Canadian Railroad Trilogy, by Gordon Lightfoot (C) 1967, 1969 Warner Brothers.
Transcribed by me, Matthew Fifer
View this on an 80 character screen, with a monospaced font, in order to have everything line up properly.
The Notes: ---------
This is the final, checked-for-errors, intro-included version.
The song is played with the low E-string(s) tuned down to D and a capo on the 3rd fret. The song is mostly based in D. This tuning gives the D chord an especially huge sound. Try to avoid playing the low D on most chords (except the D). I have put a (X) on the chord charts to remind you of this.
Buy, borrow, beg, or steal a 12-string to play this on! This is a *RULE* for this song!!! :-)
Lightfoot typically seems to concentrate on the high strings (say the top four (or 8, if you've got a 12-string) for the jangly, percussive rhythms and hits bass notes on a main beat. For the first three verses (and all the rest just like them), play the D/C# bass chord as a regular D and just hit that C# once as a bass note, and then the same goes for the B note in the G chord. It sounds complicated, but it creates that descending bass pattern on the A string. Just play along with the record a couple of times. I'm sure you'll get the idea!
Feel that musically-metaphoric train chugging along and marvel at his brilliance as he manages to combine the rhythm with the meaning of the song...All aboard!!!
Anyway, follow the recording to get the rhythms. I finally decided to tab the intro from the Gord's Gold album, since that is the version most people seem to be most familiar with. Tablature's major limitation is the lack of convenient way to notate rhythm. The way to count the intro is "one-two-e-and-a..."
The Chords: (apologies in advance for any incorrect names) ----------
There was a time in this fair land when the railroads did not run D/C#bass When the wild majestic mountains stood alone against the sun
And 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 hist'ry has no bounds D/C#bass As to this verdant country they came from all around
They sailed upon her waterways and they walked the forests tall
And built the mines the mills and the factories for the good of us all
And when the young man's fancy was turning in the spring D/C#bass The railroad men grew restless for to hear the hammers ring
Their minds were overflowing with the visions of the day
With many a fortune won and lost and many a debt to pay... For they
Looked in the future and what did they see
They saw an iron road runnin' from the sea to the sea
Bringin the goods to a young growin' land
All up from the seaports and into her hands
Look away said they across this mighty land
Bring in the workers and bring up the rails
We've gotta lay down the tracks and tear up the trails
Open 'er heart let the lifeblood flow
Gotta get on our way cause we're moving too slow
Bring in the workers and bring up the rails
We've gotta lay down the tracks and tear up the trails
Open 'er heart let the lifeblood flow
Gotta get on our way cause we're moving too slow A7addG Get on our way cause we're movin' too slow...
Behind the blue Rockies the sun is declinin'
The stars they come stealin' at the close of the day
Across the wide prairie our loved ones lie sleeping A7sus4 Beyond the dark oceans in a place far away
We are the navvies who work upon the railway
Swingin our hammers in the bright mornin' sun
Livin' on stew and drinking bad whiskey A7sus4 Bendin' our old backs till the long days are done
We are the navvies who work upon the railway
Swingin our hammers in the bright mornin' sun
Layin' down track and buildin' the bridges A7sus4 Bendin' our old backs till 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
Swingin' our hammers and drawin' our pay
Drivin' 'em in and tyin' 'em down
Away to the bunkhouse and into the town
A dollar a day and a place for my head
A drink to the livin' a toast to the dead
Oh the song of the future has been sung, all the battles have been won
O'er the mountain tops we stand, all the world at our command
We have opened up this soil with our teardrops...and our toil... For there
Was a time in this fair land when the railroads did not run D/C#bass When the wild majestic mountains stood alone against the sun
And 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
As always, comments or corrections may be e-mailed to me or posted. Either way, I'll see 'em and take note. Enjoy this one -- it's a classic 12-string tune.
