Dancing Shoes

I was born and raised on steel river
I see it all like it was yesterday
The ships and bridges they were all delivered
From sydney harbour to the cisco bay
And i met my love down on steel river
We served our dreams and spent our childhood days
In rainy streets we'd kiss away the shivers
And hide from fear inside the latest craze
Dancing to motown
Making love with carole king record playing
And oh how i loved you
Say goodbye steel river

Ten thousand bombers hit the steel river
And many died to keep her running free
And she survived but now she's gone forever
Her burning heart is just a memory
And i ran away from life on steel river
Luck or not i gladly took the break
The odds were low the chances nearly zero
A chance it was i had to take
Say goodbye steel river

They say that salmon swim in steel river
They say it's good to see them back again
I know it hurts to see what really happened
I know one salmon ain't no good to them
They were born and raised to serve their steel mother
It was they taught and all they ever knew
And they believed that she would keep their children
Even though not a single word was true
Say goodbye steel river

Hello friend, where you been so long?
Time goes by, so easy it sleeps away
Just like a shadow at the end of the day

Hello friend, how are things for you these days?
Some guy from way-back-when, he mentioned your name
Did he ever get back to you?
Ah, you know i told him to

Sometimes i turn and i swear i hear you call
And i often wonder how we lost what we knew
Seems it gone in the wind, washed away in the rain
And the years go by and by

The bridges you burned, long sinced turned into ashes
When there were no reasons, now the river runs dry
Seems it gone in the wind, washed away in the rain
And the years go by and by
Where you been so long

Could have been a long hot summer night
When all the stars were shining bright
Against the blue
Could have been that famous decade scene
Top hats and tails, spinning 'round the room

And all i remember is not wanting the music to end
And all i remember is feeling a need that i could not hide
Don't take away those dancing shoes
Don't take away those dancing shoes
Don't take away that boy's dancing shoes

And ever since that very night
I found me a guiding light, light the way
To turn off the music is to turn off the light in my soul
So just let it shine mister
One more time for me and my babe
Don't take away those dancing shoes
Without the rhythm you got the blues
Don't take away those dancing shoes
Don't take away that boy's dancing shoes

A careless heart ain't no good to no-one
I was going back my friends to see
Of what became of my childhood daydreams
Of all the things that used to be
To my surprise i stood alone
I walked a river of a waking dream
My father say 'know what you're thinking'
I guess this old town seen better days

It's all gone
Ain't nothing for you here now
Sail on

You talk of change, something better
Cutting down that big old tree
There's flesh and blood in there somewhere
But no matter what you just don't seem to see
I walk your chambers, your empty halls
I see you talking behind the doors
My father say 'know what you're thinking'
I guess this old town seen better days

It's all gone
Ain't nothing for you here now
Sail on

I'm sailing on, i'm running faster
Than i ever run before
My father say 'know what you're thinking'
I guess this old town seen better days
Sail on

There's a heart in the middle of somewhere tonight
Screaming for reasons or just a way out
I put the shirt off my back on a wager that says
There's one every night from my old school yard days
I hear you say one golden rule
One golden rule

There's been times i've been stood in the wind and the rain
Freezing and busted and tricked out of luck
And i cursed my teachers for all of their reading
What we needed most can't be found in them books
One golden rule

Now they teach you to swim but they don't speak of the danger
Tell you the truth but they never say why
Put you on ice that is thin and tell you it's winter
Without one golden rule the truth is a lie
One golden rule