The song "Life is Like a Mountain Railroad" has a union miners' version, using the same melody but different words. The line "keep your hand upon the throttle and your eye upon the rail", for instance, was changed to "keep your hand upon your wages and your eye upon the scale". The song was often sung in the 1950s by the Weavers (Pete Seeger, et al), before they were blacklisted as communists in the McCarthy era. Does anyone know the actual title to the union version of the song?

ryarger@rypn.org

I've seen it called "The MinerÂ’s Lifeguard" and "The Miner's Life."

eledbetter@rypn.org

> I've seen it called "The MinerÂ’s
> Lifeguard" and "The Miner's
> Life."

See the link below for the lyrics.


Miner's Life
kalbrandt@rypn.org

Neat! I'd like to hear this. I played in a praise band for a few years and we did alot of country-tinged tunes - Life is Like A Mountain Railway was one that I always enjoyed (since I got to sing it and the guys did some sweet harmonies). I lean towards Johnny Cash's version from Circle Vol II.

I am partial to union songs. Hopefully later this year I will be releasing my first music CD - a very independent, very "unplugged" set of new tunes I have written over the past two years. Most are union, railroad or otherwise "workin' man" related.

Rob


rdavis@rypn.org