From the recording Worth Giving
About “Spring in the Northwoods”
This song was written after we had moved south in 1988. We left the beauty of
the Northwoods for a suburb of Milwaukee. It has been a difficult adjustment. Our
lives changed dramatically because we made the choice to pack it in and go find
real jobs. We had two little ones then and very little income. At the time we felt like
we had no choice. It was a sad ending to our glory days in the Northwoods.
We did work on two different shifts for several years to cut down on childcare
costs. We didn’t see much of each other but when we did, it was great. We
pushed on. We made it across the finish line and retired in 2022. We are still living
in the same “hell hole” we moved into in 1988 but it’s our “hell hole” now.
People change. After living here for 36 years, more than half my life, I am used to
it. I have changed a great deal in the last 36 years as most of us have. This song
is a look back at a moment in time when we transitioned from Northwoods people
to city dwellers. It felt like a betrayal of what our lives had been up to that point.
Track 6: Spring in the Northwoods – lead guitar: Dennis Flink, acoustic guitar and vocals: Pauline Trabert
Lyrics
Spring in the Northwoods
©2024 Pauline Trabert, All Rights Reserved
Spring in the Northwoods smells so sweet
When the wildflowers and berries bloom
Quiet nights fill with harmony
When the peepers start singing their tune
Down here in the city there is no peace
As the traffic goes rushing by
Siren’s wail deep into the night
And there isn’t a star in the sky
And I remember so well those days now gone
When we were free but so together
Oh baby how did we lose our sight of heaven
And get stuck in this hell-hole forever
Who would have guessed we’d end up like this
Wasting our lives in this city
Working in factories on two different shifts
Oh Lord, it’s such a pity
But here we are chasing that almighty dollar
Working for things we don’t need
I can’t believe we sold out all of our dreams
To that ugly green devil of greed
And I remember so well those days now gone
When we were free but so together
Oh baby how did we lose our sight of heaven
And get stuck in this hell-hole forever
But here we are chasing that almighty dollar
Working for things we don’t need
I can’t believe we sold out all of our dreams
To that ugly green devil of greed
And I remember so well those days now gone
When we were free but so together
Oh baby how did we lose our sight of heaven
And get stuck in this hell-hole forever
Oh baby how did we lose our sight of heaven
And get stuck in this hell-hole forever