Don't Go Near The Water

From the fountains in the mountains Comes the water running cool and clear and blue And it comes down from the hills And it goes down to the towns and passes through When it gets down to the cities Then the water turns into a dirty gray It's poisoned and polluted By the people as it goes along its way Don't go near the water children See the fish all dead upon the shore Don't go near the water 'Cause the water isn't water anymore I took my boy fishin' to my old favorite fishin' hole I had caught many a fish out of that deep clear water From the time I was a boy like him After we'd fished a few minutes He said, "Did you get a bite yet daddy?" I said, "I think I got a nibble son" "Me too", he said Then he said, "Daddy if we catch a fish can we eat him" I said, "Well there was a time son This water's bad now and I might not be safe to eat the fish But there was a time" There was a time the air was clean And you could see forever 'cross the plains The wind was sweet as honey And no one had ever heard of acid rain We're torturin' the earth And pourin' every kind of evil in the sea We violated nature And our children have to pay the penalty Don't go near the water children See the fish all dead upon the shore Don't go near the water 'Cause the water isn't water anymore Don't go near the water children See the fish all dead upon the shore Don't go near the water 'Cause the water isn't water anymore --- Don't Go Near the Water - Johnny Cash