G                                       C              G
down on the southern railroad line on a drowsy August day
G                          Bm           C                   G
Came a man from across the tracks, and stopped our childish play
G                                   D                       C
Boys don't you raise no cain today, I remember the words he said
G                                   F      C             G
Franny Walrevan's sick you know, with a bad pain in her head


[Verse 2]

G                                      C             G
Well, he said we've tell the engineer, that pulls old 41
G                        Bm          C            G
Not to blow his whistle loud on the morning mail run
G                                    D                      C
And the fast express from Birmingham that's always just on time
G                                F     C        G
She won't blow the whistle post at Crossing No. 9


[Verse 3]

G                                                C                G
Well, the August days soon turned to fall, and a chill was in the air
G                     Bm                   C                G
The preacher came, the kinfolks went, and friends was everywhere
G                                       D                 C
Then one day they brought the news that tore hard at my mind
G                               F      C       G
Fanny Wall Ray is gone away, from Crossing No. 9


[Verse 4]
G                                 C                G
Way back home in Sulphur Springs winter's coming hard
G                     Bm               C               G
The Georgia wind is blowing shrill across the section yard
G                                          D                 C
The snow is falling cold and white on the Southern Railroad line
G                                              F      C      G
And the trains they don't blow no more ---- for Crossing No. 9