Miles and Miles

they paved over the crop lands and cut down the trees
and they filled up the gullies where the rivers once flowed
now the asphalted orchards lay waste in the breeze
and they harvest the beer cans by the side of the road

for miles and miles from the San Francisco Bay
it goes for miles and miles all the way to San Jose

where they once grew the fruit in the orchards of plenty
Kentucky Fried Chicken now ranges supreme
and it’s all for the love of the almighty penny
this cancer of concrete that covers the green

for miles and miles from the San Francisco Bay
it goes for miles and miles all the way to San Jose

they seeded the fields with the dimes and the quarters
and planted them deep in the grounds all around
for they grew into dollars when properly watered
to support the foundations of the flat valley towns

for miles and miles from the San Francisco Bay
it goes for miles and miles all the way to San Jose

now the sunlight reflects on the parking car lots
where they once grew the food that they grow there no more
but nobody gives it so much as a thought
for they buy all their food at the grocery stores

for miles and miles from the San Francisco Bay
it goes for miles and miles all the way to San Jose

these valleys were once the most rich fertile lands
some say the finest in all of the earth
they traded it all for money in the hand
and I hope that they’ve gotten their money’s worth

for miles and miles from the San Francisco Bay
it goes for miles and miles all the way to San Jose

tell me what is the price for this blind man’s progress
that runs over everything caught in its way
how long can you sell out what ain’t yours to begin with
before sooner or later it’s taken away

for miles and miles from the San Francisco Bay
it goes for miles and miles all the way to San Jose