Leaving my family behind me
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Not knowing what lay ahead
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Waving goodbye, as I left them in tears
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Remembering all we’d said
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I looked to the sky, I offered my prayers
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I asked Him for guidance and strength
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But the simple beliefs of a simple man
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Lay in His hands, and on my head (my head)
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I gave everything that they wanted
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But still they wanted more
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We sweat and we toiled
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Good men lost their lives
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I don’t think they knew what for
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I sold them my heart
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I sold them my soul
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I gave everything I had
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Ah, but they couldn’t break my spirit
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My dignity fought back
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(fight back)
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(just fight back)
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Ah, can you hear me?
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Can you see?
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Don’t you hear me?
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Don’t you see?
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We worked in gangs for all we were worth
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The young boys pulling the wagons
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We were digging the tunnel, shifting the earth
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It was then that it happened
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No one knew how the cracks appeared
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But as it fell they all disappeared
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Stone fell like rain
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Ah, can an you hear me?
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Can you see?
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Don’t you hear me?
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(Can) Can you breathe?
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The smoke cleared, the dust it settled
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No one knew how many had died
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All around there were broken men
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They’d said it was safe, they’d lied
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You could hear the cries, you could smell our fear
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But good fortune that day was mine
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And it occurred to me that the heart of a good man-
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It seems is hard to find
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Ah, can you hear me?
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Can you see?
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(Don't) Don’t you hear me?
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(Don't) Don’t you see?
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We worked, how we worked like
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The devil for our pay
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Through the wind, through the snow
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And through the rain
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Blasting, cutting through God’s country like a knife
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With sweat stinging my eyes, there has to be a better life
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But I can hear my childrens' cry
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I can see the tears in their eyes
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Memories of those I’ve left behind
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Still ringing in my ears
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Will I ever go back again?
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Will I ever see her face again?
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Cause I’ll always remember the night-
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As they waved goodbye to their fathers
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We came from the North
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We came from the South
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With picks and with spades
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And a new kind of order
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Showing no fear of what lies up ahead
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They’ll never see the likes of us again
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Driving the last spike
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Lifting and laying the track
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With blistering hands
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The sun burning your back
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But I can hear my childrens' cry
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I can see the tears in their eyes
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Oh the memories of those I’ve lft behind
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They’re still ringing in my ears
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Well I’ll always remember that night
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As they waved goodbye to their fathers
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We followed the rail, we slept under the stars
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Digging in darkness, and living with danger
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Showing no fear of what lies up ahead
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They’ll never see the likes of us again
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Ah, can you hear me?
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Can you see?
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(Don't) Don’t you hear me?
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(Don't) Don’t you see? |