Forty seven names read out one by one
Ages ranged from four to ninety three
St Agnes Church overflowed, people in the street
A quiet voice behind me said, ” I hope God found a seat”.
My sister lived above her shop on Rue Frontenac
Peacefully asleep beside the railroad track
Over in the café the dance ended with a waltz
The band ordered one more beer… their last, last call
No one saw it coming, sparks flying from the wheels
Eleven thousand tons of runaway oil and steel
Brakes let go, train came loose. No one to slow it down
‘Til it jumped the track and ripped a hole, in the heart of our town
They led me to the crater that was once my sister’s home
There was nothing left at all except a few charred stones
I showed the policeman the corner by the stairs
“If you’re looking for her bones her bed was right there”
Tankers full of crude oil, a pipeline on wheels
So much more explosive than the label revealed
Brakes let go, train came loose. No way to slow it down
‘Til it jumped the track and ripped a hole, in the heart of our town
Numbness turned to sadness, her remains never found
I put those black stones in an urn and let my tears fall down
I cry for my Marie and all the lives we lost
I cry for Lac Megantic as we pay the human cost
Of tankers full of crude oil, pipelines on wheels
Driven by the bottom line and back room deals
The tracks are worn, but profit’s high, no rules to slow it down
‘Til it jumps the track and rips a hole, in the heart of our town.