Story Behind The Song
In 1989, camped alongside the majestic Salmon River near White Bird, Idaho, I finished writing 'Rivers of Gold'. A short distance away could be found the gold dredge i used to pursue what, at the time, was my vocation i.e. a small-scale placer gold miner.
Song Description
For many moons, ideas on a familiar theme had been floating around in my thinktank like so many quarter notes disguised as bits of algal growth, but during that summer of '89, the ideas all started to coalesce. Nature, time and again, has proven to be a powerful muse and artistic catalyst. I feel gratitude for being given the honor to author this work.
| Song Length |
6:06 |
Genre |
Unique - Soundtracks, Folk - Contemporary |
| Tempo |
Slow (71 - 90) |
Lead Vocal |
Male Vocal |
| Mood |
Serene |
Subject |
Region, Miner |
| Language |
Multi-Language |
Era |
1990 - 1999 |
Lyrics
Some men go searching for rivers of gold...
Write about their busy life as the stories unfold.
There's a mountain temptress...called The Mother Lode.
I am just an eighteen hundreds traveler rustling the leaves
Deep in these fastnesses away from the crowds
Men carved out their kingdoms with the axe and the plow
Dirt was prime for growing though winters were hard
Life's always a struggle, death holds the trump card
inst:
Restless days...wildly crashing waves...
Erode the shore, create the river stones.
Earth's history has taught me life springs from the sea
I must go back, we will go back where we belong
Floating in my birch canoe down the River of No Return...
Seven Devils rising where the waters froth and churn...
The current takes me anywhere this old river wants to go
No one beats the elements on these rivers of gold
Of the many paths a man might follow, one thing's true
Many tracks are left but that one footprint was you
If every track is washed away, then, man, you did good
Tells the great creator you stepped lightly in the woods
Restless days... wildly crashing waves...
Erode the shore creating river stones
Earth's history has taught me life springs from the sea.
I must go back, we will go back where we belong.
Floating in my birch canoe down the River of No Return
Seven Devils rising where the waters froth and churn
The current takes me anywhere this old river wants to go
No one beats the elements on these rivers of gold
The current takes me anywhere this old river wants to go.
No one beats the elements on these rivers of gold