Lyrics"Great Lakes Blues"
Music & Lyrics by Scott Cooley.
The water levels are at an all-time low Boats are running aground, calling for a tow Some say we haven’t had enough snow and rain But I say there’s underworld activity to blame It’s a shame but it’s true, we’ve got the great lakes blues It’s got to be diversion, then it’s pumped into trucks And shipped off to places with drought and big bucks It could be going to the middle east, across the sea and far away Or maybe closer to home in Vegas, Texas or LA There’s gonna be hell to pay, for these great lakes blues Some say it’s just a cycle, the same in decades past Climate change brings evaporation, but there’s too much too fast We look to science and history, instead of criminal acts There’s gotta be something else going on behind our backs I guess no one’s sure what to do, so we’ve got the great lakes blues The beaches are bigger, which you might think is a good thing Except for the simple fact that the water’s disappearing Waterfront property’s not the same anymore It’s a chore to reach the water from what used to be the shore It’s so much different than before, and it gives you the great lakes blues At the new water’s edge, you can’t help but wonder what’s the deal? Who would’ve thought fresh water was something you could steal? Went away for a few years, when I got back it was so strange The lakes weren’t so great anymore, things had changed Makes you wonder how many others have ‘em too, the great lakes blues The lakes it would seem, are somehow getting wrecked And when the water goes away, there’s a trickle-down effect From boating to shipping to wetlands and fish With numbers all declining, is it time to make a wish? Makes you wish there was more you could do, to lose these great lakes blues The Chinese fill their tankers, and tow their bags behind They take our water home and bottle it, then sell it back to us online Corporate brands like Nestle, Ice Mountain and Perrier Hide pumps in our woods to drain aquifers that feed the lakes It’s not too late to regulate it, but ‘till then, we’ll have these great lakes blues They call it blue gold, and we’ve got pirates from all around Politicians in bed with corporations, who buy the rights underground They siphon it in secrecy, faster than nature can replace it Millions of gallons a year, stockpiled for privatization It’s time we take a stand and make demands, to lose these great lakes blues Water’s everywhere in Michigan, just like cars But the auto industry’s gone now, they took what was ours Now they’re takin’ our water, and I say it’s time to raise the stakes Before we have to rename them all the Good Lakes It’s time we take control of our fate, and lose these great lakes blues We’ve always thought of it as free, never thought we’d run out But as the world gets more thirsty, it’s time to raise a doubt It’s not deep enough for keelboats, no docks are long enough I never thought smooth sailing would become so rough We’re getting’ stuck in the muck, with the great lakes blues Now I’m not one for conspiracy theories, but there must be more to it Some say water’s the world’s next oil, and there’s shortages to prove it I say we start charging for it, and when the last drop is drawn We can afford desalinization, ‘till our oceans are all gone It won’t take very long, but ‘till then, we’ll have the great lakes blues Copyright © ℗ 2014 by Scott Cooley. All rights reserved. |
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This song was possibly released a little late to be relevant enough for maximum impact. In the 15 or more years prior to its release, the water levels in the great lakes had declined to the point where it was noticeable and causing problems and concern among lovers of the lakes like me. There were theories as to why this had occurred. My song explores some of them, and was written mainly to bring more attention to the problem with the hope of increased resulting action to help reverse the trend.