Austin and Elliott: Listening Library

Blackwater Dam

(Austin and Elliott, from 13 Songs Plus)

Chris Elliott

Let me tell a story about a peaceful town
One day at the reservoir the mayor's daughter drowned
How could this have happened to a child so pure?
In despair the mayor jumped off the dam for her
Blackwater Dam

At the funeral of the daughter, they rang a lonesome bell
At the funeral of the father, they cursed his soul to hell
From that moment on, things could never be the same
The water turned to poison and the poison turned to rain
Blackwater Dam

His widow had a nightmare swimming with their ghosts
The preacher killed a sparrow just to see it float
Billy's sweetheart cried, "Billy, I can't swim"
He said, "Our baby's better off unborn" and kicked her in
Blackwater Dam

Brothers turned on sisters, husbands turned on wives
Day by day the broken hearts jumped off the dam to die
Until the last remaining child learned the lesson well
And said, "Now I must do what others do unto themselves"

As the bodies sank, the water level rose
until the levee broke and the bitter waters flowed
pouring through the rivers, filling up the sea
flooding all the world, and washing over you and me
Blackwater Dam