Paradise
BoDeans Lyrics

When I was a child my family would travel
I reminisce about the days of my childhood, when traveling with my family was a common occurrence.

Down to Western Kentucky where my parents were born
We would go to the place of my parents' birth, in the western part of Kentucky.

And there's a backwards old town that's often remembered
In this area, there is a particular town that is remembered quite often, despite its antiquated ways.

So many times that my memories are worn
I remember this place so vividly and so often that my memories have become almost worn-out, as if from overuse.

And daddy won't you take me back to Muhlenberg County
I ask my father to take me back to Muhlenberg County, just like when we were young.

Down by the Green River where Paradise lay
Specifically, I long to return to a place called Paradise, which was located near the Green River in Muhlenberg County.

Well, I'm sorry my son, but you're too late in asking
Unfortunately, my father informs me that it's too late to revisit Paradise, as it no longer exists.

Mister Peabody's coal train has hauled it away
The reason Paradise is gone is due to the work of Mister Peabody's coal train, which carried off everything associated with it.

Well, sometimes we'd travel right down the Green River
Though Paradise is beyond our reach now, my family and I still journey down the Green River from time to time.

To the abandoned old prison down by Airdrie Hill
One of the places we would visit was an old prison near Airdrie Hill, which had been long since deserted.

Where the air smelled like snakes and we'd shoot with our pistols
Despite the foreboding scent of snakes, my family and I would shoot at empty pop bottles with our pistols while there.

But empty pop bottles was all we would kill
Although we enjoyed target practice, we only ended up destroying empty bottles and never got the chance to test our aim on anything else.

Then the coal company came with the world's largest shovel
Eventually, a coal company arrived in the area, bearing the world's largest shovel.

And they tortured the timber and stripped all the land
The company proceeded to brutally chop down trees and strip the land bare of resources.

Well, they dug for their coal till the land was forsaken
Their purpose for doing all of this was to extract coal, and they dug so deeply that the land became a barren wasteland.

Then they wrote it all down as the progress of man
Nevertheless, the company was proud of its accomplishments and viewed its work as a true accomplishment in the name of human progress.

When I die let my ashes float down the Green River
As for me, when my days are done, I'd like to have my ashes scattered on the Green River.

Let my soul roll on up to the Rochester dam
Afterwards, I want my soul to ascend to the Rochester dam.

I'll be halfway to Heaven with Paradise waitin'
By this point, I will have practically made it to Heaven and will be reunited with Paradise.

Just five miles away from wherever I am
No matter where I might be on this earth, Paradise will only ever be five short miles away from me, in my heart and in my memories.