Kristin Lems - Cuyahoga River Lyrics
I've lived upon this river shore since I was very smallI've watched the seasons turning and I've watched the trees grow tallI've seen the factories coming, they cluster on the shoreThey dump their waste into our lake, and every day there's morechorus:Oh lovely waters that have carried my canoeCuyahoga River, what have they done to you?Once we would go fishing in rowboats every dawnNow all we see is tanker ships, and all the fish are goneWe could see trout swimming full twenty feet belowBut now the water's turned to ink no matter where we rowOur river it was clean and clear, we'd swim there everydayNow it's far too dangerous, a fence keeps us awayThe sun upon the water shone sparkling and royalBut now we see a rainbow from reflections in the oilLate last Friday I drove home, smelled fire in the airCouldn't tell the origin, the smoke was everywhereA sheet of flame rose through the clouds, it cut them like a knifeI saw the river up in flame and giving up its lifeNow the ashes settle on a charred and cindered lakeStaying by this shoreline is a terrible mistakeBut the Cuyahoga's seen me grow, and now I've seen it dieFigure I'll stay by it, though I cannot tell you whywords and music by Kristin Lems c MCMLXXXIII Kleine Ding Music (BMI
