Lyr Add: Canadian Railroad Trilogy (G Lightfoot)

Subject: Lyr Add: CANADIAN RAILROAD TRILOGY (G Lightfoot)
From: Bob Landry
Date: 04 Jun 97 - 05:28 PM

Contribution:

THE CANADIAN RAILROAD TRILOGY
(Words and Music by Gordon Lightfoot)

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 beginning 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, mills and the factories for the good of us all.

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

For they looked in the future and what did they see.
They saw an iron road running from the sea to the sea.
Bringing the goods to a young growing land,
All up from the seaports and into their hands.

Look away, said they, across this mighty land,
From the eastern shore to the western land.

Bring in the workers and bring up the rails.
We gotta lay down the tracks and tear up the trails.
Open her heart, let the lifeblood flow,
Gotta get on our way 'cause we're moving too slow.

Bring in the workers and bring up the rails.
We gotta lay down the tracks and tear up the trails.
Open her heart, let the lifeblood flow,
Gotta get on our way 'cause we're moving too slow.
Get on our way 'cause we're moving too slow.

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 backs 'til the long days are done.

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 backs 'til the railroad is done.

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.

Laying '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, a toast to the dead.

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

Oh, 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 ...

Subject: RE: Canadian Railroad Trilogy
From: rich r
Date: 04 Jun 97 - 08:27 PM

Great song, and lets you eat up the minutes at a sing around, not that any one here would seek to hog the floor.

rich r

Subject: RE: Canadian Railroad Trilogy
From: Dale Rose
Date: 04 Jun 97 - 08:45 PM

ALL of Gordon Lightfoot's songs are available at http://www.mmlc.nwu.edu/~mfifer/lightfoot/index.html I have used it several times.

Subject: Chords Add: CANADIAN RAILROAD TRILOGY (Lightfoot)
From:
Date: 10 Jun 97 - 05:55 AM

Here it is again with chords that a penguin could play

CANADIAN RAILROAD TRILOGY
By Gordon Lightfoot

Part 1

 	A		D				    A
  There was a time in this great land when the railroad did not run
  	                   		F#m			D		     E
  When the wild majestic mountains stood alone against the sun
  A			D		A
  Long before the white man and long before the wheel
  			      E		G		A	G	A
  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 walked her forests
Built the mines, the mills and the factories for the good of us all

And when the young mans fancy was turnin’ in the spring
The railroad men grew restless for to hear the hammers ring
Their minds were overflowing with the visions of their day
And many a fortune won and lost and many a debt to pay

Part 2

 E					G
  They looked in the future and what did they see
  						       A
  They saw an iron road running from the sea to the sea
  E				G
  Bringing the goods to a young growing land
           D			   	           A
  All up from the seaboard and into their hands
  A	G	       A            G               		     A		
  Look away said they across this mighty land
  	        G		A		 D	     A
  From the eastern shore to the western strand

So bring up the workers and bring in the rails
We gotta 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

Part 3

       A		    	         F#m        D		E
  Behind the blue Rockies the sun is declining,

The stars they come stealing at the close of the day
Across the wide prairies our loved ones lie sleeping
Beyond the dark oceans in a place far away

We are the navvies who work upon the railway
Swingin’ our hammers in the bright blazing sun
Livin’ on stew and drinking bad whisky
Bendin’ our backs ‘till the long day is done

We are the navvies who work upon the railway
Swingin’ our hammers in the bright blazing sun
Layin down track and building the bridges
Layin’ down track ‘till the railroad is done

(as part 2)
So bring up the workers and bring in the rails
We gotta lay down the tracks and tear up the trails
Up the Saint Lawrence all the way to Caspay
Swingin’ our hammers and drawing our pay

Lyin’ ‘em in and tyin’ ‘em down
Away to the bunkhouse and into the town
A dollar a day and a place for my head
A drink for the living a toast to the dead

 	 A		G		       A
  Oh the song of the future has been sung
  	   G			  A
  All the battles have been won
  	   G			  A
  On the mountain tops we stand
  	   G		 	  A
  All the world at our command
  	   G	 		A
  We have opened up the soil
  		G		       A
  With our teardrops and our toil

There was a time in this great 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
And many are the dead men too silent to be real

Subject: RE: Canadian Railroad Trilogy
From: Peter timmerman
Date: 10 Jun 97 - 10:39 AM

Is this from the Canadian Book of Penguin Verse? Like the Italian Book of Penguin Verse, the Spanish book of Penguin Folk Songs, etc.? Yours, Peter

Subject: RE: Canadian Railroad Trilogy
From: Les Blank
Date: 10 Jun 97 - 08:53 PM

Dale Rose:

When was the last time you tried the Lightfoot site you

mentioned ? I keep getting a " has no DNS entry ..." when I

I try it?

Les

Subject: RE: Canadian Railroad Trilogy
From: Les Blank
Date: 10 Jun 97 - 08:56 PM

Sorry, Sorry !!

a TYPOO !!

Thanks for the info

Les

Subject: RE: Canadian Railroad Trilogy
From: Dale Rose
Date: 11 Jun 97 - 12:19 AM

That's OK. As for me, I try NEVER to type an URL if I can avoid it. Copy and paste are my salvation when it comes to such matters. Otherwise, given my typing skills, I would seldom be able to get anywhere! Dale

Subject: RE: Canadian Railroad Trilogy
From: Ted in Australia
Date: 11 Jun 97 - 06:04 AM

The penguin chord version did not come out the way i sent it. If anyone wants it as a word 6 file email me at [e-mail] ted