But have you heard the colorful history of the “Crookedest Railroad in the World” celebrated in a lyrically accurate bluegrass tune by some fantastic local musicians led by the multi-talented Dore Coller? Now’s your chance.
Master local filmmaker Gary Yost filmed a performance of Coller’s original song “Old Railroad Grade” at Coller’s STR Studio here in Mill Valley. Coller, on guitar, was joined by Dan Large on mandolin, Steve Kallai on fiddle, Gary Kaye on banjo and Larry Carlin on bass. Yost filmed the performance as a gift to the Mill Valley Historical Society.
“But it was really a gift to me… being such a wonderful ‘distraction’ from the events of the week,” Yost says. “It put the first smile on my face in quite awhile.”
WAY OUT IN CALIFORNIA, JUST ABOVE THE GOLDEN GATE,
THERE USED TO BE A RAILROAD WITH THE BEST VIEW IN THE STATE, FROM THE SNOW CAPPED PEAKS TO THE OCEAN, THE HORIZON DID UNFURL ON THE CROOKEDEST LITTLE RAILROAD IN THE WORLD HOP ON AT THE OLD MILL DEPOT, SWAYING AS SHE SWERVES, CHORUS: CMON DARLING, WE GOT IT MADE IN THE SHADE YOU RUN UP THROUGH THE DOUBLE BOW KNOT, PARALLEL FIVE TIMES, AT THE TOP WAS THE OLD TAM TAVERN, JUST BELOW EAST PEAK, |
CHORUS:
RIDING ON THE MOUNTAIN, YOUR TROUBLES START TO FADE UP THROUGH THE REDWOODS, ON THAT RAILROAD GRADE CMON DARLING, WE GOT IT MADE IN THE SHADE THE YEAR WAS 1900, ON A DAY THAT WAS PRETTY CLEAR, HIS NAME WAS ERNEST THOMAS, RUNNING ENGINE #2 CHORUS: CMON DARLING, WE GOT IT MADE IN THE SHADE NOW ALL THESE LONG YEARS LATER, WHEN SO MUCH TIME HAS PASSED, |