The Last Train To Paradise Lyrics - Singles - Chris Foster

The Last train to Paradise 

Words and Music Chris Foster 

copyright 2003 Chris Foster Music Publishing 

What was known as a modern day marvel 

A great railroad that crossed over sea 

It defied all the whitecaps and the deep coral bed 

And linked the whole world to the keys 

Who should take on this lofty endeavor? 

But a man who they said was obsessed 

Who'd made millions of dollars refining crude oil 

Now his focus was on reaching Key West 

Skeptics and cynics who used pens as their lances 

Took cheap shots at him and asked what were the chances 

That the railroad you're building make good on the quest 

Of rolling over the ocean right into Key West? 

The Last train to paradise 

They'd dubbed Flagler's folly for the use of a knife 

Undeterred by their antics Henry went on with life 

And drew up the plans for the last train to paradise. 

It all started when he first came to Florida 

His friends told him that he should retire 

You could live off your wealth till the end of your days 

But inside Henry still had his fire. 

He said this place aint what it could be 

With the weather so nice all year round 

So I'll buy up the Halifax/ Jacksonville rail 

And track it south from town to town. 

We'll track over rivers and track over streams 

We'll track over farmland and other mans dreams 

We'll track it through mangroves and track it through the fields 

And were we can't track we will dredge for the fill 

We'll build the last train to paradise 

New towns and new hotels where the weather is nice 

Right on to Fort Dallas where they suffer no ice 

He continued to build the last train to paradise. 

When the railroad got as far south as Homestead. 

They thought Henry, had then done his best 

But in the back of his brain a notion remained 

To take the railroad right on to Key West. 

Where Deep water awaited the liners 

and shipping trades to the canal. 

But what stood in his way was the great Biscayne bay 

And an inlet that spanned 7 miles. 

Faced with the fact that he had to cross ocean 

He put all his engineers minds into motion 

Devising a plan to extend the great line 

By building a sea bridge one arch at a time. 

The last train to paradise 

Rolled over the ocean against all advice 

Almost in defiance he didn't think twice 

He had completed the last train to paradise. 

Mother nature had dealt him some losses 

Hurricanes in 0 6 9 and 10 

But his vision stayed strong and he vowed to go on 

In the memory of the losses men 

After 7 long years to completion 

He rolled south in his car 91 

He enjoyed every mile with a big eager smile 

Because impossible things had been done 

And the skeptics and cynics who had used pens as their lances 

Were in awe of the man who had met their advances 

Henry answered all questions and passed all the test 

When the conductor yelled now arriving key west 

The last train to paradise 

Built with muscle and sweat and a vision precise 

Unparalleled by what he accomplished in life 

A divine inspiration. The Last train to paradise