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Wreck of the Tennessee Gravy Train Lyrics by Uncle Dave Macon

Harry Smith’s Anthology of American Folk Music, Volume 4

1930

[Verse 1]
The people of Tennessee want to know
Who wrecked our gravy train
The one we thought was run so well
And now who can we blame?
They want to know who greased the track
And started it down the road
This same ol' train contained our money
To build our highway roads
[Chorus]
But now we're up against it and no use to raise a row
But of all the times I've ever seen, we're sure up against it now
The only thing that we can do is to do the best we can
Follow me good people, I'm bound for thе promised land
[Verse 2]
Now, I could be a banker
Without thе least excuse
But look at the treasurer of Tennessee
And tell me what's the use
We lately bonded Tennessee
For just five million bucks
The bonds were issued and the money tied up
And now we're in tough luck
[Chorus]
But now we're up against it and no use to raise a row
But of all the times I've ever seen, we're sure up against it now
The only thing that we can do is to do the best we can
Follow me good people, I'm bound for the promised land
[Verse 3]
Some lay it all on parties
Some lay it on others you see
But now that you can plainly see
What happened to Tennessee
For the engineer pulled the throttle
Conductor rang the bell
The brakeman hollered "all aboard"
And the banks all went to Hell
[Chorus]
But now we're up against it and no use to raise a row
But of all the times I've ever seen, we're sure up against it now
The only thing that we can do is to do the best we can
Follow me good people, I'm bound for the promised land
Credits
Uncle Dave Macon

Uncle Dave Macon

About “Wreck of the Tennessee Gravy Train” by Uncle Dave Macon

Read the complete lyrics to "Wreck of the Tennessee Gravy Train" by Uncle Dave Macon from the album "Harry Smith’s Anthology of American Folk Music, Volume 4" in 1930. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Country, Folk.

"Wreck of the Tennessee Gravy Train" is performed by Uncle Dave Macon. from the album "Harry Smith’s Anthology of American Folk Music, Volume 4" in 1930 This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "Wreck of the Tennessee Gravy Train", explore more songs by Uncle Dave Macon using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"Wreck of the Tennessee Gravy Train" is credited to Uncle Dave Macon. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Wreck of the Tennessee Gravy Train" appears on "Harry Smith’s Anthology of American Folk Music, Volume 4" in 1930.

Visit the Uncle Dave Macon artist page at /artist/uncle-dave-macon for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.