The Glorious Age of Steel

Ore was born and for billions of years the metal remained intact
Life evolved, took new forms, and grew upon her back
The people worked and worshipped, and watched their children play
They felt no need to disturb a sleeping giant where she lay

Then came the Europeans to blaze a brand new home,
ridding the ponds of beavers, stripping the pines off stone,
leaving bare for fortune seekers, the men possessed by gold,
to scour the land for treasure, and claim it for their own

(chorus)
In the glorious age of steel, oh, the glorious age of steel
They sold their souls for the blood red gold
in the glorious age of steel, the glorious age of steel

There was no gold or silver, most left home for good,
but word got out of a mountain of iron hidden in the woods
Nortalbert Posey brought a rock to George H.Stuntz, an engineer by degree,
who in turn showed Charlemagne Tower, who fell down on his knees

Tower began to mine the land, up north Vermilion way
He built a railroad to Lake Superior and hauled it all away
For the hungry furnaces down below must have the iron you see,
to melt the ore and pour the mold for the glorious age of steel

(chorus)

Leonidas Merritt had a hunch, that would not let him be,
so he gathered all his brothers and paddled, up the St. Louee
They scoured the woods and they sunk test pits for the riches underneath
that rose clear up to the rusty powder they'd kicked up with their feet

Everything was a-hunk-a-dory, they should have cashed in then,
but Mr. Greed's a grabber, they went in over their heads
Only the deepest pockets will see the light of day,
then John D. Rockefeller took it all away

(chorus)

The high-grade ore'd been melted and poured into steel for everything:
skyscrapers, ships, nuts and bolts, bridges, bombs and springs
The range became a chain of gaping holes, the best stuff almost gone,
then Wilson Davis worked the low-grade and taconite came along

Plants went up to crush the rock and pile the waste up tall,
mix the ore with coal and fire it into little balls
As long as they still sell down south, it will remain the deal,
and we'll continue living in the glorious age of steel

(chorus)