Canadian Railroad Trilogy is a wonderful old folk song by Gordon Lightfoot, a Canadian singer-songwriter who achieved international success in folk, folk-rock, and country music. Lightfoot, who lives in Toronto, has been credited for helping define the folk-pop sound of the 1960s and 1970s and still performs. This song talks of the history of the building of the coast-to-coast railway. The most difficult part of the construction – over the Rockies – was largely built by Chinese labourers who were later penalized by imposing a $100 headtax on any family member they wanted to bring to Canada, an enormous fee at the time. The railway was instrumental in building the means of transport and communication across the country in the mid-1800’s. Have a listen.
Canadian Railroad Trilogy by Canadian Singer-Songwriter Gordon Lightfoot
