Sentient Cement Coverpile - Gordon Lightfoot

Canadian Railroad Trilogy - Gordon Lightfoot

Am||| 0 D-||-| Am||| 0 D {||: 1st / Finale Refrain:
{||         D                  G                               D                    D4||| D
1) There was a time in this fair land when the railroad did not run
2) But time has no beginnings and the history has no bounds
3) And when the young man's fancy had turned into the spring
                Dmaj7          G                      A                         A4|||A
1) When the wild majestic mountains stood alone against the sun
2) As to this verdant country they came from all around
3) The railroad men grew restless for to hear the hammers ring
D                       G                   D                           D4||| D
1) Long before the white man and long before the wheel
2) They sailed upon her waterways and they walked the forests tall
3) Their minds were overflowing with the visions of their day
                D              A                  C               D Am 0 D Am 0 D
1) When the green dark forest was too silent to be real :||}
2) Built the mines, the mills and the factories for the good of us all
3) With many a fortune won and lost and many a debt to pay ||} (x3)
                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
|| 1st time: Gotta get on our way 'cause we're moving too slow ||
   C                                          A(sust)
|| 2nd time: Get on our way 'cause we're moving too slow :||} (x2)

     D                    F#m          G        A A4 A 0
. . . 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 A4 A 0
Across the wide prairie . our loved ones lie sleeping
     D                   G                  A             D D4 D D9
Beyond the dark oceans . in a place far away

{ ||:D                 D7              G                    A      A4 A 0
. Oh we are . the navvies . who work upon the railway
D                  G                       E7                 A   A7
Swinging our . hammers . in the bright blazing sun
                  D                 D7              G                  A       A4 A 0
|| 1st time: . . Living on stew . . and drinking bad whiskey
|| 2nd time: Layin' down track . and buildin' . the bridges
D                      G                 A                  D D4 D D9         Am 0 D Am 0 D
Bending our old backs 'til the long days are done          :||} (x2)

   A                                 Em                  C         C7               D
So over the mountains and over the plains into the muskeg and into the rain
A                                        Em                C                  D
Up the St. Lawrence all the way to Gaspe.swingin' our hammers.'n draw'n our pay
A                      Em                    C                                       D
Nailin' 'em in and tyin' 'em down . away to the bunkhouse and into the town
    A                          Em                        C                            A
A dollar a day and a place for my head . a drink to the living, a toast to the dead
            D                  Am                   D                  Am                      D
Oh the song . . of the future has been sung . . all the battles have been won
            Am                    D              Am                    D
On the mountain tops we stand . all the world at our command
               Am                  D                  Am(sust)                    A
We have opened up her soil . with our teardrops . . . and our toil

[REFRAIN]
                D               A                   C               D
When the green dark forest was too silent to be real
        D                 A (sust.)        C Cmaj7          D    Am 0 D Am 0 D
And many are the dead men too silent . . . . to be real

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Written by Gordon Lightfoot.

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