Lyr Req: Johnny Long the Engineer (Vernon Dalhart)

Subject: Lyrics: Johnny the Engineer
From: Bob Henrickson
Date: 25 Apr 97 - 05:05 PM

I need lyrics for "Johnny the Engineer". All I can remember is

"Gather round, you railroad men, I'll sing a little song
About a railroad engineer, his name was Johnny Long".

Also-

"They found him lying beneath the cab.
His head was greased with gore.
Alas for Johnny's sweetheart.
She will never see him more.
No more will she wait by the old garden gate,
For he'll travel the line no more.
No more will he greet her with kisses to meet her,
For he's gone to that other shore."

Subject: Lyrics - "The ocean waves do roll..."
From: Matt Larson
Date: 16 Apr 97 - 02:18 AM

I'm looking for the lyrics to this song...with a chorus that goes... The ocean waves do roll / And the stormy winds do blow / And we poor sailors go skippin' at the top / While the landlubbers ride down below below below / While the landlubbers ride down below.

Subject: RE: Lyrics -
From: belter
Date: 16 Apr 97 - 05:04 AM

the mermaid

Subject: ADD: Johnny the Engineer
From: GUEST,John Bogue
Date: 11 Jan 11 - 01:03 PM

JOHNNY THE ENGINEER
(as sung by Vernon Dalhart)

If you railroad men will listen, I'll sing a little song
About a railroad engineer whose name was Johnny Long
Now Johnny was as fair a lad as ere you'd chance to see
And Johnny had a sweetheart by the name of Sally Lee.
As he traveled by the crossings, he made his whistle call
A song of love for Sally Lee for she was Johnny's all.
While waiting in the station yard he'd hum a little tune
A tune about his sweetheart for he knew he'd meet her soon.
While his sweetheart would wait by the old garden gate
He would travel down the line
He knew that she'd meet him, with kisses to greet him
So he'd always pull in on time.

Now one evening they were walking the pathway into town
When the call boy came a-running with a shout to slow them down
"Come Johnny, you are on the board, I know it isn't right,
But you must hold the throttle on the fast express tonight!"
The fast express tore down the line, a rock lay on the track
And Johnny felt an awful crash, then everything was black
They found him lying 'neath his cab, his head was streaked with gore
Alas for Johnny's sweetheart, she will never see him more.
Oh alas for her, poor Sally Lee, her sweetheart's dead & gone
As silent grave is all she has to shower lover upon.
Oh ladies who love railroad me, may you all happy be
And may to you not come the fate that came to Sally Lee.
She will never more wait by the old garden gate
For he'll ride his cab no more.
She will never more meet him, with kisses to greet him
For he's gone to that other shore.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Johnny the Engineer
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 15 Jan 11 - 06:43 PM

After a lot of searching, I finally figured out that the title of that song must be JOHNNY LONG THE ENGINEER, and it was recorded by Vernon Dalhart on August 29, 1929, and released as a 78-rpm record, Clarion 5163. The song title appears in a few discographies, but, other than that, I can't find any information about it on the Internet, let alone any audio files.

I can't find any evidence that it was ever re-released or that anyone else ever recorded it.

So did you transcribe those lyrics yourself from Dalhart's recording, John Bogue? If not, where did you get them?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Johnny Long the Engineer (Vernon Dalhart)
From: GUEST,John Bogue
Date: 28 Apr 11 - 02:42 PM

These lyrics are from Vernon Dalhart's Velvet-Tone record.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Johnny Long the Engineer (Vernon Dalhart)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 13 Mar 12 - 03:22 AM

John Bogue - I got a message from somebody named "Big Al" who thinks he heard the song sung and played on an old rickity piano by a fellow student named John Bogue at the University of Michigan in 1951. If you're the same John Bogue, please contact me so I can put you in touch with "Big Al."

Thanks.

-Joe Offer, Mudcat Archivist-
[e-mail]

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Johnny Long the Engineer (Vernon Dalhart)
From: GUEST
Date: 16 Mar 12 - 12:18 PM

Message for John Bogue;
Hi John, this is Albert Kaljee, one time resident of Michigan House, West Quad,University of Michigan,and you used to sing of Johnny Long on the piano in the basement. I search the internet for the text of the song, saw your name, and here I am. Like to hear from you. If not I wish you well.
Big Al