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Lyr Req: Canadian Pacific

25 Jun 02 - 11:49 PM (#737084)
Subject: Canadian Pacific
From: Celtic.Relics.com

A gentleman has approach via my website for a lyric request for a song called "Canadian Pacific" by Ray Griff. Can anyone help me out on this one?

26 Jun 02 - 12:37 AM (#737102)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Canadian Pacific
From: GUEST,Bardford

I'm pretty sure George Hamilton IV wrote this song, but a cursory Google search didn't find any lyrics. Bruce Cockburn covered it as well.

26 Jun 02 - 05:47 AM (#737229)
Subject: Lyr Add: CANADIAN PACIFIC
From: Joan from Wigan

A Google search for Ray Griff took me to his website, and a 39-second mp3 of part of Canadian Pacific, enough to get part of the lyrics. A further Google search on "carry me three thousand miles" brought up just one set of the lyrics: Click here. The lyrics there are not all correct, but if anyone is familiar enough with them, perhaps other Mudcatters can correct the mistakes? These are the words per that site (I've corrected a couple of obviously wrong words in the chorus):

CANADIAN PACIFIC

I rodeo a oceanliner to Newfoundland
Where I made a little mint my and mine
When I got my fill I went to Nova Scotia
And I fished the salty waters for a time
I'll sing through Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick
I could see the rocks and flips of salt and stone
Listening to the seagulls calling to each other
Made me miss my darlin and my distant home

Chorus:
Canadian Pacific
Carry me three thousand miles
Through the valleys and the forest
To the sunshine of her smile
Cross the plains and rugged mountains
Keep this wandering boy from harm
Canadian Pacific
Take me to my baby's arms

The Atlantic disappeared on the horizon
And wheat beckley waving for me down the track
For a while I drove a truck to keep from starvin
In Ontario I was a lumberjack
Manitoba and Saskatchewan and followed
Where the wheat fields and the old Red River flowed
In the quiet hours you'll whisk along the prairie
Touched my heart and set my memories aglow

I can feel the near and his awful warm sweet kisses
When you roll into our bird a westward bound
I worked on a oil rig to make some money
For a ticket to the sweetest girl around
Pushin on past Lake Louise in all its splendour
Where the trees and Rockies touch the sky above
I got to British Columbia and heaven
On your tracks I made it back to my true love

There's no attribution to songwriter. The song is, though, the title track of George Hamilton IV's 1969 album "Canadian Pacific". I couldn't find any lyrics by searching under either "Canadian Pacific" or "George Hamilton IV" - thousands of entries. Can anyone do the honours with correcting the above?

Joan

26 Jun 02 - 06:04 AM (#737236)
Subject: Lyr Add: CANADIAN PACIFIC (from Hank Snow)
From: Dan Calder

Here you go.

Dan

CANADIAN PACIFIC (Recorded by Hank Snow)

I rode your ocean liner to Newfoundland,
Where I made a living in an iron mine.
When I got my fill I went to Nova Scotia,
And I fished the salty waters for a time.

Passing through Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick,
I could see the rocks and cliffs of solid stone.
Listening to the seagulls calling to each other
Made me miss my darling and my distant home.

Canadian Pacific, carry me 3,000 miles,
Through the valleys and the forests,
To the sunshine of her smile,
'Cross the plains and the rugged mountains,
Keep this wandering boy from harm.
Canadian Pacific, take me to my baby's arms.

The Atlantic disappeared on the horizon,
And Quebec lay waiting for me down the track.
For a while I drove a truck to keep from starving.
In Ontario I was a lumberjack.

Manitoba and Saskatchewan then followed,
Where the wheat fields and the old Red River flowed.
In the quiet hours your whistling on the prairie,
Touched my heart and set my memories aglow.

I could feel the nearness of her warm, sweet kisses,
When you rolled into Alberta westward bound.
I worked on an oilrig to make some money,
For a ticket to the sweetest girl around.

Pushing on past Lake Louise in all its splendor,
Where the trees and Rockies touch the sky above,
I got to British Columbia and heaven,
On your track I made it back to my true love.

Canadian Pacific, carry me 3,000 miles,
Through the valleys and the forests,
To the sunshine of her smile.
'Cross the plains and the rugged mountains,
Keep this wandering boy from harm.
Canadian Pacific, take me to my baby's arms.

HTML line breaks added in place of double spacing. --JoeClone, 28-Jun-02.

26 Jun 02 - 09:28 AM (#737307)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Canadian Pacific
From: GUEST,Gene

ASCAP.COM lists the writer of Canadian Pacific as:

RAY GRIFF


And performers:

ATKINS CHET
HAMILTON GEORGE
SNOW HANK

Variations:

26 Jun 02 - 01:02 PM (#737481)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Canadian Pacific
From: Jack the Sailor

Thanks for reminding me of that old song. Interesting that he got accross Canada without touching Quebec. Must have got a CP Air flight out of Saint John, N.B.

26 Jun 02 - 06:24 PM (#737755)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Canadian Pacific
From: GUEST,Glen Reid glenreid@onlink.net

The song is definately a Ray Griff (British Columbia) composition.I remember when Geo. Hamilton IV recorded it in the mid 60,s there was some controversy regarding the line "I rode your ocean liner to Newfoundland" as the ferry service to Newfoundland is run by Canadian National Railroad and not Canadian Pacific Railroad. Still a great song, just the same.