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Closest Thing To Harlan

from Double Edged Sword by Ryan Garrett

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A very personal track about the shift I've seen in the eyes and views of people in Harlan County, KY over the years. Many workers have lost their jobs due to mines shutting down over the years, but not because mining is obsolete. Just like the landscape, the workers have been viewed as disposable by the coal companies. The government officials play the hearts of people who have lost their income as a result of being laid off by these coal companies that sponsor them. These companies, and the officials do not care about those workers anymore now than they did prior to the Union strikes of the early 1900's. Their priority is getting coal out of the ground as efficiently and cheaply as possible, no matter how many or how few "disposable" workers it takes, and no matter how destructive it is to the landscape that I call my home. Look around, and you'll see miners still being laid off. However, the coal is still being pumped out, and the mountaintops all but gone...

lyrics

From the blood that's spilled from our abandoned heartbeats
To the riverbeds that bring ourselves to be
We saw you drink from fountains
Far away from any mountains
But it's the closest thing to Harlan you'll ever see

I was setting fires to lakes as they were freezing
I was melting ice they said would never break
I fell asleep inside for years
Tossed and turned my way down here
But if it's the closest thing to Harlan, I'll never wake

But if hope is only lost then it could surely be found
You just have to take a look around
And if dreams come when we sleep, then why are we awake
Just waiting for the blessings to drop down?
You know you have to love it
And you have to keep it close
Because the demon that raised questions
Is the one you need the most
And it's not the destination that makes you
It's how long you're on the road...

It's a catch-22 for all the ages
It's a vicious circle weaved inside our minds
The only thing that's dead
Is the voice inside your head
Saying "It's the closest thing to Harlan you'll leave behind"

She was standing by the gates as they were closing
Wandering at a loss for where to go
The land is flat, the trees are bare
Dead end choices everywhere
But it's the closest thing to Harlan she'll ever see

And if hope is only lost then it can surely be found...

credits

from Double Edged Sword, released March 11, 2016
Written, composed, and performed by Ryan Garrett
Produced by Cody Gabehart

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Ryan Garrett Russell Springs, Kentucky

Singer/Songwriter from Russell Springs, Kentucky. All instruments, lyrics, and compositions by Ryan Garrett unless otherwise noted.

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