Great Song, Great Cause

I suspect you probably listen to WV Public Radio, like I do.

Sunday morning, I turned on the radio and “Inside Appalachia” was re-broadcasting a piece they had done a year ago, on the one-year anniversary of the Freedom Industries spill.

They played a song by Tim O’Brien called “Brush My Teeth with Coca-Cola” that I didn’t remember having heard before. It was so great that I got on the internet to find and listen to it again. I might even get out my lonely ol’ guitar and try to learn it!

Turns out you can download it from Amazon for just 99 cents, and that’s not all.  The proceeds go to benefit AWARE–Artists Working in Alliance to Restore the Environment.

Here are the lyrics:

Chorus:
I brush my teeth with Coca-Cola, wash my face with mountain dew
We live down in chemical valley, licorice water runnin’ through,
Licorice water runnin’ through

I know politicians care about me, lobbyists love me the same
Jesus lord is watchin’ over but I don’t trust that EPA
I don’t trust that EPA
Chorus

MCHM stands for methylcyclohexane methanol
Now the catfish in Elk River drink the stuff that cleans our coal
They drink the stuff that cleans our coal
Chorus

All is money, all is power, one man’s loss is another’s gain
I just do the best I can, put out my bucket, pray for rain
Put out the bucket and pray for rain
Chorus

I know king coal will keep my lights on, Union Carbide pays my bills
Still it’s better regulate than never, meet with Manchin on the hill
Senator Manchin on the hill
Chorus

Once we were Almost Heaven, now we’re open for business
That’s the place that I call home, West Virginia