They powered up the city with hydro-electric juice
Now we got more electricity we can ever use
They flooded out the hollow and all the folks down there moved out
But they got paid so there ain’t nothin’ else to think about

Some of them made their living cutting the timber down
Snaking it one log at a time up the hill and into town
T.V.A. had a way to clear it off real fast
Lots of men and machinery build a dam and drown the rest

Uncle Frank lived down the park, down on Cedar Creek
Bought fifteen acres when he got back home from overseas
Fifteen rocky acres, figured no one else would want
Till all that backed up water had to have some place to go

Uncle Frank couldn’t read or write
Never held down a job or needed one in his life
They assured him there’d be work for him in town building cars
It’s already going down

The cars never came to town and the roads never got built
And the price of all that power kept on going straight uphill
And banks around the hollow sold for lake-front property
Where doctors, lawyers, and musicians teach their kids to water ski

Uncle Frank couldn’t read or write
So there was no note or letter found where he died
Just a rope around his neck
And the kitchen table turned on it’s side