There was a time in this fair land when the railroad did not run F Bb F
When the wild majestic mountains stood alone against the sun F Bb
Csus4
Long before the white man and long before the wheel F Bb F
When the
green dark forest was too silent to be real C Eb F
But time has no beginnings and history has no bounds F Bb F
And to this
verdant country they came from all around F Bb Csus4
They sailed upon her
waterways and they walked the forests tall F Bb F
Built the mines, the mills
and factories for the good of us all F Bb Csus4
And when the young man's fancy was turning in the spring F Bb F
The
railroad men grew restless to hear the hammers ring F Bb Csus4
Their minds
were overflowing with the visions of their day F Bb F
With many a fortune won
and lost and many a debt to pay F Bb Csus4
II.
For they looked to the future and what did they see C Gm
They saw an iron
road a-running from the sea to the sea Eb F
Bringin' the goods to a young
growing land C Gm
All up from the seaposts and into their hands Eb F
Bring in the workers and bring in the rails C Gm
We gotta lay down the
tracks and tear up the trails Eb F
Open her heart let the lifeblood flow C
Gm
Gotta get on our way 'cause we're moving too slow Eb F
Get on our way
'cause we're moving too slow Eb Csus4
III.
Behind the blue rockies the sun is declining F Bb Csus4
The stars they
come stealing at the close of the day F Bb G C
Across the wide prairie our
loved ones lie sleeping F Bb Csus4
Beyond the dark forest in a place far away
F Bb C F
We are the navvies who work on the railway F7 Bb Csus4
Swinging
our hammers in the bright balzin' sun F Bb G C
Living on stew and drinking
bad whiskey F Bb Csus4
Laying down track till the long days are done F7 Bb
Csus4 F
Bending our backs til the railroad is done F7 Bb Csus4 F Cm7 F
Cm7
Now the song of the future has been sung Cm7 F Cm7 F
All the battles have
been won Cm7 F
On the mountaintops we stand Cm7 F
All the world at our
command Cm7 F
We have opened up the soil Cm7 F
With our teardrops and our
toil Cm7 Csus4
There was a time in this fair land when the railroad did not run F Bb F
When the wild majestic mountains stood alone against the sun F Bb
Csus4
Long before the white man and long before the wheel F Bb F
When the
green dark forest was too silent to be real C Eb F
When the green dark forest
was too silent to be real F Eb F
And many are the dead men too silent to be
real C Eb F