When the green dark forest was too silent to be real
Bendin' our old backs 'til the long days are done
Open your heart let the life blood flow
We gotta lay down the tracks and tear up the trails
Beyond the dark oceans in a place far away
Drivin' 'em in and tyin' 'em down
From the eastern shore to the western strand
Behind the blue Rockies the sun is declinin'
A dollar a day and a place for my head
Look away said they across this mighty land
Bring in the workers and bring up the rails
Swingin' our hammers in the bright blazin' sun
Gotta get on our way 'cause were movin' too slow
As to this verdant country they came from all around
Swingin' our hammers in the bright blazin' sun
A drink to the livin' and a toast to the dead
The railroad men grew restless for to hear the hammers ring
We are the navies who work upon the railway
But time has no beginnings and history has no bounds
And they built the mines the mills and the factories for the good of us all
The stars, they come stealin' at the close of the day
Away to the bunkhouse and into the town
And many a fortune lost and won and many a debt to pay
When the green dark forest was too silent to be real
Bring in the workers and bring up the rails
All the battles have been won
Bringin' the goods to a young growin' land
Across the wide prairie our loved ones lie sleeping
Over the mountain tops we stand
Up the St. Lawrence all the way to Gaspe
Into the muskeg and into the rain
They saw an iron road runnin' from sea to the sea
When the green dark forest was too silent to be real
Long before the white man and long before the wheel
Swingin' our hammers and drawin' our pay
For there was a time in this fair land when the railroad did not run
All up through the seaports and into their hands
Open your heart let the life blood flow
For they looked in the future and what did they see
Livin' on stew and drinkin' bad whiskey
And when the young mans fancy was turnin' to the spring
We're gonna lay down the tracks and tear up the trails
When the wild majestic mountains stood alone against the sun
Long before the white man and long before the wheel
All the world at our command
Get on our way 'cause were movin' too slow
Their minds were overflowing with the visions of their day
Layin' down track and buildin' the bridges
We are the navies who work upon the railway
Oh, the song of the future has been sung
They sailed upon her waterways and they walked the forests tall
We have opened up the soil with our teardrops and our toil
Gotta get on our way 'cause were movin' too slow
So over the mountains and over the plains
Bendin' our old backs 'til the railroad is done
