339 The F.F.V. The Wreck of No. 4
'The F.F.V.' Sung by Mrs. B. Green. Recorded at Zionville, RFD i, Wa-
tauga county, in September 1939. This version has no chorus. The text is
similar to that of ABFS 32; the last line of the stanza is like that of OFS iv
129, No. 682A. The title in the latter collection is changed to 'S.F.E.' Another,
FSF III, gives 'Wreck of the C & O.' FSS 222-30 gives various titles :
'George Alley,' 'George Allen,' 'The Wreck on the C & O,' 'The Wreck on the
C & O Road.' According to the author. No. 4, the F.F.V. , engine No. 134,
stood for "Fast Flying Vestibule."
Here comes the F. F. V., the fast - est on the line,
Speed -ing o'er the C & O., just twen - ty min-utes be
hind, A - speed - ing o'er
the C & O., with the
quar - ters be - hind.
the
line,
Re ceiv - ing strict
ders from the sta - tion just
Scale: Hexachordal. Tonal Center: d. Structure: aba^bi (4,4,4,4) = aa^
(8,8).
2 But when it got to Hampton, the engineer was there ;
His name was Georgie Alley, with curly golden hair.
His fireman — Dixon was waiting by his side,
A-waiting for the orders when to ride.
3 George's mother came to him with a bucket on her arm,
Saying 'George, my darling boy, be careful how you run,
For many a boy has lost his life, by trying to make lost time.
But if you run your engine right, you'll get there just on time.'