The Dam - David Rovics

Beside a volcano and the rising ash A crystal river rushing past

A crystal river flowing free Now again like it used to be

Since now the dam is out of sight Blown apart by dynamite

Blown apart by everyone In the land of the midnight sun

A hundred farmers the next day Called the cops so they could say

If you’re looking for one to blame

A hundred farmers gave their names

Gave their names, said it was I Who couldn’t just stand idly by

We all knew that sometimes You must commit a crime

There was a blast — a booming sound

And the dam came crashing down

In Reykjavik, voices shrill Said the dam should be bigger still

By the Laxa riverside A hundred farms would be washed aside

Legal efforts and protests failed

But they still had air behind their sails

They had air and dynamite

So they gathered round there late one night

Prosecutors tried to choose Which farmers had lit the fuse

But not a one would tell the tale And not one farmer went to jail

The dam was never built again And many still remember when

By the Laxa river they set things right

With a couple sticks of dynamite