Origin: Wreck of the Tennessee Gravy Train

Subject: The Wreck Of The Tennessee Gravy Train
From:
Date: 17 Mar 02 - 08:45 PM

I've sung a version of Uncle Dave Macon's "The Wreck Of The Tennessee Gravy Train" for more than 30 years on and off. I learned it from the RBF LP of reissues in the 1960's. I had heard it on radio as a child listening to the Opry and remember just a few comments by my grandfather who was born and raised in Tennessee and was a big Dave Macon fan. He swore the story was true, that the State Treasurer had embezzled something like $5,000,000 and precipitated the failure of the state banking system. Can anyone help me locate news stories or reliable histories about the Tennessee bank failure around 1920? Thanks. Rick

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ricklee.org

Subject: RE: Help: The Wreck Of The Tennessee Gravy Train
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 18 Mar 02 - 07:31 AM

Feel like posting the lyrics here?

There are a couple of dozen Uncle Dave Macon songs on the the honking duck song repository (Old Time Music from 78s), but not this one. Sounds like it might be topical from time to time and not just in Tennessee.

Subject: RE: Help: The Wreck Of The Tennessee Gravy Train
From: Geoff the Duck
Date: 18 Mar 02 - 08:09 AM

There is a thread of Dave Macon lyrics which has been getting updated at intervals during the past year. The Tennessee Gravy Train is there with a very short bit of background information. It is possible that someone knows some more about it. Uncle Dave Macon Lyrics
Quack!
Geoff the Duck.

Subject: RE: Help: The Wreck Of The Tennessee Gravy Train
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 18 Mar 02 - 10:15 AM

Thanks, Geoff - as I guessed, pretty topical at regular intervals, and not just in Tennessee.

Here's the link to the words. That's a great chorus to it:

We're up against it now
There's no use to raise a row
But of all the times I've ever seen
We're sure up against it now

Subject: RE: Help: The Wreck Of The Tennessee Gravy Train
From: lamarca
Date: 19 Mar 02 - 03:54 PM

Dick Spottswood sent the following historical background for the song:

"Charles Wolfe told me that when TN governor Austin Peay died in office in 1927, his replacement was Henry Horton who, with good intentions, sold bonds to complete school & road projects. He trusted one Henry Lea, who instituted a corrupt patronage system, putting state money in banks & trusts controlled by Rogers Caldwell in N'ville. One of his enterprises was Kyrock Construction Co. It received road contracts without bidding for them and this became an issue in the 1930 gubernatorial election. Horton won, but the stock market crashed shortly thereafter, taking down the Bank of TN, with 3.5 million in state funds raised from bonds. TN ultimately was $6 million in debt. Horton was impeached, but the House supported him 58-41, leavng him in office."

(Info passed along to Rick Lee, but I thought I'd post it here for anyone else curious about the history...)

Subject: RE: Help: The Wreck Of The Tennessee Gravy Train
From:
Date: 19 Mar 02 - 04:18 PM

Thanks, Mary, and thanks to Dick and all who responded. Just what I was looking for.

All the best,

Rick ricklee.org