Canyon
S.C.A.R.S Lyrics

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When rivers ran blue up on the mountain
And rivers ran green out on the plain
When the river ran red in Glenwood Canyon
It was only a matter of time

Then rivers ran gold up on the mountain
And rivers ran wild out on the plain
And the river ran free through Glenwood Canyon

And it was only a matter of time

And the miners came and they took the gold and the people staked a claim
And the builders came and they made a dam and the people came to play
And the 'dozers came and they built a road and the people found a way
Through Glenwood Canyon

Now rivers run grey up on the mountain
And rivers brown out on the plain

And the river runs red through Glenwood Canyon
But it's only a matter of time

Overall Meaning

These lyrics in the song Canyon by S.C.A.R.S. describe the progression of human impact on the environment, specifically the impact on the Glenwood Canyon in Colorado, United States. The first two stanzas are a contrast between what the river used to look like before human interference and then after. The opening lyric "When rivers ran blue up on the mountain" suggests that the water flowing down from the peaks was fresh and unpolluted. However, the following lyrics "And rivers ran green out on the plain/When the river ran red in Glenwood Canyon" depict the destructive aftermath of human intervention. The red river is most likely due to the run-off from mining and processing that was done in the canyon.

The third stanza explains how human intervention into the environment directly affected the natural state of the river. The "miners came and they took the gold and the people staked a claim" describes how the presence of mining activity had a lasting impact on the surroundings. The following line, "And the builders came and they made a dam and the people came to play", details how the building of a dam brought people in for recreation, regardless of the environmental cost. The final line of that stanza, "And the 'dozers came and they built a road and the people found a way/Through Glenwood Canyon", shows how the building of roads came as a result of human's needs and convenience.

The final stanza is an understated warning for things to come after the present human impact on the environment. The river is running grey, brown, and red now, but it will soon be too much for the ecosystem to withstand, time is ticking.

Line by Line Meaning

When rivers ran blue up on the mountain
In the past, the rivers in the mountains used to be blue.

And rivers ran green out on the plain
Similarly, the rivers in the plains used to be green.

When the river ran red in Glenwood Canyon
At some point in time, the river in Glenwood Canyon turned red.

It was only a matter of time
This change was expected to happen eventually.

Then rivers ran gold up on the mountain
After the blue rivers, the mountain rivers turned gold.

And rivers ran wild out on the plain
The rivers in the plains became wild and untamed.

And the river ran free through Glenwood Canyon
The previously red river in Glenwood Canyon was now flowing freely.

And it was only a matter of time
The natural changes in the river were expected.

And the miners came and they took the gold and the people staked a claim
Miners came to the mountains and took the gold, and people established their ownership.

And the builders came and they made a dam and the people came to play
Afterwards, builders constructed a dam, and people came to the area for recreation.

And the 'dozers came and they built a road and the people found a way
Eventually, bulldozers constructed a road, and people found a way to travel through the area.

Through Glenwood Canyon
All of these changes occurred in Glenwood Canyon.

Now rivers run grey up on the mountain
Presently, the rivers in the mountain have turned grey.

And rivers brown out on the plain
Similarly, the rivers in the plains have turned brown.

And the river runs red through Glenwood Canyon
Currently, the river in Glenwood Canyon is still red.

But it's only a matter of time
Just like before, these changes are natural and are expected to happen over time.

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS

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