A Drowned History

The Dead River had long since earned its name
Before the Central Maine Power Company came
And built the dam that would flood out the towns
And send family farms and homesteads sinking down

Well, Arnold's men plied it hungry, cold, and wet
Upstream to fight the British in Quebec
They say Flagstaff's where he flew the stars and stripes
Now the water hides that hallowed ground from sight

Few recall the valley the way it used to be
We make do with the pieces of a drowned history

The log drive came when the ice broke each spring
Tlil the highways and the trucks changed everything
What once was the river is now Flagstaff Lake
All in the name of progress for goodness sake

Those who've heard the stories find traces of what's left
The Round Barn's foundation, the old schoolhouse steps
But most folks who come to visit don't even know
The mountains once embraced three villages below

Few recall the valley the way it used to be
We make do with the pieces of a drowned history

Now cell phone towers poke up through the trees
Turbines up on Kibby kill birds and catch the breeze
The big shots boast of what more they have in store
A super highway, a power line corridor

Well, it's the age-old price of progress and the sacrifice it means
Providing a better life for our fellow man downstream
So we press on, and we thank the Lord for giving us everything
Just don't blame us if we're cagey about what our future brings

'Cause few recall the valley the way it used to be
We make do with the pieces of a drowned history
We make do with the pieces of a drowned history