The Old and New Nut Island Blues

The Nut Island Blues- 1976 revised for Sally Owens’ Environmental Treasures Tour
August 2003 (where I first learned to ride a bike
without training wheels, the big kids
said the grass was watered with pee,
and the barrel at the end of the jetty was
where the toys from the kids with polio were
kept and cliffside where Grandpa “taught” me
“do or die” style to drive standard shift...”throw out the clutch!..Throw out the clutch!” ??????as we
slid jerkily backwards the fence cliff and Bay
looming ever closer in the rear view mirror..... ah memories of the methane burn off flaming ball in the night, flounder fishing in the Bay...and finally a clean-up.



There’s a place on the Bay,the old fishermen say-
Where the fish go for their last goodbye.
‘Round that “ole glory hole” as they give up their soles-
You can hear them sing as they die!

Chorus

There’s a flame in the night,
Like a million gas lights-
And it lights up the bubblin’ brew!
There’s an ill wind that blows-
And every Houghs Necker knows-
They’re pumpin’ the Nut Island Blues~!

Well when I was a boy,it was my greatest joy,
To dip in the President’s Bay-
Then with water defiled that in-coming tide,
Made a sea-lovin’ salt turn away!

Chorus

There was a flame in the night ,
Like a million gas lights -
And it lit up the bubblin’ brew!
There was an ill wind that blew,
And every Houghs Necker knew-
They were pumpin’ the Nut Island Blues!................

...With our billions to pay,the MWRA-
They cleaned up those Nut Island Blues!...

Now with the green QEN,it won’t happen again!
There won’t be morte Nut Island Blues!
Preventing theNut Island Blues!
Remember those Nut Island Blues!
The Nut Island Blues!!!!!!!!!!