Origins: Working on the Railway

Subject: Origins: Working on the Railway
From:
Date: 07 Apr 05 - 02:27 AM

Nearly twenty years ago , my roommate in Yellowknife NWT played this song with the following lyrics:

I got a job on the railroad track
Swingin' my hammer and breakin' my back
The foreman tries to work his men
Seems like we're quittin' and we're workin' again
Got a woman on down the line
Takes my money and drinks my wine
I'm gonna marry her one of these days
But not while I'm working on the railway

I recall the tune as well. I am wondering who wrote it. Anyone ever heard this?

Subject: RE: Origins: Working on the Railway
From: michaelr
Date: 07 Apr 05 - 10:53 PM

refresh

Subject: RE: Origins: Working on the Railway
From: GUEST,.gargoyle
Date: 07 Apr 05 - 10:58 PM

Why? Refresh?
It is trumphed, bogus, without the hope of a faggot's fart in heaven.

Sincerely,
Gargoyle

Subject: RE: Origins: Working on the Railway
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 07 Apr 05 - 11:59 PM

What? The Canadian Railroad Trilogy is not posted?

Rivaflexer, I haven't heard your song. (Another ca)

Subject: RE: Origins: Working on the Railway
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 08 Apr 05 - 12:19 AM

Looking over Lightfoot's song, I think your roommate was taking his inspiration from the C.R.T. (click).

Subject: RE: Origins: Working on the Railway
From: Bob the Postman
Date: 08 Apr 05 - 08:09 AM

Not every song about swinging a hammer on the railroad is inspired by CRT--it's more like Lightfoot drew upon a vast corpus of railroad songs when he put together CRT--Drill Ye Tarriers, for example. To me this verse smells like a folk revival era song inspired by hillbilly and/or African American sources.

Subject: RE: Origins: Working on the Railway
From: GUEST,Lighter at work
Date: 08 Apr 05 - 11:47 AM

Agree with Bob the Postman.