"Forever Wild, Forever Home©"
Lyrics by M. S. McKenzie | Performed by American Storyteller Music, Protected by Copyright
~ Associated State Links ~
Original Song Lyrics: Written by M. S. McKenzie, All Rights Reserved
"Forever Wild, Forever Home"
[Intro]
Mist on the Saranac, a kayaker's short trip
A loon's lonely call after taking her dip
Pine needle carpet where the crawly things creep
Six million acres of secrets to keep
Got my boots on the ground and a chill in my bones
Listening to sermons from the wind through the stones
[Verse 1]
I've seen the sun break on a Whiteface climb
Felt the Olympic ghosts step out of time
Heard the Ausable Chasm's patient roar
Cutting through rock for a thousand years more
From a Great Camp porch on Blue Mountain Lake
Watched the summer storms gather and break
Saw the guide-boats glide, such a silent art
Stitching together the pieces of a wild-born heart
[Chorus]
And the wind sings a tune through hemlock and pine
The soul of these mountains is in your heart and mine
From the top of Mount Marcy to the far valley below
It's the one place on Earth that my soul has to go
Oh wild Adirondacks, you call me back home
[Verse 2]
Followed the Raquette where it bends and flows
Past tall timber pines where our memories grow
Stood on the shore where Smith's legacy stands
Learning the lessons of these sacred woods and lands
Caught a Tupper Lake sunset, a fire in the sky
Watched blue herons hunt and bald eagles fly
Every back road I travel, every trail that I take
Leads me right back to the edge of this lake
[Verse 3]
There's a story that's told of a midnight ride
Up on Mount Marcy where a future would hide
Vice President Roosevelt went climbing that day
Then came down a President, so the historians say
From the log-driving past to Gilded Age grace
You can still feel the spirit all over this place
From the shores of Lake George with its scenic view
To the Saint Regis River to see a waterfall or two
[Bridge]
The lumber barons saw timber and gold
But a promise was made that could never be sold
Written into New York law, for the world to see
A park became forever wild for you and for me
So let the peaks stand tall, let the rivers run free
It's more than just land, it's who we choose to be
[Verse 4]
I've walked through Old Forge in the autumn-leaf blaze
Got lost in the beauty of Cranberry Lake's afternoon haze
Watched climbers repel off Giant's Nubble by Chapel Pond
And fished in the Saranac River where the salmon spawned
From Algonquin's high shoulder, the whole world looks small
You just stand there and listen to the wilderness call
A call that's as ancient as these rocks or wooded fen
And it pulls you right back here again and again
[Chorus]
And the wind sings a tune through hemlock and pine
The soul of these mountains is in your heart and mine
From the top of Mount Marcy to the far valley below
It's the one place on Earth that my soul has to go
Oh wild Adirondacks, you call me back home
Song Description
"Forever Wild, Forever Home" is a sweeping, place-based ballad celebrating the timeless beauty and heritage of New York's Adirondack Mountains. Set against a backdrop of six million protected acres, the song unfolds like a guided journey through lakes, rivers, peaks, and historic moments that shaped the region.
From the haunting call of a loon on the Saranac to the whispering winds across Whiteface and Mount Marcy, every verse ties personal memory to natural grandeur. The lyrics weave together outdoor adventures:kayaking, climbing, fishing, hiking:with nods to cultural touchstones like the 1980 Olympic legacy, Great Camps, and even Theodore Roosevelt's historic midnight ride down Marcy that led him to the presidency. Each vignette captures the Adirondacks as both a playground for the spirit and a keeper of history.
The chorus drives home the emotional core: the Adirondacks are more than a landscape, they are a "soul-home", calling people back through pine, hemlock, and mountain wind. The bridge underscores the park's unique legal promise, "forever wild," enshrined in New York's constitution, reminding listeners that this wilderness is not just scenery, but a **shared identity and responsibility..
Musically, the song carries a folk-Americana spirit, with gentle acoustic guitar, mandolin, and fiddle evoking mountain trails and campfires. A steady rhythm suggests both a hiker's steps and the flowing Raquette or Ausable rivers, while harmony vocals lift the chorus with reverence.
At its heart, "Forever Wild, Forever Home" is both a love letter and a pledge: an anthem for anyone who has ever stood on an Adirondack peak, breathed in its wild air, and felt called to return again and again.
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