Canadian Railroad Trilogy by Gordon Lightfoot

Album: The Way I Feel (1967)

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Songfacts®:

To many Canadians, this song is instantly identifiable by its opening chords. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) hired Lightfoot to write the song for a segment in the two-hour special 100 Years Young, which aired on New Year's Day, 1967 in celebration of Canada's centennial. The segment tells the story of the Canadian Pacific Railway. >>
Suggestion credit:
Leslie - Sherbrooke, QC
In the liner notes to his Complete Greatest Hits compilation, Gordon Lightfoot explained how he put this song together. CBC producer Bob Jarvis sent him to the network's library for research, and Lightfoot found a book about the railroad's chief engineer, Sir William Van Horne, which he used as the basis for the lyric. "I got the idea to write it long from a mentor of mine named Bob Gibson, who is a major figure in the folk revival," Lightfoot wrote. "He had written a song called 'Civil War Trilogy,' which had a slow part in the middle, and I followed that pattern. Without a piece of input like that, I probably wouldn't have been able to approach the song on that basis."

Lightfoot adds that he got a compliment from the author Pierre Berton, who wrote a book about the railway called The National Dream: The Great Railway, 1871-1881. Berton told him the song said as much as the book.
In the line, "We are the navvies who work upon the railway," "navvies" are what the laborers who worked on the railroad were called, short for "navigators."

Comments: 11

Lynn Stevens from AlbertaI would challenge anyone to find a more absolutely inspiring modern folk piece! This was Lightfoot's masterpiece along with the Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. The above compliment cited from Johnny Cash says it all...."Perhaps the greatest train song ever written!" Johnny Cash performed many songs with a railroad theme and so that was quite a compliment from an American music icon. I play and sing the Canadian Railroad Trilogy. I am very moved emotionally and spiritually every time I perform it!
Alan from Ontario, CanadaWhat a brilliant piece of story telling about an amazing, nation building accomplishment. Sad that some would erase all history in the name of wokism. This is a beautiful song about an exploit to be celebrated.
Monica from CaliforniaI love this song so very much, but it's problematic. Once you're woke, you can't go back to sleep. Maybe if the white world pays restitution/reparation and shares power, the wound could at least partly heal.
Seventhmist from 7th HeavenLightfoot's comments (from his "Songbook" collection): This was part of a two-hour special that was played on New Year's afternoon. I got the idea to write it long from a mentor of mine named Bob Gibson, who is a major figure in the folk revival. He had written a song called "Civil War Trilogy," which had a slow part in the middle, and I followed that pattern. Without a piece of input like that, I probably wouldn't have been able to approach the song on that basis. The song says a lot. Canadian author Pierre Berton said to me, 'You know, Gord, you said as much in that song as I said in my book [about the building of the railroad across Canada].' I appreciated the compliment."
Phil from Wales, UkThe song was commissioned as a part of the celebrations of Canada's Centenial year (1967). A very moving song which I latched onto during the 8 months I spent in Canada that year. I haven't been back since but I still love the song.
Meocyber from Alma, Co Gordon' one of my top solo gutarists/composers. This song ,to me, talks of humans exploring and advancing to seek better lives in the unknown wilderness. Pretty and optimistic.
Heather from Los Angeles, CaI love Lightfoot's voice. He can take a Canadian history lesson and weave it into a touching, spellbinding song.
Nathan from From The Country Of, CanadaI hate to be an anti-narcissist Canadian, but thank you to the Chinese for our railroad.
Jodi from London, OnHearing this song is one of the few things that makes me proud of my country.
Kelley from Hickory, KyThere have been a lot of great train songs over the years, this one and "City of New Orleans" are the best. Sadly Americans know little about the building of our own transcontinental railroad, much less the Canadian achievement. Canadians get this great masterpiece; Americans get "I been workin' on the railroad, all the live-long day"
Roger from Mokena, IlPerhaps the "greatest train song ever written", said the late Johnnie Cash. I agree.

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