A Metcalf Station original by Kyle “Addison Beauchamp” Soyer and Nathan “Captain McCallen” Ford, a PC and the CD from the camp’s inaugural summer of 2014. For a free audio recording and more of our music, visit our Bandcamp at: https://six-tonestormchime.bandcamp.com/releases
The lyrics are almost entirely railroad slang, and relate to injuries easily suffered by a careless a track worker.
Shaker: one who holds the spike while someone else sets it with a sledge or hand maul.
Lunch hooks: hands
Get your head cut in: wise up
Gandy dancer: track laborer. The name might be a reference to “the gander-like” movements of men tamping ties, or fomr the Gandy Manufacturing Company of Chicago which made a variety of railroading tools.
Watch your pins: Be careful around stacks of ties, rails, and other materials
Shining time: Starting time
Pull freight: To leave or give up a job
Last call: Death
Indian Valley Line: An imaginary railroad on which one could always find a good job and ideal working conditions, often said to be at the end of the rainbow.The term is sometimes used to mean death or railroader’s heaven.
Pike: railroad
Flat-wheel: Car-wheel that has flat spots on the tread, or an employee who limps
Fish plate: Joint bar, used to connect sticks of rail.
Bull pin: Tool used to align the bolt holes of two joint bars with the bolt holes of a piece of rail. These were used instead of fingers, because just touching a rail could sometimes release enough tension to cause instant thermal expansion or contraction, sometimes forcibly removing said finger.
From left to right, front to back:
Travis “Two-Foot” Scherschel: spike maul, backing vocals
Matthew “Sim Webb” Hauser: lining bar, backing vocals
Weston “Paddy” Mate: sledge maul, backing vocals
Tucker “Rusty” Baker: spike and tie plate, backing vocals
Nathan “Captain McCallen” Ford: lead vocals, backing vocals
Kyle “Addison Beauchamp” Soyer: lead vocals, backing vocals
Inspired by “Chain Gang,” by Brendan “Lucky” Best, of Pueblano staff, 2012. Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObaYfwaZM_0
Editing by Kyle “Addison Beauchamp” Soyer.