 1930.

This "red caboose" is found both in Cohen and in Botkin and Harlow ("A Treasury of Railroad Folklore", 1953). The Cohen text was transcribed from Miller's recording. Botkin got his from the singing of L. Parker Temple. Differences in the Botkin text are in parentheses.

rich r