The railhead was in Calgary
Back in those early days
And everyone a-going North
Had to find a different way
There were horses dragging travois
They had been there from the start
But my father went to Edmonton
In a Red River cart

Chorus:
Rolling along the prairies
You great big wooden wheels
Stir the dust and fill the air
With screeching and with squeals
Oh, pitch and sway from side to side
The summer day is long
And make your way up North
Singing a Red River cart song

The only road the prairies knew
Was called the Calgary trail
For horses, mules and oxen
And the men who carried mail
For families from the East
Who came for a new start
And my father went to Edmonton
In a Red River cart

Those families filled the prairies
When the land was fresh and new
The sky went on forever
While the population grew
They built cities and farms
Those people did their part
And my father went to Edmonton
In a Red River cart

Red River cart, take me to my new home