A dramatic ballad with a young heroine, 1897
words and music by Chas. Shackford
The sheet music:
Lyrics
- “The midnight express will be late here tonight
So sidetrack the westbound freight”
Those were the orders that Tom had received
As he passed through the roundhouse gate
Tom was the switchman, with heart true as steel
And duty was first in his breast
But the thought of his boy who was dying at home
Crazed Tom and he fell at his post
The shrill whistle blew on the freight for the west
The rumble was heard of the midnight express
Refrain:
Asleep at the switch, and no warning light
To signal those trains, that rushed through the night
When down to the switch, ran Tom’s daughter Nell
The crisis had past, his boy would get well
She caught up the light, and waved it on high
And sidetracked the westbound freight
And the midnight express all in safety flew by
While Tom was asleep at the switch
- The freight slowly back’d on the main track again
The men called to Tom goodnight
Only the sob of a girl made reply
And they saw by the engines light
Tom lying flat at his post where he fell
And there with her head on his breast
‘Twas his brave daughter, Nell, who had saved all their lives
And those on the midnight express
Each man on the freight for the West bared his head,
For Tom’s heart had stopped at his post he lay dead.
Refrain:
Asleep at the switch, the president read
“And my wife and child were on board,” he said
But as he read on, his stern face relaxed
“This road shall reward such heroic acts”
He sat at his desk and he fill’d out a check
And sent it with all dispatch
‘Twas for Tom’s daughter, Nell, for her brave deed that night
While he slept his last sleep at the switch
Sung here by Fred Feild: