Cold Missouri Waters

My name is Dodge but then you know that

August Forty-Nine, North Montana,

Gauged the fire I'd seen bigger

Sky had turned red, smoke was boiling

Then when I rose like the phoenix

 

It's written on the chart there at the foot end of the of the bed

the hottest day on record and the forest tinder dry

So I ordered them to side hill we'd fight it from be-low

Two hundred yards to safety; death was fifty yards be-hind

In that world reduced to ashes, there were none but two sur-vived

 

They think I'm blind that I can't read it

Lightning strikes in the mountains

We'd have our backs to the river

I don't know why, I just thought it

I stayed that night and one day after

 

But I've read it every word and every word it says is death

I was crew chief at the jump base I pre-pared the boys to fly.

We'd have it licked by morning even if we took it slow

I struck a match to waist high grass running out of time

Carried bodies to the river wondering how I stayed a-live

 

So con-fession, is that the reason that you came?

Pick the drop zone; C forty seven comes in low

But the fire crowned, jumped the valley just a-head

Tried to tell them step in-to this fire I've set

Thirteen stations of the cross to mark their fall

 

 

 

*The song tells the story of the Mann Gulch Fire in 1949, North Montana from the point of view of “Dodge”, the

foreman – who is dying of Hodgkin’s disease in a hospital bed about 5 years after the fire. He was blamed for

the deaths of his men. Recorded by “Cry Cry Cry”, as well as the author James Keelaghan.

 

Get it off my chest before I check out of the game

Feel the tap upon your leg that tells you go

There was no way down headed for the ridge in-stead

We can't make it this is the only chance you'll get

I’ve had my say, I’ll con-fess to nothing more

 

Since you mention it, well there's thirteen things I'll name

See the circle of the fire down be-low

Too big to fight it, we'd have to fight that slope in-stead

But they cursed me, ran for the rocks above in-stead

I'll join them now, those they left me long be-fore

 

Thirteen crosses high above the cold Missouri waters

Fifteen of us dropped above the cold Missouri waters

Flames one step behind above the cold Missouri waters

I lay face down and prayed above the cold Missouri waters = = =>

Thirteen crosses high above the cold Missouri waters - - - ->

 

 

Thirteen crosses high above the cold Missouri shore