The Lightning Express came in from the West

voiceCollected by Merlin Mitchell Transcribed by Kyle Perrin Reel 30 Item 1 Fred Woodruff Lincoln, Arkansas March 30, 1950 The Lightning Express The Lightning Express came in from the West One bright and sun shiney day, The people a l l aboard the t r a i n, They seemed t o be. happy and gay. Except ore young lad who set by h i s s e l f, A-reading a l e t t e r he had, I t seemed from the t e a r s that set in his eyes, Something had made him f e e l sad. The rough old conductor came walking by, Taking t i c k e t s from everyone there, He passed his hand t o that pore little boy Who had no t i c k e t f a r e. I have no t i c k e t , Mister, I'll pay you the money some day, I ' l l have t o put you off at the next s t a t i o n , boy, He turned and heard the lad say: Please, Mister Conductor, don't put me off of your t r a i n, The only one I have in t h i s wide world is waiting f o r me in vain, Expecting t o die any moment, she may not l i v e through the day, I ' d l i k e to kiss Mama good-bye, S i r , before God takes her away. A l i t t l e g i r l who set in front says, To put t h a t boy off i t ' s a shame, She took her hat, a c o l l e c t i o n she made and paid the boy's way on the t r a i n, I thank you, kind Miss, for your kindness; You're weldolm,, you need not f e a r, And every time the Conductor'd walk by a voice would ring out in his ear: Please, Mister Conductor, don't put me off of your t r a i n, The only ore I have in t h i s wide world i s waiting f o r me in vain, Expecting t o die any moment, she may not l i v e through the day, I ' d l i k e t o k i s s Mama good-bye, S i r , before God takes her away. My mother was a i l i n g when I l e f t home; she needed a doctor's care, I came t o your town employment to find but I couldn't g i t no work here, But every time the Conductor'd walk by, a voice would ring out in his ear: Please, Mister Conductor,, don't put me off of your t r a i n, The only one I have in this wide world is waiting for me in vain, Expecting t o die any moment, she may not l i v e through the day, I ' d like to kiss Mama good-bye, S i r , before God takes her away. Woodruff..The f i r s t time I ever heard i t was in 1901.Funding for digitization provided by the Arkansas Humanities Council and the Happy Hollow Foundation