Ralph Stanley
Lyric guide

Engine 143

Read Engine 143 lyrics by Ralph Stanley on LyroVerse, with linked artist context and related song paths.

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Page type: lyric reference Artist: Ralph Stanley Canonical path: /ralph-stanley/engine-143 Related lyric paths: 6
Lyrics

Engine 143

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Along came the FFV, the swiftest on the line

Running o'er the C&O road, just twenty minutes behind

Running into Sewall, it's quartered on the line

Receiving their strict orders from the station just behind

Georgie's mother came to him with a bucket on her arm

Said, my darling son, be careful how you run

For a-many a man has lost his life in trying to make lost time

And if you run your engine right, you'll get there just on time

Up the road she darted, against the rocks she crashed

Upside-down the engine turned, and Georgie's breast did smack

His head was against the firebox door, the flames were rolling high

I'm glad I was born for an engineer, to die on the C&O road

The doctor said to Georgie, my darling boy, be still

Your life may yet be saved if it's God's blessed will

Oh, no, said Georgie, that will not do, I want to die so free

I want to die for the engine I love

One hundred and forty-three

The doctor said to Georgie, your life cannot be saved

Murdered upon the railroad and laid in a lonesome grave

His face was covered up with blood

His eyes you could not see

And the very last words poor Georgie said

Was nearer, my God, to Thee

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Who performs "Engine 143"?

Ralph Stanley performs "Engine 143", and this lyric page sits inside the Ralph Stanley catalog on LyroVerse.

Are there related songs to explore after "Engine 143"?

Yes. The related section below points to Down Where the River Bends and East Virginia Blues with a short reason for opening each page next.

Where can I find more songs by Ralph Stanley?

Use the artist link near the top of the page or the related paths section below to keep moving through Ralph Stanley's lyric pages.

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