Portside

They’re Building a Pipeline

By Carol Denney

they’re building a pipeline
through the mountains they say
saying it’ll bring jobs here
with much better pay
we really need jobs here
and we need them bad
they sent overseas
all the jobs that we had
we apply for these projects
even jobs that we hate
some crew out of Texas
steps out of the gate
they tear through our mountains
they tear through our town
after the damage
they’re nowhere around

Chorus: we love our mountains
the finest on earth
no one knows better
what mountains are worth
a heart from the mountains
is a heart that is blessed
we love our mountains
we know them best

it’s a war on the mountain
it’s a war on our ways
for a handful of profits
in a handful of days
sometimes it’s a gas line
sometimes it’s crude
the rich they get richer
and we just get used
we know how they see us
and it’s no surprise
we look so small in
the company’s eyes
we look like nothing
that matters to them
one more little town
they can deal a weak hand
Chorus: we love our mountains
the finest on earth
no one knows better
what mountains are worth
a heart from the mountains
is a heart that is blessed
we love our mountains
we know them best

they're building a pipeline
through the mountains they say
though the floods have no pattern
and the goldfinches stay
the winter comes hard
after too early fall
the almanac these days
is no help at all
they say that the pipeline
will help out our town
won’t be any leaks or
spills on the ground
they’re calling it progress
and we understand
they’re calling it progress
all over again

Chorus: we love our mountains
the finest on earth
no one knows better
what mountains are worth
a heart from the mountains
is a heart that is blessed
we love our mountains
we know them best

Carol Denney is an award-winning lyricist, guitarist, fiddler, and concertina player, Fiddlers for Peace founder, curator of the Deep Poetry Project, and editor of the Pepper Spray Times.
www.caroldenney.com