The Wedding of the Rails
Words and Music: Lorraine S. Wilkinson
Arranged by: Michael Smurthwaite
Voices: Unison
Description: In memory of the Gold Spike Ceremony at Promotory Point, Utah which completed the first transcontinental railroad, May 10, 1869.
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Lyrics:
1. It happened on the tenth of May in eighteen sixty nine,
A wedding sealed with gold and silver nails,
The place was Promontory and the sun began to shine,
For the setting of the Wedding of the Rails.
The Central Pacific and Union Pacific,
A huggin’ and a chuggin’ down their trails.
They set a heavy pacin’ while racin’ to the place;
The setting of the Wedding of the Rails.
2. One was pushing from the east, and the other from the west,
The locomotives chuggin’ right behind,
With tampers ‘n the layers ‘n the spikers ‘n the rest,
The hardest workin’ men you’d ever find.
The Central Pacific and Union Pacific,
A huggin’ and a chuggin’ down their trails,
They set a heavy pacin’ while racin’ to the place; The setting of the Wedding of the Rails.
3. When the race was over great excitement filled the air,
The Jupiter faced Rogers cross the track,
The crowd was pushing to the front, they came from everywhere,
And it was mighty hard to keep them back.
The Central Pacific and Union Pacific
A joinin’ the transcontinental rails,
They drove the precious golden spike into the laurel tie,
For hist’ry setting Wedding of the Rails.
Now they drove the precious golden spike into the laurel tie,
For setting of the Wedding of the Rails Ooo Ooo Ooo Ooo.