Chords for Canadian Railroad Trilogy - Gordon Lightfoot 1968

_ _ _ [F] _ _ _ _ _
_ [Bb] _ _ _ _ [F] _ _ _
_ _ [Bb] _ _ _ [F] _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ There was a time in this fair land when the railroad did not run,
_ _ When the wild, majestic mountains stood alone against the [Gm] sun,
[C] _
_ [F] _ Long before the white man and long before the wheel,
_ _ _ When the green, dark [C] forest was [Eb] too silent to [F] be real.
_ _ [C] _ _ [F] _ _ _
_ [F] _ _ _ _ _ But time has no beginnings and history has no bounds,
_ _ As to this [Bb] verdant country [C] they came from all around us, _
[F] They sailed upon [Bb] her [F] waterways and they walked the forest tall,
_ _ Built the mines, the mills [C] and the factories [Eb] for the good [F] of us all.
_ [Cm] _ _ [F] _ _ _ [Cm] _ _
[F] _ _ _ _ _ _ _
And when the young man's fancy was tuned into the spring,
_ _ _ The railroad men grew [Bb] restless for to hear the hammers ring, _
_ [F] Their minds were [Bb] overflowing [F] with the visions of their day,
_ And many a fortune [C] won and [Eb] lost and many a debt to [F] pay.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
Oh, [C] they looked in the future [D] and [Gm] what did they see?
The [Eb] sun-eyed road runner [F] from the sea to the sea,
_ [C] Bringing the goods [Gm] to a young growing land,
[Eb] All up from the [F] seaports and into their hands.
_ _ _ But the way they sat there _ _
[C] across this mighty [F] land, _
From the _ eastern shore to [C] the _ [F] western strand, _
[C] Bring the workers [Gm] and bring up the rails,
We [C] gotta [Eb] lay down the tracks [F] and tear up the trails,
[C] Open their heart, [Gm] let the lifeblood flow,
[Eb] Gotta get on our way [F] cause we're moving too slow.
[C] Bring the workers [Gm] and bring up the rails,
We [Eb] gotta lay down the tracks [F] and tear up the trails,
[C] _ Open their heart, [Gm] let the lifeblood flow,
[Eb] Gotta get on our way [F] cause we're moving too slow.
[Eb] Get on our way cause [C] we're moving too slow. _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ [G] _ [C] _
_ _ _ _ [F] Behind _ the blue _ _ [Bb] rockies the sun _ [C] is declining,
_ [F] _ _ _
Stars they [Bb] come stealing at [G] the close of [C] the day. _ _ _
_ _ _ [F] _ Across the white prairie our [Bb] loved ones lie [C]
sleeping,
_ _ [F] _ _ Beyond the [Bb] dark oceans in [F] a place far _ away,
_ _ _ [D] _ _
_ [F] We are the _ navvies [Bb] who _ work upon [G] the railway,
_ _ _ _ [F] Swinging our [Bb] _
hammers in the [G] bright _ [C] blazing _ _ sun,
_ _ _ _ [F] _
_ _ Living on the stew _ and [Bb] drinking _ [G] fat whiskey, _
_ _ [F] _ _ Bending [Bb] our backs till the long [C] days are done,
[F] _ _ _ _ _ _
We are the _ navvies who [Bb] work upon [C] the railway, _
_ [F] _ _ Swinging [Bb] our hammers in [G] the bright [G] blazing _ [C] _
sun,
_ _ _ _ _ [F] _
_ _ Laying down track _ [Bb] and building _ [G] bridges, _ _
_ [F] _ _ Bending our backs [Bb] till the railroad [C] _ _ _ _
is _ [F] _ done, _ _
_ [C] _ _ _ _ [F] _ _ _
_ _ _ [Cm] _ _ _ [F] _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ [G] So over the [C] mountains [Gm] and over the plains,
[Eb] Into the [F] mustang and into the rain,
Up the St.
Lawrence all [Gm] the way to Gaspe,
_ [Eb] Swinging our [F] hammers and drawing our pain,
_ [C] Laying them in and [Gm] tying them down,
[Eb] Away to the [F] bunkhouse and into the town,
[C] A dollar a day [Gm] and a place for my head,
[Cm] A drink to the living [C] and a toast to the _ dead,
_ Oh [F] the song _ of the [Cm] future has been sung,
[C] All the battles have [F] been won,
On the [Cm] mountain tops we [F] stand,
All the [Cm] world at our [F] command,
[C] We have opened up the [F] soil,
With our [C] teardrops and our _ toil, _ _ _ _ _
[F] For there was a time in this fair land,
When the railroad did not run,
_ _ When the wild majestic [Bb] mountains,
Stood alone against the sun,
[C] _ _ _ [F] Long before the [Bb] white man [F] and long before the wheel, _ _
When the green dark [C] forest was [Eb] too silent to be real,
_ When the green dark [C] forest was too silent [F] to be real,
_ And many [C] of the dead men,
_ _ _ _ [Eb] Too silent _ _ _ to _ _ [F] be _ real. _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ [F] _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _