{ capo on 3rd fret }  
  
  
D                        G                  D    
There was a time in this fair land when the railroads did not run  
         D             G                G6  
When the wild majestic mountains stood alone against the sun  
    D               G             D  
And long before the white man and long before the wheel  
                    A              C            D    Am7 D Am7 D  
When the green dark forest was too silent to be real  
  
  
D                 G            D                
But time has no beginnings and history has no bounds  
   D               G            G6  
As to this verdant country they came from all around  
     D               G                  D  
They sailed upon her waterways and they walked the forests tall  
                                      A                 C          D Am7 D Am7   
And built the mines the mills and the factories for the good of us all  
  
  
D                         G        D  
And when the young man's fancy was turning in the spring  
    D                 G               G6  
The railroad men grew restless for to hear the hammers ring  
      D              G                D  
Their minds were overflowing with the visions of the day  
                    A                C              D  
With many a fortune won and lost and many a debt to pay... For they  
  
  
A                        Em  
Looked in the future and what did they see  
            C                          D  
They saw an iron road runnin' from the sea to the sea  
A                      Em  
Bringin the goods to a young growin' land  
    C                        D  
All up from the seaports and into her hands  
  
  
      Am7      D     Am7               D  
Look away said they across this mighty land  
         Am7     D            Am7     D  
From the eastern shore to the western strand  
  
  
A                        Em  
Bring in the workers and bring up the rails   
            C                       D  
We've gotta lay down the tracks and tear up the trails  
A                      Em  
Open 'er heart let the lifeblood 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've gotta lay down the tracks and tear up the trails  
A                      Em  
Open 'er heart let the lifeblood flow  
      C                          D  
Gotta get on our way cause we're moving too slow  
C                          A                     A7/G    
Get on our way cause we're movin' too slow  
  
  
  D                         G        A7  
Behind the blue Rockies the sun is declinin'  
    D               G               E            A   A7      
The stars they come stealin' at the close of the day  
D                           G              A7         D  
Across the wide prairie our loved ones lie sleeping  
D               G                A7sus4 D  
Beyond the dark oceans in a place far away  
  
  
D                      G             A7  
We are the navies who work upon the railway   
D           G              E              A   A7      
Swingin our hammers in the bright blazin' sun  
D                  G            A7  
Livin' on stew and drinking bad whiskey  
D           G                  A7sus4        D  
Bendin' our old backs till the long days are done  
  
  
D                      G             A7  
We are the navies who work upon the railway   
D           G              E              A   A7  
Swingin our hammers in the bright blazin' sun  
D                     G            A7  
Layin' down track and buildin' the bridges  
D                               A7sus4      D  
Bendin' our old backs till 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 Gaspe  
C                        D  
Swingin' our hammers and drawin' our pay  
  
  
A                  Em  
Drivin' 'em in and tyin' 'em 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                  A7  
A drink to the livin' a toast to the dead  
  
  
       D           Am7                                             D  
Oh the song of the future has been sung, all the battles have been won   
         Am7                                             D  
O'er the mountain tops we stand, all the world at our command  
        Am7            D             Am7                 A  
We have opened up this soil with our teardrops...and our toil...  For there  
  
  
D                  G                  D    
Was a time in this fair land when the railroads did not run  
         D             G                G6  
When the wild majestic mountains stood alone against the sun  
    D               G             D  
And long before the white man and long before the wheel  
                    A              C            D        
When the green dark forest was too silent to be real  
                    A              C            D        
When the green dark forest was too silent to be real  
                  A     {n/c}       C     Cmaj7          D7  
And many are the dead men     too silent...      to be real