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 beginnings and histand'ry has no bounds
as to this verdant country they came from all around
they sailed upon her waterways and they walked the forests tall
and they built the mines the mills and the factories for the good of us
all
And when the young manand's fancy was turninand' to 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 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 runninand' from sea to the sea
bringinand' the goods to a young growinand' land
all up through the seaports and into their hands
Look away said they across this mighty land
andgt;from the eastern shore to the western strand
bring in the workers and bring up the rails
we gotta lay down the tracks and tear up the trails
open and'er heart let the life blood flow
gotta get on our way and'cause weand're movinand' too slow
Bring in the workers and bring up the rails
weand're gonna lay down the tracks and tear up the trails
open and'er heart let the life blood flow
gotta get on our way and'cause weand're movinand' too slow
get on our way and'cause weand're movinand' too slow
Behind the blue rockies the sun is declininand'
the stars, they come stealinand' 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
swinginand' our hammers in the bright blazinand' sun
livinand' on stew and drinkinand' bad whiskey
bendinand' our old backs and'til the long days are done
We are the navvies who work upon the railway
swinginand' our hammers in the bright blazinand' sun
layinand' down track and buildinand' the bridges
bendinand' our old backs and'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
swinginand' our hammers and drawinand' our pay
drivinand' and'em in and tyinand' and'em down
away to the bunkhouse and into the town
a dollar a day and a place for my head
a drink to the livinand' and a toast to the dead
Oh the song of the future has been sung
all the battles have been won
oand'er the mountain tops we stand
all the world at our command
we have opened up the soil
with our teardrops and our toil
For 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
