Cuyahoga

Album: Lifes Rich Pageant (1986)
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  • Let's put our heads together
    And start a new country up
    Our father's father's father tried
    Erased the parts he didn't like
    Let's try to fill it in
    Bank the quarry river, swim
    We knee-skinned it you and me
    We knee-skinned that river red

    This is where we walked
    This is where we swam
    Take a picture here
    Take a souvenir

    This land is the land of ours
    This river runs red over it
    We knee-skinned it you and me
    We knee-skinned that river red
    And we gathered up our friends
    Bank the quarry river, swim
    We knee-skinned it you and me
    Up underneath the river bed

    This is where we walked
    This is where we swam
    Take a picture here
    Take a souvenir
    Cuyahoga
    Cuyahoga, gone

    Let's put our heads together
    And start a new country up
    Up underneath the river bed
    We'll burn the river down

    This is where they walked, swam
    Hunted, danced and sang
    Take a picture here
    Take a souvenir
    Cuyahoga
    Cuyahoga, gone

    Rewrite the book and rule the pages
    Saving face, secured in faith
    Bury, burn the waste behind you
    This land is the land of ours
    This river runs red over it
    We are not your allies
    We cannot defend

    This is where they walked
    This is where they swam
    Take a picture here
    Take a souvenir
    Cuyahoga
    Cuyahoga, gone

    Cuyahoga
    Cuyahoga, gone Writer/s: Bill Berry, Michael Mills, Michael Stipe, Peter Buck
    Publisher: Universal Music Publishing Group
    Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 6

  • Bill Bee from OhioREM learned about the Cuyahoga River when they played an early gig in Cleveland Ohio. One of them smelled the polluted river, and someone told them about it: that's how they learned what it was. They are probably pronouncing it correctly in the song.
  • Margaret Perrine-white from Niles OhioCuyahoga is named by the Iroquois who's territories extended to what's now the state of Ohio during the French and Indian war if I'm remembering correctly there's lots of places in Ohio that were named by the Iroquois and if I'm remembering correctly Michael Stipe is actually pronouncing Cuyahoga properly in the language of the Iroquois not mispronounced the way Ohioans do.
  • Chris from Ashtabula, OhNever heard this song, came across it on a list of guitar tabs... Was excited that maybe someone famous had some history here in NE Ohio. Turned on the song, heard him sing COY-ah-HOE-ga and laughed, nope he just read about the river fires. We say KY-uh-HOGG-uh.
  • Marty from Cleveland, OhIt's a nice song and all, but Jeez, how hard would it have been to call up someone who lives here and ask how you pronounce Cuyahoga? (It's not Cuy as in coy, it's Cuy as is buy.) Come on, man.
  • Joaquin from San Francisco, Caamazing song and great message!!!!!!
  • Kevin from Reading , PaA really good REM song. A song with a conscience that doesn't hit you over the head with it's message and wins you over with its power and conviction (especially the singing on the chorus and the guitar chords on the chorus.) The entire album, their fourth, holds up pretty well these days. If only REM could make records half this good today they'd be in good shape. A las, they don't.
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