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Lac Megantic

from Reunion Of Broken Parts by Ruth Hill

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about

(written by Ruth Hill) Re-telling of the 2013 rail disaster in Quebec, the human cost of industry and profit, looking for a lost sister in the aftermath.

lyrics

Forty seven names read out one by one
Ages ranged from four to ninety three
St Agnes Church overflowed, people in the street
A quiet voice behind me said, " I hope God found a seat".

My sister lived above her shop on Rue Frontenac
Peacefully asleep beside the railroad track
Over in the café the dance ended with a waltz
The band ordered one more beer… their last, last call

No one saw it coming, sparks flying from the wheels
Eleven thousand tons of runaway oil and steel Brakes let go, train came loose. No one to slow it down ‘Til it jumped the track and ripped a hole, in the heart of our town

They led me to the crater that was once my sister’s home
There was nothing left at all except a few charred stones
I showed the policeman the corner by the stairs
“If you’re looking for her bones her bed was right there”

Tankers full of crude oil, a pipeline on wheels
So much more explosive than the label revealed Brakes let go, train came loose. No way to slow it down ‘Til it jumped the track and ripped a hole, in the heart of our town

Numbness turned to sadness, her remains never found
I put those black stones in an urn and let my tears fall down
I cry for my Marie ­­­­and all the lives we lost
I cry for Lac Megantic as we pay the human cost

Of tankers full of crude oil, pipelines on wheels
Driven by the bottom line and back room deals The tracks are worn, but profit’s high, no rules to slow it down ‘Til it jumps the track and rips a hole, in the heart of our town.

credits

from Reunion Of Broken Parts, released September 21, 2017
Ruth; vocals, guitar
April Reed-Cox; Cello

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Ruth Hill Maine

Singer, songwriter, storyteller Ruth Hill crafts moving, authentic, and sometimes hard-hitting songs with powerful imagery and beautiful melodies. She accompanies herself expressively on guitar and banjo, but it’s when she opens her heart and sings from a place of depth and compassion that you are compelled to lean in closer. ... more

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