Tearing The Mountains Down

I played at a benefit to raise money to stop mountain top removal a few weeks ago and I was inspired to write this song about the subject.

Mountain Top Removal is a method of recovering coal that is cheaper than mining for it, but much more environmentally destructive. First they burn down the forest, then they blow the top off the mountain with high explosives to expose the coal, and then they set up giant draglines to scoop it up and dump the rubble into the neighboring valleys and canyons. It's poisoning and polluting a vast swatch of Appalachia where folks have enough troubles and are having a hard enough time trying to survive already...

You can learn more about this travesty at:
http://www.ilovemountains.org

Tearing The Mountains Down
Lost Hills
Key of D

(D)Can't drink the well water 'round (C)here anymore.(G)




Can't hardly stand to (D) smell it.

The creek I used to fish when (C)I was a boy -(G)




Hell, you can't even (D) find it.

The pasture where we used to (C) keep our old cow,(G)




It's all filled with (D) rubble

Since the coal company bought up all the (C) mountains

'round here,(G)




There's been nothin' but (D) trouble.

chorus




And there's (A) no place to run,

(C) No place to hide,

(G) When they blow the top off the (D) mountain.

(C) Never thought I'd see such a (G) thing in my (Em) life -

(C) They're tearin' the mountains (A) down,




Tearin' the mountains (D) down!

My Uncle Jack died with a tumor in his brain,
And trouble in his heart.
Aunt Sally has to keep a shotgun by the door
Since she dared to speak out.

The houses round here ain't worth spit anymore -
Who'd want to live in a war zone?
The schools are closing down 'cause no one wants to raise kids
Where the air and the water are poison.

chorus

The coal dust covers up my window sills and floors
Since that dragline come in.
The forest where we used to hunt whitetails in the fall
Is gone now, and I say that's a sin.

The old church down in the holler where I was baptized -
The foundation's cracked and broken.
Just like the promises from our congressman and senators:
All cracked and broken.

This ain't mining, boys, this is just insane,
Destroying our home just for money.
It's time to get together and fight for our land
And show them we don't think it's funny.

'Cause there's no place to run,
No place to hide,
When they start blowin' tops off the mountains.
I never thought I'd see such a thing in my life -
They're tearing the mountains down,
Tearing the mountains down!



Thanks to Erin for the video:
http://www.youtube.com/user/labunner1

http://www.losthillsmusic.com

Category:

Music

Tags:

• mountain
• top
• removal

[georgezimmer]

In the American folk song book "Rise Up Singing" there are so many beautiful and sad songs about mountaintop removal: Deborah Silverstein's /Draglines/, John Prine's /Paradise/. Your song makes a weighty addition to that list.

[losthills]

Thanks, man, I appreciate it.

[Hybrid5226]

Sir

My heart weeps when I hear you sing this song . The mountains, the oil spills its all the same . If you look back in history its everything woody guthrie was talking about .

It is so sad history repeating over an over .

My hat goes off to you sir . thank you for the song .

Peace.

[losthills]

@Hybrid5226 Thank you, Brother.

peace

[trevorm1]

What a stupid thing to do to a thing that's been around longer than our whole species.

Thanks for writing this song Arch.

Peace to you and Erin

[losthills]

Thanks man. If we don't get our shit together soon, I think our whole species is doomed....

[coolanddark]

Another 5 stars. Masterpiece!!! Wish I could disappear into that picture at the end and leave this to heavily industrialized nation behind

[guitmartiman]

Unbelievable what we do to this beautiful planet we live on. We don't deserve it! 5 * performance!

[bluebus420]

great song man , conservation of our land should be first an fore most.

[edgeyp12]

Excellent! Thank you for sharing!

5 Stars!

[1canyonguy]

Archie- That was great!

[alexcaulfield]

Most excellent song. Thank you,