A protest song I wrote in the 70's while working in North Idaho.

2 of the prettiest places I've been are Northern Washington and North Idaho. I did some prospecting around Mineral Mountain, near Colville, Washington. I've panned for gold in the river near Orofino, and slept in the woods along the Priest River, and Priest lake.

I worked in North Idaho for a few years in the 1970's, and at that time a lot of cars had bumper stickers that said "Don't Californicate North Idaho".  The local folks were against out of state millionaires coming in and commercializing and destroying the beauty of this land. This area is one of the last places in America where the pioneer spirit still thrives, and there's a lot of people who enjoy living out in the woods, just off the land. People are free to do and go as they please.

I wrote this song at that time, based on some real stories I had read about, as a message to those people who would want to come in and turn this land into one big parking lot.

There were several people who disappeared  in North Idaho; a runner at Priest lake, and a woman  near Moscow. Near Rathdrum, which is in the Hoodoo valley near Spirit lake,  there was a couple that disappeared, and there were animals found slaughtered in ritual style; rumors of devil worshipping flesh eating cults,  and  instances of cars trying to be stopped on the highway  at night by people wearing cult type robes. .

Now there was hypocrisy on both sides, the developers who just wanted to run over the local people and develop the land, and the local chamber of commerce who knew of these problems but didn't exactly want to put them  in their visitor brochures.

You know, like beautiful wilderness area, good schools, major hospitals nearby, a few flesh eaters, clean water, low property taxes, some devil worshippers, 9 hole golf course,  recreational areas, and an occasional animal mutilation or two.

25 years later, many of these mysteries have been cleared up, but the development in North Idaho continues. This is to those people who see dollar signs where the rest of us want to see trees..

Don't go into those North Idaho woods, don't go into those woods,

Don't go into those North Idaho woods, don't go into those woods,

Cause they'll only cause you pain, they'll carry out your remains,

Don't go into those North Idaho woods.

Police officer, how can it be, something killed them plain as it can be,

Police officer, how can it be, something killed them plain as it can be,

and it don't seem right to me, that it should still be running free,

Don't go into those North Idaho woods.

Man went into those North Idaho woods, huntin' for just some deer,

Man went into those North Idaho woods, huntin' for just some deer,

Things were kinda dull, till he came across some human skulls,

Don't go into those North Idaho woods.