The University Museum

Christmas had come, the morn was dark;
The moon had hidden her face.
Al Bowen, our engineer,
Went cheerfully to his place.

Al had a smile, kind word for all,
A courteous man was he.
His winning ways made many a friend
As many will agree.

Before Al made that fatal trip
He cheerfully proclaimed
Goodbye mother dear, if I never come back
I love you all the same.

I hate to make this run tonight;
My headlight is no good.
I fear some evil will take place;
I feel as if it should.

The Southern never had a better man -
No better engineer.
But that night Al seemed to have
A little lingering fear.

Al took his place within the cab,
McNeely by his side.
Now keep you seat old boy, he said;
We'll have a flying ride.

I'm thirty minutes late, friend Mac,
Buchanan will be there.
He's sliding in at Station Maud;
I see her headlight's glare.

Give her more coal, he said to Hutte;
We must make up that time.
To Al's surprise he saw a light
Come streaming down the line.

It's Number One, Great God, he cried -
She's jumping round that neck.
Oh jump, Mac, jump, I'll stay with her;
You'll find me in the wreck.

The iron steeds met with a terrible crash
And bursted like a shell.
The streams of fire and the scalding steam
It made a terrible hell.

On Christmas morn, the searchers came;
They found his body there.
His soul had taken its flight to God
Where death can never stare.

Al never knew the cause of it -
The signal wrong was given.
We know his soul has gone to rest
In the far-off peaceful heaven.

From the album Welcome to Labor Land
Bucky Halker and the Complete Unknowns
2002
Revolting Records