There was a time in this fair land when the railroad did not run
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Where the wild majestic mountains stood alone against the sun
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Long before the white man and long before the wheel
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When the green dark forest was too silent to be real
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But time has no beginnings and history has no bounds
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As to this verdant country they came from all around
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They sailed upon her waterways and they walked the forests tall
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And they built the mines the mills and the factories for the good of us all
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For they looked in the future and what did they see
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They saw an iron road runnin' from sea to the sea
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Bringin' the goods to a young growin' land
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All up through the seaports and into their hands
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Look away said they across this mighty land
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From the eastern shore to the western strand
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Bring in the workers and bring up the rails
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We gotta lay down the tracks and tear up the trails
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Open 'er heart let the life blood flow
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Gotta get on our way 'cause we're movin' too slow
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Behind the blue rockies the sun is declinin'
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The stars, they come stealin' at the close of the day
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Across the wide prairies our loved ones lie sleeping
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Beyond the dark oceans in a land far away
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We are the navvies who work upon the railway
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Swingin' our hammers in the bright blazin' sun
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Livin' on stew and drinkin' bad whiskey
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Bendin' our backs 'til the railroad is done
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So over the mountains and over the plains
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Into the muskeg and into the rain
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A dollar a day and a place for my head
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A drink to the livin' and a toast to the dead
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Oh the song of the future has been sung
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All the battles have been won
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On the mountain tops we stand
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All the world at our command
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We have opened up the soil
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With our teardrops and our toil
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There was a time in this fair land when the railroad did not run
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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
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When the green dark forest was too silent to be real
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And many are the dead men too silent to be real
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TOP 6: Canadian Railroad Trilogy
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| Theresa Sokyrka |
