from the album "Rum Sodomy & The Lash"


(INTRO)D//G//D7//
       D//G//D/A//
D                            G                   D
The canals, and the bridges, the embankments and cuts,
D                    G                 D           A7
They blasted and dug with their sweat and their guts,
D                    G                   D7
They never drank water but whiskey by pints,
D                    G                    D             A
And the shanty towns rang with their songs and their fights.

(CHORUS)
D                           G             D
D                G              D             A7
The morning is here and there's work to be done,
D                             G                      D7
So take your pick and your shovel and the bold dynamite,
D                  G               D          A
For to shift a few tons of this earthly delight,
D                   G               D          A
Yes, to shift a few tons of this earthly delight.

They died in their hundreds, with no sign to mark where,
Save the brass in the pocket of the entrepreneur,
By landslide and rockblast they got buried so deep,
That in death if not life they'll have peace while they sleep

(CHORUS)

(FILL) D//G//D/// // /A
       D//G//D// /A/A7/D  (SORT OF!)

Their mark on this land is still seen and still laid,
The way for a commerce where vast fortunes were made,
The supply of an Empire where the sun never set,
Which is now deep in darkness but the railway's there yet

(CHORUS)
END:FILL

***Version 2*** by Brian Trudell

INTRO:
E----------------------3---|
B----------------------0---|
G----0-2-4-5-4-2-0-----0---|
D--0---------------2-4-0---|
A----------------------2---|
E----------------------3---|

      G                                         C
The canals and the bridges, the embankments and cuts
     G                          C               D
They blasted and dug with their sweat and their guts
     G                                C
They never drank water but whiskey by pints
        G                            D               G
And the shanty towns rang with their songs and their fights

    G                      C         G
    G                           C          D
The morning is here and there's work to be done
          G                            C        G
Take your pick and your shovel and the bold dynamite
       G           C            D         G
For to shift a few tons of this earthly delight
       G           C            D         G
Yes to shift a few tons of this earthly delight

     G                          C            G
They died in their hundreds, no sign to mark where
         G                          C       D
Save the brass in the pocket of the entrepreneur
   G                               C         G
By landslip and rockblast they got buried so deep
        G            c                 D                G
That in death if not life they'll have peace while they sleep

    G                      C         G
    G                           C          D
The morning is here and there's work to be done
          G                            C        G
Take your pick and your shovel and the bold dynamite
       G           C            D         G
For to shift a few tons of this earthly delight
       G           C            D         G
Yes to shift a few tons of this earthly delight

MIDDLE (PLAY 2 TIMES THROUGH):
       G     C      G            Em    G           D     G
E-----------------------------------------------------------|
B-----------------------------------------------------------|
G--7h9-7-------5-9--7-9-7------------------4-7-4---4--------|
D--------9-5-5------------10-9-7---------5-------5---5-7-5--|
A--------------------------------7---7-5--------------------|
E-----------------------------------------------------------|

      G                          C              G
Their mark on this land is still seen and still laid
    G                             C             D
The way for a commerce where vast fortunes were made
       G                          C         G
The supply of an Empire where the sun never set
         G           C                D               G
Which is now deep in darkness but the railway's there yet

    G                      C         G
    G                           C          D
The morning is here and there's work to be done
          G                            C        G
Take your pick and your shovel and the bold dynamite
       G           C            D         G
For to shift a few tons of this earthly delight
       G           C            D         G
Yes to shift a few tons of this earthly delight

END: PLAY MIDDLE 2 TIMES MORE, ENDING ON G