Anyone who knows their Vlad-tunes (TM) will be familiar with the Ohio Trilogy: "Red Toledo", "Kill Me in Cleveland" and "I Don't Know which way it is to Youngstown" (bonus points to anyone who can name other Ohio references, and maybe even a "part 4" of the trilogy).
The Cuyahoga River in Cleveland caught fire in June of 1969, just four months before I was born. They used to say that the river oozed rather than flowed. The event raised awareness of environmental issues and helped get the Clean Water Act passed. I did do a song about pollution called "Fishy Fishy" featuring my brother Art who was around 4 at the time.
Randy Newman "Burn On" was about the incident, but my favorite on the topic is a 1992 song by Adam Again called "River On Fire". It uses the event as a metaphor for a relationship. I love how the haunting cello adds to the melancholy of the song.
What would you say if you knew what I was thinking?
Maybe you do, but you know not to dig too deep
What if I knew what you needed for sure?
I've seen in your eyes you need more, much more
And I could be happy, and you could be miserable
I'll grab a metaphor out of the air
The Cuyahoga River on fire
What can you say? The impossible happens
What can you settle for?
What can you live without?
I remember the night I first darkened your door
And I swore that I loved you
My heart was pure
You could be happy, and I could be miserable
My open window, a dream in the dark
My fingers, your face
A spark, a trace
I know a lot about the history of Cleveland, Ohio
Disasters that have happened there
Like the Cuyahoga River on fire
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