Liner Notes for Timber!
Musicians: Darryl Cherney, vocals, harmonies, acoustic
guitar, percussion, keyboard bass, electric piano,
synthesizer & sound effects. Judi Bari, fiddle,
lead vocal (L-P), & harmonies. George Shook,
banjo. Francine Allen & Nymiah, harmonies. Louis
Demitri, percussion &
synthesizer. Gene Parsons, acoustic guitar (MAXXAM’s
on the Horizon) & blowtorch (Arizona Power Lines).
Edie Morris, harmonies. Steve Hesh, dobro. David
Raitt, harmonies.Monique Timberlake, pedal steel
guitar (“Arizona Power Lines” &
“You Can’t Clearcut...”).
Technicians: Louis Demitri, engineer & co-producer.
Darryl Cherney, producer & co-engineer. Mastering
by Jim Fulton with assistance by Rob Seifert, Small
Town Audio Resources, Redway,
CA. Manufactured by Oasis CD Duplication. Graphics
by Chivo. Special thanks to Ed & Mary Alice
Denson. Back cover photo: Project Lighthawk.
Cover art: “The Salmon Creek Beaver Goes
to Town” by Thomas Yeates.
This album is dedicated to Judi Bari and all the
wounded warriors
defending this planet against corporate tyranny.
All songs © 1990, 1991 & CD reissue ©
2004 by Darryl Cherney except as noted. All songs
ASCAP. All contributions received for this CD go
to the uncompromised defense of Mother Earth. Churn
It Up Records, a division of Environmentally Sound
Promotions, PO Box 2254, Redway, CA 95560. Visit
www.darrylcherney.com, www.judibari.org, www.jailhurwitz.com
mContact: ensopro@asis.com. Printed on recycled
paper.
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On the Edge (for Brian Willson)
© Darryl Cherney
Intro: Am/G-Am/Am/G-Am
Now (Am) these are times that (F) try our souls
The (Am) masterminds have (F) lost control
(Am) Drunk with power and (F) poisoned by their
(E7) greed
Now (Am) they don't leave much (F) of a choice
(Am) Go to hell or (F) raise your voice
There (Am) ain't no middle (F) ground for us to
(E7) plead
We're on the (Am) edge of an-(F)other time
The cutting (Am) edge our lives are (F) on the line
(G) No telling what we will find
On the (Am) edge, our (F) backs against the wall
The cutting (Am) edge we can break (F) through or
fall
But (G) there ain't no question at all we're on
the (Am) edge
Now deep behind a TV screen
A demon monster lives its dream
Who has got the strength to look away?
Outside the door the planet burns
The son of Mammon has returned
Did we think there'd be no price to pay?
Now Mother Earth looks on and cries
Her children have been hypnotized
What can wake us from our final daze?
So as the stone age comes again
Baptism is by fire my friend...we can purify or
fall into the blaze
© 2004, 1989 by Darryl Cherney, All rights
reserved
Churn It Up Records, PO Box 2254, Redway, CA 95560
Proceeds from sales go to protect Mother Earth.
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MAXXAM’s on the Horizon
© Darryl Cherney
(Em) In the town of Kilgore, Texas was (G) born
a tailor’s son
From the (D) killing of the Indians he learned (Em)
how the west was won
His name was Charlie Hurwitz and he (G) terrorized
the land
His (D) killing field was Wall Street and his (Em)
gang was called MAXXAM
(Em) MAXXAM’s on the (D) horizon
1. An (C) outlaw gang a (D) raidin’ company
(Em)
2. And there’s dollars seen in every redwood
tree
3. And they’re taking over everything they
see
4) And there’s no one left to fight but you
and me
MAXXAM’s on the (D) (horizon
Ain’t (C) no one safe with (D) Hurwitz runnin’
(Em) free.
Hurwitz stole Pacific Lumber used junk bonds to
get the cash
Left a mighty redwood forest a pile of broken slash
Ivan Boesky made his millions when MAXXAM’s
deal was done
A billion dollars paid with redwood blood and the
workers pension fund
With the patterns of Simplicity Charlie Hurwitz
took his toll
From the Aluminum of Kaiser to the oil of MCO
He blew a billion and three quarters in the savings
and loan scam
He pled guilty to insurance fraud where’s
the justice for MAXXAM?
Now in the mountains of Rancho Mirage
Where the bighorn sheep do dwell
Where there used to be a lambing ground is the Ritz
Carlton Hotel
And in Tucson Arizona midst a blight of urban sprawl
He’s building condos and a golf course while
the water tables fall
Now Earth First! offers a reward fifty thousand
we will pay
Whoever captures Charlie Hurwitz and puts that boy
away
‘Cause MAXXAM’s on the horizon can’t
you see what’s going down
Turn the forests into deserts and the deserts into
towns
© 2004, 1989 by Darryl Cherney, All rights
reserved
Churn It Up Records, PO Box 2254, Redway, CA 95560
Proceeds from sales go to protect Mother Earth.
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Where Are We Gonna Work When the
Trees Are Gone? © Darryl Cherney
Intro: (C)/(G)/(C)
Well, I (C) come from a long, long (G) line of tree-fallin'
(C) men
And this company town was here before my (G) grandpappy
settled in
We (F) kept enough trees a-standin', so our (C)
kids could tow the (F) line
But now a (C) big corporation come and (G) bought
us out, got us (F)
workin' double- (C) time, but tell me...
(F) Where are we gonna work when the trees are
(C) gone?
Will the big boss have us wash his car or (G) maybe
mow his lawn
(F) I'm a man, I'm a man I'm a lumberjack man, but
I (C) fear it ain't for (F) long
Tell me (C) where are we gonna (G) work when the
trees are (C) gone?
Now these (C) corporate mergers (G) make no sense
to (C) me
But they've got this junk bond debt to pay so we're
(G) clearcutting all the trees
Now that (F) old fishing hole where I used to take
my (C) son
Lord, we trashed it out last (G) Monday morning,
(F) good God what have
we (C) done?, but tell me,,,
Now these (C) Wall Street money (G) men they've
got me (C) mad
I've got a family to feed and fallin' trees is the
(G) only job I ever had
Hey, now ((F) folks we can't just stand here while
this (C) boom and bust
goes (F) on
We've got to (C) slow down this big (G) corporation,
be- (G) fore all the
trees are (C) gone, cause tell me....
© 2004, 1986 by Darryl Cherney, All rights
reserved
Churn It Up Records, PO Box 2254, Redway, CA 95560
Proceeds from sales go to protect Mother Earth.
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L-P © New Lyrics by Judi Bari;
music by Dana Lyons (original song: R-V)
(Am) Cutting down the forest, hauling it away
(G) Rumble of your lumber trucks (D) at the break
of day
(Am) Last of the baby redwoods hit that forest floor
(G) Run ‘em through your chipper to (D) make
your waferboard (Am) L-P
Two (F) hundred thousand (G) acres without (Am)
stopping
(F) Forest to a (G) desert in a (Am) day
(F) Modern forest-(G)ry is so (Am) amazing
Let (F) the future generations (E) pay (Am) L-P
Haul it to the sawmill gotta make a buck
Your blades are worn and dangerous better trust
your luck
Don’t stop for the workers safety never fear
the worst
‘Cause if somebody kills themself just blame
it on Earth First! L-P
When the trees are gone just close the mill down
Pack up your machines and move away
Never mind the lives your devastating
Cut and run’s the only game you play... L-P
Barren ruined hillsides are all you leave behind
Before the land can heal itself you cut a second
time
Logging to infinity watch your profits grow
With our forests and our future on a barge to Mexico...
L-P
© 1986 music by Dana Lyons, © 1989 new
words by Judi Bari, All rights reserved. Churn It
Up Records, PO Box 2254, Redway, CA 95560. Proceeds
from sales go to protect Mother Earth.
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Swimming 'Cross the Rio
Grande © Darryl Cherney
Well I was born south of the (G) border
But I could not find a (C) job
I swam across the Rio (G) Grande
I paid a thousand to the (C) mob
I traveled up to Mendo-(F)cino
Where I found work in forest-(C)ry
They pay me seven bucks and (G) hour
Pulling green chain for L-(C)P
But now L-P they move to (F) Mexico
And yes I'm feeling pretty (C) bummed
The thousand bucks I paid the (G) coyote
It didn't come with no re-(C)fund
They left Ukiah a (F) ghost town
I didn't know that's what they (C) planned
And how my arms are getting (G) tired
Swimming 'cross the Rio (C) Grande
Well I was born here in Ukiah, I worked here at
the L-P mill
I watched them kill the Russian River
And a couple friends of mine as well
I worked six ten-hour shifts a week, so where's
my pat on the back
If I want to keep on milling redwood, I'd better
learn some Spanish, Jack
Because L-P they moved to Mexico and yes I'm feeling
pretty sour
I had to move south of the border, they pay me fifty
cents an hour
They left Ukiah a ghost town I didn't know that's
what they planned
And how my arms are getting tired swimming 'cross
the Rio Grande
© 2004, 1989 by Darryl Cherney, All rights
reserved
Churn It Up Records, PO Box 2254, Redway, CA 95560
Proceeds from sales go to protect Mother Earth.
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El Pio © words by D. Cherney;
music by D. Cherney & George Shook
He (Am) came from the clearcut hills of (E) Roma
To rape the redwoods of So-(Am)noma
He clearcut forests like no (E)other
He said he learned it from his butcher and his (Am)mother
(Am) El (E) Pio....What have you done to Mendo-(Am)cino?
Now El Pio took his orders straight from the divinity
Who said to him--El Pio--thou shalt log to infinity
Then El Pio gets this great idea and he says Ahah!
I will move my entire milling operation down to
Baha!
Then one day he gets a phone call from his brother
G-Pio
Who says to him I think I'm down to my last tree-o
But El-Pio says no problem just scrape-a the forest
floor
Grind it up, glue it back together, make a waferboard
Then one day he gets news that causes him grave
concern-o
He finds out that both his feller bunchers have
been sterno-ed
And reality hits him like some bad dream-a
When they find a note that says no compromise Tiera
Prima
El Pio...What have you done to Mendocino?
Am F G F Am // E Am
© 2004, 1989 by Darryl Cherney & George
Shook. All rights reserved Churn It Up Records,
PO Box 2254, Redway, CA 95560
Proceeds from sales go to protect Mother Earth.
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Who Bombed Judi Bari? ©
Darryl Cherney
(Em) Now Judi Bari is a union (or Wobbly) organizer
A (Am) Mother Jones at the Georgia Pacific (Em)
Mill
She (C) fought for the sawmill (Am) workers
Hit by that PCB (Em) spill (Gm)(Am)(Gm) (Em)(Gm)(Am)(Gm)
(Em) T. Marshall Hahn’s calling G-P‘s
shots from Atlanta
Don (Am) Nelson sold him the union long a-(Em)go
Now they (C) weren’t gonna have no (Am) wobbly
Running their logging (Em)show (Gm)(Am)(Gm)(Em)
And they (Am) spewed out their hatred
And they (Bm) laid out their scam
Jerry (Am) Philbrick called for violence
Was no (Bm) secret what they planned so I ask you
now...
(Em) Who bombed Judi Bari? I (Am) know you’re
out there (Em) still
Have you (C) seen her broken (Am) body
Or the spirit you can’t (Em) kill? (Gm)(Am)(Gm)(Em)
(Gm)(Am)(Gm)(Em)(Gm)(Am)(Gm)(Em)
Now Judi Bari is a feminist organizer
Ain’t no man gonna keep that woman down
She defended the abortion clinic
In fascist Ukiah town
Calvary Baptist Church called for its masses
Camo buddies lined up in the pews
You can see all of their faces
In the Ukiah Daily News
And they spewed out their hatred
As Reverend Broyles laid out the scam
Bill Staley called for violence
Was no secret what they planned
So I ask you now.... (to chorus)
Now Judi Bari is an Earth First! organizer
The California redwoods are her home
She called for Redwood Summer
Where the owl and the black bear roam
Charlie Hurwitz he runs MAXXAM out of Houston
Harry Merlo runs L-P from Portland town
They’re the men they call King Timber
They know how to cut you down
And Don Nolan spewed their hatred
As Candy Boak laid out the scam
John Campbell called for violence
Was no secret what they planned
So I ask you now.... (to chorus)
Now Judi Bari is the mother of two children
A pipe bomb went ripping through her womb
She cries in pain at nighttime
In a Willits cabin room
FBI is back again with Cointelpro
Richard Held is the man they know they trust
With Lieutenant Sims his henchman
It’s a world of boom and bust
But we’ll answer with non-violence
‘Cause seeking justice is our plan
And we’ll avenge our wounded comrade
As we defend the ravaged land
So I ask you now...
© 2004, 1990 by Darryl Cherney, All rights
reserved
Churn It Up Records, PO Box 2254, Redway, CA 95560
Proceeds from sales go to protect Mother Earth.
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EARTH
FIRST! © Darryl Cherney
Am///G/Am/G ..Am///G/Am/G..Am///G/Am/G ..Am///G/Am/G
(Am) Clearcutting chainsaws killing the (Am) trees
(G/Am/G)
(Am) Disrupting everything that lives in (Am) peace
(G/Am/G)
Our (Am) animal friends are on the (Am) run (G/Am/G)
(Am) But there's nowhere to go when the job is (Am)
done (G/Am/G)
(F) How can we stand by (Am) while this all takes
place
(F) We've got to stop this inhuman (E) race
( Am) No compromise (G/Am/G) ( Am) No compromise
(G/Am/G)
( Am) No compromise (G/Am/G)( Am) No compromise
(G/Am/G)
(Am) No compromise in de-(G) fense of Mother (F)
Earth (E)
Earth (Am) First! Am///G/Am/G ..Am///G/Am/G..
Strip mining mountains by the ton
Digging up that uranium
Bald eagle looking for a place to land
But its all gone for a nuclear plant
Must we poison the water, earth and air
Just to cook a piece of toast or blow dry our hair?
(F) Don't we know there's (Am) gonna come a time
(F) When the tables will be (Am) turned
(F) What will we say to (Am) answer for these crimes
(F) And for our lessons never (E) learned? (E7)
All native species of the Earth
The land is yours by right of birth
But the corporations can't stand to see
The way that we were meant to be
Our sisters and brothers are dying every day
While we drink our coffee and look the other way
So how do we make up for our mistakes?
The answer is whatever it takes
Now the pen is mightier than the sword
But a monkeywrench can do a whole lot more
The revolution is just around the bend
Will Mother Earth be your foe or your friend?
© 2004, 1986 by Darryl Cherney, All rights
reserved
Churn It Up Records, PO Box 2254, Redway, CA 95560
Proceeds from sales go to protect Mother Earth.
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He Looked a Whole Lot Like
Jesus
Words & Music © 1990 by Darryl Cherney &
Mike Roselle
He (G) looked a whole lot like (C) Jesus
He (G) looked just like the (D) Lord
Long (G) hair on his head his (C) neck it was red
And he was (D) driving an old beat up (G) Ford
His (G) tailgate was covered with (C) stickers
Love Your (G) Mother and Blow Up a (D) Dam
(G) Make Love Not War, Don't (C) Drill Oil Offshore
And Get (A) Livestock Off Our Public (D) Land
He was (G) smoking a Humboldt (C) hooter
Oh, (G) Lord, it tasted di-(D)vine
So I (G)asked him what gives he just (C) said Hayduke
lives
And Ed (A) Abbey was a good friend of (D) mine
He had a green fist on his t-shirt a monkeywrench
pierced in his ear
He spoke of the trees and he cursed corporate sleaze
While he guzzled a six pack of beer
So as we entered the national forest I wondered
what we's gonna do
He said I'm a gone monkeywrenching at the Round
River Rendezvous
And I re-(C)member that night by the (G) campfire
light
Judi (A) Bari played fiddle so (D) fine
When he (C) mumbled to me let's (G) go spike a tree
And (A) cut down some power (D) lines
So now I'm a-sitting in prison a jump-suit and
flip-flops I wear
I'll be out with good time by two-thousand and nine
Hope there'll still be some old growth back there
And the man who looked just like Jesus
He sure ain't a sharing my cell
'Cause he was a spy for the FB of I
And they busted Dave Foreman as well
Last line: (C) G (G) Men
© 2004, 1990 by Darryl Cherney, All rights
reserved
Churn It Up Records, PO Box 2254, Redway, CA 95560
Proceeds from sales go to protect Mother Earth.
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Arizona Power Lines © Darryl
Cherney
(Am) Now there's a nuclear demon a (F) menace to
our time
And it (G) travels through the desert on the Ari-
(Am) zona power lines
Mark Davis and Mark Baker and (F) Margaret Millet,
too
They (G) looked up at those towers, oh, they (Am)
knew what they must do
(F)Oh, ain't it (Am) grand
Out in the (G) desert with a blowtorch in your (Am)
hand
(F) Oh, take it (Am) slow
It could (G) all come crashing down on you, you
(Am) know
After Last chorus: (Am)(G)(F) It could (G) all come
crashing down on
you, you (Am) know
Now the FBI was watching, so they sent in Michael
Tate
A phony Vietnam veteran vowed to guard the fascist
state
He won their trust and friendship to his flaws they
all were blind
'Til those flares lit up the skies above the Arizona
power lines
They arrested Dave Foreman, they said he was behind
the scheme
They jailed a founder of Earth First! but they did
not stop the dream
So if you walk Ed Abbey's desert and see a little
flame that shines
Won't you say a prayer for the next who dare the
Arizona power lines
© 2004, 1989 by Darryl Cherney, All rights
reserved
Churn It Up Records, PO Box 2254, Redway, CA 95560
Proceeds from sales go to protect Mother Earth.
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Living on Borrowed Time
© Darryl Cherney
Intro: G/C/D/G
Now in (C) Phoenix Arizona It's 117 in the (G) shade
But in an (C) air conditioned car
You can sure think you've got it (D) made
That (C) Fountain Hills fountain It's a spoutin'
water high in the (G) sky
So if the (A) water table's droppin'
Who’s got time to stop and wonder (D) why
We're (G) living on borrowed time
So let's (C) drink until the well runs dry
'Cause in the (D) heat of Arizona
Ain't no telling when you're gonna (G) die (D)
That (G) Salt River she's a-dead
So let's (C) dance upon her dried-up bed
There ain't (D) nothing to dread
When you're living on borrowed (G) time
Now on the outskirts of town they've got a creek
that still runs all year
So let's build homes for 20.000 folks and put a
golf course near
Them Saguaros are a-fallin' and the javelina's dying
of thirst
But them developers are telling us put progress
and a-progress first
Now I'm sweatin' out the mortgage & they say
the water's almost gone
But my sprinkler it's a goin' cause I'll die before
I lose my lawn
This hot desert climate it sure ain't like old Illinois
We've got to kill this place to make it somewhere
that we can enjoy
© 2004, 1989 by Darryl Cherney, All rights
reserved
Churn It Up Records, PO Box 2254, Redway, CA 95560
Proceeds from sales go to protect Mother Earth.
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Earth Night Action ©
1990 by Darryl Cherney & Mike Roselle
Now (E) Earth Day 1990 was (B7) Dennis Hayes' vision
But (B7) instead of bringing us together it (E)
only caused division
He (A) said turn down your thermostat and (E) recycle
toilet paper
And as (B7) long as they contribute don't confront
the corporate (E) rapers
Now there (E) were these griping dissidents holed
(B7) up in Santa Cruz
They were (B7) pondering this problem smoking (E)
joints and drinking booze
They (A) said Earth Day has sold out thinking (E)
they would not get caught
So we've (B7) come up with a concept one we know
that can't be (E) bought
We'll have an (A) Earth Night Action
Yeah (E) it's a splinter faction ( 2nd time--It's
instant satisfaction)
We're (B7) gonna take down power lines to-(E)night
We'll have an (A) Earth Night Action
It's an (E) Earth Day reaction
Yeah (B7) Santa Cruz ain't gonna have no (E) lights
Now some folks said hey Santa Cruz just had a big
earthquake
And toppling their power lines is a tactical mistake
But Big Mountain's feeding them their coal,
Prince William Sound their oil
Hey I'm sorry if their fridge went dead and their
TV dinner spoiled
Now in San Luis Obispo, they've got Diablo Nuke
But the best that they could fight it with
Were some songs that made me puke
PG & E has gotta go, but it seemed so damned
complex
But Earth Night has the answer, Diablo Canyon's
next
Final Chorus: We'll have an Earth Night Action
It's a felony infraction
We're gonna take down power lines tonight
We'll have an Earth Night Action It's an Earth Day
reaction
Yeah Santa Cruz ain't gonna have no lights
San Luis Obispo ain't gonna have no lights.....
L.A. ain't gonna have no lights (oh my God or like
totally)
Houston ain’t gonna have no lights (yee haw)
New York ain’t gonna have no lights (whadafa?)
Gay Paris ain’t gonna have no lights (sacre
blue or oo la, la)
Moscow ain’t gonna have no lights (hey, hey,
hey)
Tokyo ain’t gonna have no lights (osso or
bonsai!)
Sydney ain’t gonna have no lights (mate)
© 2004, 1990 by Darryl Cherney and Mike Roselle.
All rights reserved Churn It Up Records, PO Box
2254, Redway, CA 95560
Proceeds from sales go to protect Mother Earth.
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You Can't Clearcut Your Way
to Heaven © by Darryl Cherney
Intro: (F) (G) (C)
Now the (C) Lord made the (F) world in (G) just
six (C) days
A (F) wonder to be- (G) hold when it was (C) done
Deep (F) oceans and blue (G) skies
Forests (C) green and mountains (Am) high
With (D) animals that crawl and fly and (G) run
But (C) one of God's (F) creatures (G) wasn't (C)
pleased
It (F) wanted to cre- (G) ate with its own (C) hand
So it (F) clearcut all the (G) trees
Carved the (C) mountains spoiled the (Am) seas
Pro- (D) claiming it the way that God had (G) planned
But you (F) can't clear- (G) cut your way to (C)
heaven
No, (F) strip mines don't (G) make it with the (C)
Lord
Bull- (F) dozing the cre- (G) ation
Won't (C) win God's admi- (Am) ration
And the (F) pearly gates may (G) close for ever
(C) more
Now my momma used to read the family bible
And it said thou shall not covet, steal or kill
But then I coveted the forests and the mountains
And I stole my mother nature’s gems at will
Then I killed off many creatures to extinction
But I'm sure God must have made them by mistake
"Cause I had to keep my job
Where I plunder, rape and rob
But I swear to you it's for my children's sake
Now today I heard they mined the rock of ages
‘Cause they thought it had a chunk of gold
inside
And they're dumping PCB's into the sea of Galilee
And they’ve milled the cross on which our
savior died
And they leveled old Jerusalem for condos
Done built a shopping mall where Jesus did his thing
And as I looked at our success
At creating such a mess
I swore I heard a band of angels sing
© 2004, 1988 by Darryl Cherney, All rights
reserved
Churn It Up Records, PO Box 2254, Redway, CA 95560
Proceeds from sales go to protect Mother Earth.
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