D                              G      D
Well you might think that it’s long ago
                             Bm     A
But I can still see the black smoke roll
 D            G D
 Back before 1959
                              A        D
Back before they tore out the railroad line
                        G      D
It used to be there was timber here
                            Bm        A
So we took our teams to the woods and cleared
D                      G        D
Enough to keep all our debts on time
                               A       D
Back before they tore out the railroad line


[Chorus]
F#m        G                  D
Before the big trucks and the highway
    F#m        G                       D
The world came down those tracks in my day
                                  G      Em
Life was a little different in my prime
D                             A        D
Back before they tore out the railroad line


[Verse]
D                      G        D
Once we had a thriving railroad town
                               Bm            A
We had our own post office and kids running ‘round
           D                    G       D
There were brand new houses and one was mine
                              A        D
Back before they tore out the railroad line
                          G        D
But then one day all the  timber’s gone
                        Bm         A
And when profit dies it don’t take long
   D                     G        D
To board the station and take the signs
                        A        D
And tear out all of the railroad line


[Chorus]
 F#m        G                  D
Before the big trucks and the highway
    F#m        G                       D
The world came down those tracks in my day
                                  G      Em
Life was a little different in my prime
D                             A        D
Back before they tore out the railroad line