In the heat of the day, down in Mobile, Alabama
Workin' on the railroad with a steel drivin' hammer
Tryin' to get some money, get some brand new shoes
Tryin to find a lady, chase away my blues
Hot and wasted Lord sweatin' in the sun
'Cause I'm not a foreman 'till my work is all done

Later in the evening when the sun is sinking low
I'll be out there waitin' for the whistle to blow
Sittin' in the teepee smokin' out on the track
Rollin' them bones (meaning dice) till my foreman get back
Suddenly I hear the breakman up and shout
There's a non-stop train comin' two miles out

Everybody jumpin' and a scrambling around
Tryin to get the line an get the teepee down
Railroad owner's 'bout to go insane
Tryin' to get the workers out the way of the train
Here come the engineer honk his horn
He got a non-stop train, we got to let it roll on!