Geschätzte Countryblues-Freunde! Trying to figure out what exactly Mississippi John Hurt is singing on his Vanguard recording ‚Talking Casey' (‚Today'). The lyrics are not to find in any of the available songbooks. Here is what I transcribed so far. Anyone out there who can fill in the missing words? You would do me a big favour, since it's a great piece of music and I'd love to perform this song! Mit lieben Grüßen from good old germany, Rüdiger.Talking Casey Casey Jones was a brave engineer ??? his wife ??? he was sittin' up in his cab the day he ??? she felt that something might go wrong she called him something like this:
Casey, Casey, don't leave me here Casey, don't, don't leave me here
little children come to their father crying: daddy don't leave us here...
daddy, daddy, don't leave us here
he could't stand that children crying ??? he said get the bell going I heard the bell going something like this...
wife still crying...
don't leave me here Casey, don't, don't leave me here
next thing I heard his drive wheel jumping in the railroad joints something like this he were gone...
he run up some sheep, some sheep ??? so he had to stop his train made him sort of mad, too I heard him, when he was cuttin' down he was blowing something like this for the sheep to get off the track...
after he had to stop for the sheep to get off the track come his cousin here is what he said you know, what he said was this:
hop down little sheep hop down little sheep
don't leave me here Casey, don't, don't leave me here
after that he was a little behind time looked like the drive wheel was tryin' to catch up with the little track-wheel ??? what's your deal one good christian lady come singing: lord, have mercy, save me lord
oh lord, have mercy, oh lord oh lord, have mercy, save me, lord oh lord, don't leave me, oh lord, oh lord, don't leave me, save me lord