The Bridge Came Tumblin' Down Songtext
von Les Claypool’s Duo de Twang

The nineteen scarlet roses
The chaplain spread around
In the waters of Burrard Inlet
Of old Vancouver town
When the bridge came tumblin' down
And the bridge came tumblin' down
And nineteen men were drowned
In June of 1958
In old Vancouver town

There were seventy-nine men working
To build this brand new bridge
To span the Second Narrows
And connect up with the ridge
Till a big wind hit the bridge
And the bridge came tumblin' down
And nineteen men were drowned
The medical corps couldn't be too sure
Of the rest of the men they found


In among the twisted girders
One man realized
How last night he'd been dreaming
And saw before his eyes
The big wind on the rise
For the bridge came tumblin' down
And nineteen steel men drowned
And he saw the fright of the darkest night
In old Vancouver town

With frogmen in the water
By the cutting torches glow
They fought to save the steel men
From certain death below
And pain we'll never know
For the bridge came tumblin' down
And nineteen men were drowned
And sixty more that came ashore
So thankful they were found

It often makes me wonder
In strength who has the edge
The longest steel beam structure
That spans the highest ridge
Or the men that built the bridge
For the bridge came tumblin' down
And nineteen men were drowned
And the other men came back again
To lay the new beams down


So if you're ever crossing
This mighty bridge sublime
And nineteen scarlet roses
Pass before your mind
Remember and be kind
For the bridge came tumblin' down
And nineteen men were drowned
So you could ride to the other side
Of old Vancouver town

So you could ride to the other side
Of old Vancouver town