Dad pulls up to the bar, us kids wait in the car
While he has a beer
Then we stop at Dairy Queen
For chocolate-dipped ice cream in a cone
We don't dare forget the cherry blossom for Mom

Living in a northern town
Long, slow trains, gold veins in the ground
Rivers run high and I sleep to the sound
Oh, I wish you were still around

Uncle Sonny comes through the door
He can't walk anymore, falls into a chair
Asks if I mind, if I have the time
Could I cut his hair?
There's stale rye whiskey and Export 'A' cigarette smoke in the air

Living in a northern town
Long, slow trains, gold veins in the ground
Rivers run high and I sleep to the sound
Oh, I wish you were still around

We'll drive south till we run dry (drive south)
Hitchhike the rest of the way
We can sing songs in the subway tunnels (sing songs)
For bills and change (someday)
Someday that's what we'll do
When we have a few more bucks to our names

Oh, living in a northern town
Long, slow trains, gold veins in the ground
Rivers run high and I sleep to the sound
Oh, I wish you were still around

We're sitting under the willow
Wondering how far we will go
How cold it will get if we got wet?
Is it over our heads?
Oh, just so you know, I'm ready to go
Down if you stick around

Oh, living in a northern town
Long, slow trains, gold veins in the ground
Rivers run high and I sleep to the sound
Oh, I wish you were still around
Oh, living in a northern town
Long, slow trains, gold veins in the ground
Rivers run high and I sleep to the sound
Oh, I wish you were still around

I wish you were still around