Springs Before the City

Lyrics

[Intro]
Listen to the water

[Verse 1]
Before the iron rails ever cut across the dirt
Before the skyline started reaching for the blue
There was a canopy of oak and a joyful kind of work
And a cool, clear creek that was rushing right through
Down where the Sandtown Trail met the Pitch Tree line
Mvskoke footsteps walking softly on the earth
They knew the rhythm of the season and the pine
And the bubbling water and its absolute worth

[Chorus]
Oh, the springs before the city
Bubbling up from the deep dark stone
Where the iron in the water was a remedy
And you never had to walk the path alone
Yeah, the springs before the city
Singing out in a Mvskoke key
It's the first real heartbeat of the canopy

[Verse 2]
They didn't need a trolley just to pull the people near
The sweet gum branches were a natural marquee
Gathering the families in the warmest time of year
To share the mineral water running wild and sweet
You can taste the earth in the cupping of your hand
A vibrant kind of living where the pathways cross
There is a memory of laughter in the branch
And a brilliant living color in the moss

[Chorus]
Oh, the springs before the city
Bubbling up from the deep dark stone
Where the iron in the water was a remedy
And you never had to walk the path alone
Yeah, the springs before the city
Singing out in a Mvskoke key
It's the first real heartbeat of the canopy

[Bridge]
So here's to the stewards of the water and the wood
Who knew the secret of the valley where it stood
The water's still flowing underneath the avenue
And it remembers... well, it remembers everything it knew

[Outro]
Just listen to the ground
The Sandtown Trail is still around
Running through the springs before the city
Yeah, the springs before the city