D                   G                       D
There was a time in this fair land when the railroad did not run
         Dmaj7         G               A
When the wild majestic mountains stood alone against the sun
D               G             D
Long before the white man and long before the wheel
         D          A              C            D      Am  D  Am  D
When the green dark forest was too silent to be real
 
 
    D             G                D
But time has no beginnings and the history has no bounds
   Dmaj7           G            A
As to this verdant country they came from all around
     D               G                  D
They sailed upon her waterways and they walked the forests tall
          D                        A                 C          D     Am  D  Am  D
Built the mines, the mills and the factories for the good of us all
 
 
    D                    G         D
And when the young man's fancy had turned into the spring
    Dmaj7             G               A
The railroad men grew restless for to hear the hammers ring
      D              G                D
Their minds were overflowing with the visions of their day
     D              A                C              D
With many a fortune won and lost and many a debt to pay
 
 
         A                        Em
For they looked in the future and what did they see
            C                          D
They saw an iron road running from the sea to the sea
A                       Em
Bringing the goods to a young growing land
    C                        D
All up from the seaports and into their hands
 
 
       C       D      C                D
Look away said they across this mighty land
         C       D            C       D
From the eastern shore to the western strand
 
 
A                        Em
Bring in the workers and bring up the rails
         C                       D
We gotta lay down the tracks and tear up the trails
A                      Em
Open her heart let the life blood flow
      C                           D
Gotta get on our way 'cause we're moving too slow
 
 
A                        Em
Bring in the workers and bring up the rails
         C                       D
We gotta lay down the tracks and tear up the trails
A                      Em
Open her heart let the life blood flow
      C                           D
Gotta get on our way 'cause we're moving too slow
C                           A                (fadeout A)
Get on our way 'cause we're moving too slow
 
 
  D                         G        A
Behind the blue Rockies the sun is declining
    D               G               E            A   A7
The stars they come stealing at the close of the day
D               D7          G              A
Across the wide prairie our loved ones lie sleeping
D               G                 A    D
Beyond the dark oceans in a place far away
 
 
D                      G                 A
We are the navvies who work upon the railway
D            G              E              A   A7
Swinging our hammers in the bright blazing sun
D         D7       G            A
Living on stew and drinking bad whiskey
D                 G            A        D
Bending our backs til the long days are done
 
 
D                      G                 A
We are the navvies who work upon the railway
D            G              E              A   A7
Swinging our hammers in the bright blazing sun
D           D7        G                A
Laying down track and building the bridges
D                     G           A           D
Bending our old backs til the railroad...  is done
 
 
   A                      Em
So over the mountains and over the plains
C                   D
Into the muskeg and into the rain
A                           Em
Up the St. Lawrence all the way to Gaspé
C                        D
Swinging our hammers and drawing our pay
A                  Em
Drivin' 'em in and tying them down
 C                        D
Away to the bunkhouse and into the town
  A                  Em
A dollar a day and a place for my head
  C                      A
A drink to the living, a toast to the dead
 
 
       D           Am              D
Oh the song of the future has been sung
        Am                D
All the battles have been won
       Am               D
On the mountain tops we stand
        Am           D
All the world at our command
        Am            D
We have opened up her soil
             Am (hit once!)         A
With our teardrops...       and our toil
 
 
          D             G                       D
For there was a time in this fair land when the railroad did not run
         Dmaj7         G               A
When the wild majestic mountains stood alone against the sun
D               G             D
Long before the white man and long before the wheel
         D          A              C            D
When the green dark forest was too silent to be real
         D          A              C            D
When the green dark forest was too silent to be real
    D            A (let ring... pause)
And many are the dead men…
    C     Cmaj7         D      Am D   Am D
too silent...     to be real