Our Little Town - Greg Brown

Now the railroad came generations ago

And the town grew up as the crops did grow

The crops grew well and the town did too

They say it’s dyin now and there ain’t a thing we can do

I don’t have to read the news

Or hear it on the radio

I see it in the faces of everyone I know

The cost goes up

What we made comes down

What’s gonna happen to our little town

The summer is full of thunder

The kids run and play

Momma got a new wrinkle

Poppa ain’t got much to say

Rust grows along the railroad track

The young folks leave

They don’t come back

And I don’t have to read the news

Or hear it on the radio

I see it in the faces of everyone I know

The boards go up

The signs come down

What’s gonna happen to our little town

Tom lost his farm

And we lost Tom

He left in the night

I don’t know where he’s gone

What he’d lost

He just couldn’t face

What we’re losin' can’t be replaced

I don’t have to read the news

Or hear it on the radio

I see it in the faces of everyone I know

The reason we’re here

Is the farms around

So what’s gonna happen to our little town

We’ve seen hard times

Many times before

Maybe this whole thing is just one more

It never was perfect

Maybe no one’s to blame

To see it die like this

It’s a god damned shame

And I don’t have to read the news

Or hear it on the radio

I see it in the faces of everyone I know

The sun comes up

The sun goes down

But what’s gonna happen to our little town