Altoona (v1) by toMCsh

(Verse 1)
There’s a town where the rails kiss the Allegheny pines,
Where the whistles wrote the heartbeat and the steel wrote the lines.
Where a working man’s boots and a woman’s Friday dress
Turned a coal-smudged station city into something more than the rest.
They called it Little New York on a Saturday night,
When the lights from 11th Avenue cut through the fading twilight.
You could hear a streetcar humming and a fiddle down the hall,
And you’d swear the whole town danced till the morning would call.
(Chorus)
Oh, Altoona, when your smokestacks crowned the sky,
When the shops rang iron thunder and the trains went roaring by.
Where the nights were loud with laughter, the days were built on steel,
And a thousand beating hammers kept the world turning on its wheel.
Oh Altoona, oh Altoona, in your brass and shadowed shine,
You were a roaring, rolling city on the mountain line.
(Verse 2)
Taking in a show down at the Mishler, 
velvet seats and golden light,
Vaudeville kings and queens came marching in each night.
Acrobats and showgirls, magicians pulling dreams,
And a silent screen flickering like the heartbeat of the scene.
The crowd packed shoulder-to-shoulder, the orchestra played sweet,
Perfume and cigar smoke drifting out into the street.
And when the curtain finally fell, folks spilled into the night—
Where the real show started once you stepped outside the light.
(Verse 3)
’Cause behind every barber’s doorway and down each basement stair,
A speakeasy whispered secrets in the dim electric glare.
They poured bathtub gin in teacups, played poker in the back,
Sang jazz tunes on a parlor piano going slightly out of whack.
Bootleg whiskey from a freight train, moonshine from a still,
Passed hand-to-hand in shadows where the law could never kill.
And the railroad boys came laughing, pockets heavy from the week,
Looking for a place to lose themselves and taste the life they seek.
(Chorus)
Oh, Altoona, when your nights were dressed in gold,
When your secrets flowed like liquor and your stories all got told.
Where a band struck up the Charleston and lovers filled the floor,
And you felt like nothing in the world could touch you anymore.
Altoona, oh Altoona, in your brass and shadowed shine,
You were a roaring, rolling city on the mountain line.
(Verse 4)
At the Works and Juniata, where the daylight forged the town,
Men shaped iron horses with a pride that knew no bounds.
Fifteen thousand hammers striking time upon the day,
Sweat and sparks and calloused hands carved the railroads way.
They built the K4 engines like they were building destiny,
Steel giants for the nation, meant to run eternally.
And when the whistle blew at closing, you could feel the city rise,
As workers swarmed the streets like stars igniting in the skies.
(Bridge)
Up at Lakemont the laughter floated on the summer breeze,
Leap-the-Dips rattled children with those wooden memories.
Ivyside’s cool waters shimmered underneath the moon,
Where young hearts fell together to the sounds of some soft tune.
And the world felt safe and simple, like a promise never worn—
A city standing mighty in a time before the storm.
(Verse 5)
Then came the years that dimmed the smokestacks, quieted the crowds,
When engines changed and fortunes moved beneath encroaching clouds.
But the stories of that golden age still echo in the night—
In the brickwork, in the railbeds, in the hills that hold the light.
And if you walk down 11th Avenue when the evening’s settling in,
You might hear a ghostly jazz line or a distant violin.
For the soul of old Altoona hasn’t gone but only sleeps,
And the heartbeat of her heyday still rumbles from the deeps.
(Final Chorus)
Oh, Altoona, you were thunder, you were fire, you were grace,
You were laughter in the midnight and the sweat on every face.
And though time has softened echoes of that roaring, righteous shine,
You’re still a rolling, restless city on the mountain line.
Oh Altoona, oh Altoona, may your memories never fade—
For you were steel, you were music, you were magic we all made.

4031/7500

(Verse 1) There’s a town where the rails kiss the Allegheny pines, Where the whistles wrote the heartbeat and the steel wrote the lines. Where a working man’s boots and a woman’s Friday dress Turned a coal-smudged station city into something more than the rest. They called it Little New York on a Saturday night, When the lights from 11th Avenue cut through the fading twilight. You could hear a streetcar humming and a fiddle down the hall, And you’d swear the whole town danced till the morning would call. (Chorus) Oh, Altoona, when your smokestacks crowned the sky, When the shops rang iron thunder and the trains went roaring by. Where the nights were loud with laughter, the days were built on steel, And a thousand beating hammers kept the world turning on its wheel. Oh Altoona, oh Altoona, in your brass and shadowed shine, You were a roaring, rolling city on the mountain line. (Verse 2) Taking in a show down at the Mishler, velvet seats and golden light, Vaudeville kings and queens came marching in each night. Acrobats and showgirls, magicians pulling dreams, And a silent screen flickering like the heartbeat of the scene. The crowd packed shoulder-to-shoulder, the orchestra played sweet, Perfume and cigar smoke drifting out into the street. And when the curtain finally fell, folks spilled into the night— Where the real show started once you stepped outside the light. (Verse 3) ’Cause behind every barber’s doorway and down each basement stair, A speakeasy whispered secrets in the dim electric glare. They poured bathtub gin in teacups, played poker in the back, Sang jazz tunes on a parlor piano going slightly out of whack. Bootleg whiskey from a freight train, moonshine from a still, Passed hand-to-hand in shadows where the law could never kill. And the railroad boys came laughing, pockets heavy from the week, Looking for a place to lose themselves and taste the life they seek. (Chorus) Oh, Altoona, when your nights were dressed in gold, When your secrets flowed like liquor and your stories all got told. Where a band struck up the Charleston and lovers filled the floor, And you felt like nothing in the world could touch you anymore. Altoona, oh Altoona, in your brass and shadowed shine, You were a roaring, rolling city on the mountain line. (Verse 4) At the Works and Juniata, where the daylight forged the town, Men shaped iron horses with a pride that knew no bounds. Fifteen thousand hammers striking time upon the day, Sweat and sparks and calloused hands carved the railroads way. They built the K4 engines like they were building destiny, Steel giants for the nation, meant to run eternally. And when the whistle blew at closing, you could feel the city rise, As workers swarmed the streets like stars igniting in the skies. (Bridge) Up at Lakemont the laughter floated on the summer breeze, Leap-the-Dips rattled children with those wooden memories. Ivyside’s cool waters shimmered underneath the moon, Where young hearts fell together to the sounds of some soft tune. And the world felt safe and simple, like a promise never worn— A city standing mighty in a time before the storm. (Verse 5) Then came the years that dimmed the smokestacks, quieted the crowds, When engines changed and fortunes moved beneath encroaching clouds. But the stories of that golden age still echo in the night— In the brickwork, in the railbeds, in the hills that hold the light. And if you walk down 11th Avenue when the evening’s settling in, You might hear a ghostly jazz line or a distant violin. For the soul of old Altoona hasn’t gone but only sleeps, And the heartbeat of her heyday still rumbles from the deeps. (Final Chorus) Oh, Altoona, you were thunder, you were fire, you were grace, You were laughter in the midnight and the sweat on every face. And though time has softened echoes of that roaring, righteous shine, You’re still a rolling, restless city on the mountain line. Oh Altoona, oh Altoona, may your memories never fade— For you were steel, you were music, you were magic we all made.

0/500