Canadian Railway Trilogy

[ga...@stsci.edu]

A week or so ago there was a request for Gordon Lightfoot's
Canadian Railway Trilogy. I've written it out as best as I can
recall. If you know the song please review this and post any
corrections.

Thanks,

-Bill Gawne, Space Telescope Science Institute

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CANADIAN RAILWAY TRILOGY
by Gordon Lightfoot
(errors and omissions by Bill Gawne)

There was a time in this fair land when the railroad did not run.
When the wild majestic mountains stood alone against the sun.
Long before the white man and long before the wheel.
And the green dark forrests stood too silent to be real.

But time has no beginning and history has no bound,
And to this virgin country they came from all around.
They sailed upon her waterways and they walked her forrests tall,
Built the mines, mills, and factories for the good of us all.

But when the young mens' fancy was turning to the spring
Those railroad men grew restless for to hear the hammers ring.
Their minds were overflowing with the visions of their day.
And many a fortune lost and won, and many a debt to pay.

Oh, they looked to the future and what did they see?
They saw an iron road running from the sea to the sea.
Bringing the goods to the young growing land,
all up from the sea ports and into their hands.

||: Bring in the workers and bring up the rails
We've got to lay down the track and tear up the trails.
Open her heartland and lifeblood flow, we've got to get on our way
'Cause we're moving too slow. :||

Behind the blue Rockies the sun is declining.
Stars they come stealing at the close of each day.
Across the wide praries our loved ones lie sleeping
Beyond the dark ocean in a place far away.

We are the navies who worked upon the railways.
Swinging our hammers in the bright blazing sun.
Living on stew and drinking bad whiskey,
Bending our backs 'till the long day is done.

We are the navies who worked upon the railway,
swinging our hammers 'till the close of each day.

[I can't recall the next two lines.]

So over the mountains and over the plains,
Into the muskeg and into the rains.
Up the St. Laurence all the way to Gaspe,
Swinging our hammers and drawing our pay.
Layin' 'em in and tiein' 'em down,
Away to the bunk house and into the town.
A dollar a day and a place for my head,
A drink for the living, a toast to the dead ....

Oh the songs of the future have been sung, all the battles have been won.
On the mountain tops we stand, all the world at our command.
We have opened up this soil with our teardrops and our toil.

There was at time in this fair land when the railroad did not run.
When the wild majestic mountains stood alone against the sun.
Long before the white man and long before the wheel.
when the green dark forrests stood too silent to be real.

And many are the dead men, too silent to be real.