"The Copper River Run©"
Lyrics by M. S. McKenzie | Performed by Songs Across America, Protected by Copyright
~ Associated State Links ~
"The Copper River Run"
Original Song Lyrics: Written by M. S. McKenzie, All Rights Reserved
[Instrumental Intro]
[Verse 1]
Sled runners whisper where the blue ice bends
Spruce trees vanish in the snow again
Wrangell peaks hiding in a veil of gray
And the lead dog leans where the trail gives way
His silver breath rises like a ghost in the air
My hands are numb but I still hold a prayer
Out past the timberline where the cold stars burn
The river moans below us with nowhere to turn
[Pre-Chorus]
I can't see the markers, I can't feel my hands
The lead husky hears something I don't understand
When the whole white world comes closing in
He drops his head and runs as fast as the wind
[Chorus]
Run, run, Copper River, run
Carry my heart till the morning comes
Over the ice where the wild winds hum
Run, run, run, Copper River, run
Lead me home through the white and the wild
With a husky's heart and this northern child
Till the dark fades away and the dawn comes
Run, run, Copper River, run
Run, run, run, Copper River, run
[Verse 2]
There's a lamp in a cabin by the cottonwood line
And a face in the window that stays in my mind
Smoke from the chimney bends low in the storm
Like a promise waiting where the fire stays warm
I've crossed hard miles with a weight in my chest
Laid old grief down but it never lets me rest
Then the old boy looks back with pale blue eyes
Like he knows what I'm carrying under these skies
[Pre-Chorus]
I can't trust the weather, I can't trust the night
But I trust that dog when he pulls to the right
When the trail disappears and my hope wears thin
He drops his head and runs like the wind
[Chorus]
Run, run, Copper River, run
Carry my heart till the morning comes
Over the ice where the wild winds hum
Run, run, run, Copper River, run
Lead me home through the white and the wild
With a husky's heart and this northern child
Till the dark fades away and the dawn comes
Run, run, Copper River, run
Run, run, run, Copper River, run
[Bridge]
Then the storm rose up like shards of bone
The sky disappeared above me, it felt like a tomb
Only the harness strain and the runner's cry
Only his shadow moving through the white
So I loosened my grip and I bowed my head
Let the old fear fall where the cold snow spread
Some roads are found by heart, not by sight
And some souls lead you back into the light
[Final Chorus]
Run, run, Copper River, run
Carry my heart till the morning comes
Over the ice where the wild winds hum
Run, run, run, Copper River, run
Lead me home through the white and the wild
With a husky's heart and this northern child
Till the dark fades away and the dawn comes
Run, run, Copper River, run
Run, run, run, Copper River, run
[Instrumental Outro]
Song Description
