I believe the real title to this song - unlike someone claimed - isn’t “Life Is Like A Mountain Railroad”, but actually _is_ “LIfe’s Railway To Heaven”, written by Eliza R. Snow in the 1890’s.
See:
http://library.timelesstruths.org/music/Lifes_Railway_to_Heaven/
My all-time favorite version of this song is the opener for “Will The Circle Be Unbroken, Vol. II”, with the late Johnny Cash singing the lead and none other than Earl Scruggs on banjo. I believe Jerry Douglass plays the dobro and the great Mark O’Connor adds some fiddle. If you enjoy acoustic-based music, that’s a wonderful recording.
Johnny Cash sings an additional verse:
As we roll along the mainline
There’ll be storms, and there’ll be night
There’ll be sidetracks unexpected
On the left and on the right
But with the straight always before us
And our hearts upon the prize
There’ll be no disembarkation
Until we reach paradise.
The melody was also co-opted by someone who wrote new lyrics for it and named it “Miner’s Life”:
Miner’s Life is like a sailor’s
Board a ship to cross the waves
Every day his life’s in danger
Still he ventures being brave
Watch the rocks they’re falling daily
Careless miners always fail
Keep your hand upon the dollar
And your eye upon the scale
Union miners stand together
Heed no operator’s tale
Keep your hand upon the dollar
And your eye upon the scale
You’ve been docked and docked again boys
You’ve been loading two for one
What have you to show for working
Since this mining has begun?
Just worn out boots
And worn out miners
And your children growing pale
Keep your hand upon the dollar
And your eye upon the scale
In conclusion bear in memory
Keep this password in your mind
God provides for every worker
When in union they combine
Then by honest wage we’ll labor
Union miners will prevail
So keep your hand upon the dollar
And your eye upon the scale
This can be heard on The Weavers’ “Wasn’t That A Time” collection...
- John