Silver River Turning
Silver River's Lament: A Tale of Small Towns and Environmental Change
Lyrics
I walked down that boulder road,
I walked down a boulder road.
Through a child's eye saw places where I used to go.
Saw places from a child's perspective, reminiscent of past visits.
Where I crawled barefoot with a fishing pole
Recalls crawling barefoot with a fishing pole.
to the rock that overlooked that steelhead hole
Reached a rock overseeing a steelhead hole (fishing spot).
but it's true--silver river turning blue.
Expresses the reality of a silver river turning blue.
It was a small town in a smaller world.
Describes a small town in a smaller world.
Just a black dot on an old map with its edges curled.
The town is depicted as a black dot on an old, curled map.
Where they built their industries on the edge of town--
Industries developed on the town's outskirts, extracting chemicals.
Leaching chemicals from underground
Chemicals leached from underground, impacting the environment.
now it's true--that silver river turning blue.
Reiterates the truth of the silver river turning blue.
Just got a late reaction. Face reality and stare it down.
Delayed realization of the environmental impact.
Sometimes it's harder hanging on. Much easier to look around.
It's challenging to persist, easier to look away.
But I need that job.
Emphasizes the need for a job despite challenges.
Well, this place no city: we're just small players here.
Contrasts the place with a city; residents are small players.
Like a million other heroes drinking poor man's beer.
Compares residents to unsung heroes drinking poor man's beer.
We know what's right. We're just living it wrong.
Acknowledges a moral compass but living contrary to it.
But there's no easy answer in the green man's song.
No easy answers found in the green man's song (nature's wisdom).
What do you do? When your river's turning Blue.
Presents a dilemma when faced with a river turning blue.
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