Canadian Railroad Trilogy

...melody one...

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

When the green dark forest was too silent to be real

But time has no beginnings and history has no bounds

As to this verdant country they came from all around

They sailed upon her waterways and they walked the forests tall

Built the mines the mills and the factories for the good of us all

And when the young man's fancy had turned into the spring

The railroad men grew restless for to hear the hammers ring

Their minds were overflowing with the visions of the day

With many a fortune won and lost and many a debt to pay

...melody two...

For 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 through the seaports and into their hands

"Look away," said they across this mighty land

From the eastern shore to the western strand

Bring in the workers and bring up the rails

We gotta lay down the tracks and tear up the trails

Open her heart and let the life blood flow

Gotta get on our way 'cause we're moving too slow

Bring in the workers and bring up the rails

We're gonna lay down the tracks and tear up the trails

Open her heart let the life blood flow

Gotta get on our way 'cause we're moving too slow

Get on our way 'cause we're moving too slow

...melody three...

Behind the blue Rockies the sun is declining

The stars, they come stealing at the close of the day

Across the wide prairie our loved ones lie sleeping

Beyond the dark oceans in a place far away

We are the navvies who work upon the railway

Swinging our hammers in the bright blazing sun

Living on stew and drinking bad whiskey

Bending our old backs 'til the long days are done

We are the navvies who work upon the railway

Swinging our hammers in the bright blazing sun

Laying down track and building the bridges

Bending our old backs 'til the railroad is done

...melody two...

So over the mountains and over the plains

Into the muskeg and into the rain

Up the St. Lawrence all the way to Gaspe

Swinging our hammers and drawing our pay

Driving 'em in and tying 'em down

Away to the bunkhouse and into the town

A dollar a day and a place for my head

A drink to the living and a toast to the dead

Oh the song of the future has been sung

All the battles have been won

O'er the mountain tops we stand

All the world at our command

We have opened up the soil

With our teardrops and our toil

...melody one...

For 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

When the green dark forest was too silent to be real

When the green dark forest was too silent to be real

And many are the dead men too silent to be real