Uncle Frank Songtext
von Drive‐By Truckers

They powered up the city with hydroelectric juice
Now we got more electricity we can ever use
They flooded out the hollow and all the folks down there moved out
They got paid, so there ain′t nothin' else to think about

Some of them made their living cutting the timber down
Snaking it one log at a time up the hill and into town
TVA had a way to clear it off real fast
Lots of men and machinery build a dam and drown the rest


Uncle Frank lived down the park, down on Cedar Creek
Bought 15 acres when he got back home from overseas
15 rocky acres, figured no one else would want
′Til all that backed up water had to have someplace to go

Uncle Frank couldn't read or write
Never held down a job or needed one in his life
They assured him there'd be work for him in town, building cars
It′s already going down

Cars never came to town and the roads never got built
And the price of all that power kept on going straight uphill
And banks around the hollow sold for lake-front property
Doctors, lawyers, and musicians teach their kids to water ski


Uncle Frank couldn′t read or write
So there was no note or letter found when he died
Just a rope around his neck
And the kitchen table turned on its side