Lyrics: The Silverton
Album: The Real Mccall: An American Storyteller
Artist: C.w. Mccall
 

She was born one mornin’ on a san juan summer
Back in eighteen and eighty and one
She was a beautiful daughter of the d and r g
And she weighed about a thousand ton

Well, it’s a-forty-five mile through the animas canyon
So they set her on the narra gauge
She drank a whole lot a’ water
And she ate a lot of coal
And they called her the silverton (silverton train)

[chorus]
Here comes the silverton, up from durango
Here comes the silverton, a-shovelin’ coal
Here comes the silverton, up from the canyon
See the smoke and hear the whistle blow

Well, now listen to the whistle in the rock wood cut
On the high line to silverton town
And you’re gonna get a shiver
When you check out the river
Which is four hundred feet straight down

Take on some water at the needleton tank
And then a-struggle up a two-five grade
And by the time you get your hide
Past the snowshed slide
You’ve had a ride on the silverton (silverton train)

[chorus]
Here comes the silverton, up from durango
Here comes the silverton, a-shovelin’ coal
Here comes the silverton, up from the canyon
See the smoke and hear the whistle blow

[musical interlude here. nice violins, and the kettle drums boom well.]

[chorus]
Here comes the silverton, up from durango
Here comes the silverton, a-shovelin’ coal
Here comes the silverton, up from the canyon
See the smoke and hear the whistle blow

[if the next line seems a bit familiar, you’re correct. chug-chug, toot-toot, off we go.]

Now, down by the station, early in the mornin’
There’s a whole lot a’ people in line
And they all got a ticket
On the train to yesterday
And it’s a-gonna leave on time

Well, it’s a forty-five mile up the animas canyon
So they run her on the narra gauge
She takes a whole lot a’ water
And she needs a lot of coal
And they call her the silverton (silverton train)

[chorus]
Here comes the silverton, up from durango
Here comes the silverton, a-shovelin’ coal
Here comes the silverton, up from the canyon
See the smoke and hear the whistle blow

[fade out]
Here comes the silverton, up from durango
Here comes the silverton, a-shovelin’ coal
Here comes the silverton, up from the canyon
See the smoke and hear the whistle blow

Here comes the silverton, up from durango
Here comes the silverton, a-shovelin’ coal
Here comes the silverton, up from the canyon
See the smoke and hear the whistle blow