Ghost Town
(Bill Fries, Chip Davis)

The dance hall is silent and empty
The banjos don’t play anymore
The music is only a mem’ry
And the dancin’ is dust on the floor

Wild flowers cover the ground now
The timbers are streaking with gray
The palace is tumblin’ down now
And the dancers have all gone away

[Chorus]
Once there was singing
And once there was song
And once there was silver and gold

The tombstones are weathered and broken
But the last signs of life are still here
The labors of love have been stolen
And the gold was the last souvenir

[Chorus]
Once there was laughter
And once there was life
And once there was silver and gold

The dance hall is silent and empty
The banjos don’t play anymore…

[Fade out to the playing of "Oh, Susanna" on the banjo.]


High in a remote San Juan Mountain valley, the crumbling walls of Animas Forks watch in silence as the River of Lost Souls collects the debris of dreams and carries it off to the sea...and what was once a gathering place for those with the spirit of adventure...has become a ghost of the past. — Bill

The original recording of "Ghost Town" was released on the album Black Bear Road.