SONG OF THE IRON ROAD

(Ewan MacColl)



The Iron road's a hard road and the work is never ending

Working night and day on the iron way

We're the boys who keep the engines rolling

You sigh on at the loco shed, they put you to the cleaning

In your dungarees, cleaning super dees

You're a sweeper-upper, brewer-upper, shovel slinger,

spanner bringer

Steam raiser, fire dropper, general cook and bottle washer

Learning how to keep 'em rolling



When you've done your time at the loco shed

and had your share of trouble

On the old footplate, you're the driver's mate

And you're married to a lousy shovel

It's check the water, check the tools and chuck

the blooming coal in

Give the gauge a wipe, check injector pipe, now it's

Swing your shovel at the double, give her rock

watch the clock

Steam rising, sweat running, back aching, bone shaking

Fireman, fireman, keep her rolling



When you've shoveled a million tons of coal

some ten or twelve years later

And your only dream is of raising steam

Then they hand to you your drivers papers

The iron road is a hard road and the work is never ending

Working night and day on the iron way, we're the

Loco drivers, early riser, lodging turners, mile burners

Eleven quid a week earners

We're the boys that keep 'em rolling





Copyright Stormking Music, Inc.

@train @work @industry

recorded by Ewan MacColl

filename[ IRONROAD

SF

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