In the year of 1896, when the Katy railroad was king
And the fruits of farm and industry were carried by steel and steam
The town of Crush was christened for a day, and folks came from far and wide
To gather there in the sweltering heat and watch two trains collide
Two locomotives, breathing steam, sat face-to-face on the track
Then slowly their wheels began to turn as the engineers throttled them back
Both climbed a grade leaving two miles between, on the hills they drew to a hush
And forty-thousand people waited down below to witness the crash at Crush
Clickety-clack, clickety-clack, wheels a-rumblin on the railroad track
Once they go they cant turn back, once they go they cant turn back
He locked the lever back to the second notch just after the signal came
He stayed on board for sixteen exhausts, and then he jumped off of the train
The young engineer watched her roar down the hill and a chill ran through his soul
For he knew that neither man nor God above could stop what would now unfold
The engines met in a thunderous crash and climbed each other toward the sky
The impact rattled the earth for miles around, and the twisted wreckage did fly
In a moment more the boilers exploded, and the steam blocked out the sun
Some lost their lives while others lie bleeding, and the rest of them could only run
Clickety-clack, clickety-clack, wheels a-rumblin on the railroad track
Once they go they cant turn back, once they go they cant turn back
In a cotton field near Waco, Texas between two peaceful hills
A sign reminds us to hold respect for the power of the beasts we build
And you and I in our lifetimes will never get to feel such a rush
As the people who saw and lived to tell of the awesome crash at Crush
Clickety-clack, clickety-clack, wheels a-rumblin on the railroad track
Once they go they cant turn back, once they go they cant turn back