Classic Poem

I woke up this morning, four o'clock
Mister Kassie told his fireman get his boiler hot
Put on your water, put on your coal
Put your head out the window, see my drivers roll,
See my drivers roll,
Put your head out the window, see my drivers roll.

Lord, some people said Mister Kassie couldn't run
Let me tell you what Mister Kassie done
He left Memphis, was a quarter to nine
Got to Newport News, it was dinner time,
It was dinner time,
Got to Newport News, it was dinner time.

I sold my gin, I sold it straight
Po-lice run me to my woman's gate
She come to the door, she nod her head
She made me welcome to the folding bed,
To the folding bed,
Made me welcome to the folding bed.

Lord, people said to Kassie, You're running over time,
You'll have an occolusion with the one-o-nine.
Kassie said, Ain't in mind,
I'll run her into glory 'less I make my time.
Said to all the passengers, Better keep yourself hid,
I'm natural gonna shake it like Chaney did,
Chaney did,
I'm natural gonna shake it like Chaney did.

Mister Kassie run his engine to a mile of the place
Number Four stared him in the face
The devil told Kassie, Well you must leave town
I believe to my soul I'm Alabama bound,
Alabama bound,

I believe to my soul I'm Alabama bound.

Mrs. Kassie said she dreamt a dream
The night she bought her sewing machine
The needle got broke and she could not sew
She loved Mister Kassie 'cause she told me so,
Told me so,
Loved Mister Kassie 'cause she told me so.

There was a woman name Miss Alice Frye
Said, I'm gonna ride with Mister Kassie till I die
I ain't good looking but I take my time
I'm a rambling woman with a rambling mind,
Got a rambling mind.

Kassie looked at his water: his water was low
Looked at his watch: his watch was slow.
On the road again,
Natural born eas'man, on the road again.

Lord the people tell by the thortle moan
Man at the fire Mister Kassie Jones,
Mister Kassie Jones.

Mister Kassie said before he died
One more road that he wants to ride
People tell Kassie, Which road is he?
Southern Pacific and the Sancta Fee,
Sancta Fee.

This morning I heard some one was dying
Mrs. Kassie Jones on her doorstep crying
Mama, mama, I can't keep from crying
Papa got killed on the Southern Line,
On the Southern Line,
Papa got killed on the Southern Line.

Mama, mama, how can it be?
Killed my father in the first degree.
Children, children, won't you hold your breath
Draw another pension from your father's death,
From your father's death.
On the road again,
I'm a natural born eas'man, on the road again.

Tuesday morning it looked like rain
Around the curve came a passenger train
Under the bar there laid Kassie Jones
Good old engineer but he's dead and gone,
Dead and gone.
On the road again,
I'm a natural born eas'man, on the road again.

I left Memphis just to spread the news
Memphis women don't wear no shoes
Had it written in the back of my shirt
Natural born eas'man, don't have to work,
Don't have to work,
I'm a natural born eas'man, don't have to work.