D                                                  G

They came to the Northwoods, as they started out their life,

A                                          G            D

he was 25 years old, just 19 was his wife,

^Dthe winter was not easy, and the ^Gcold Spring was no joy,

^Abut Summer brought its healing warmth, and it ^Gbrought their baby ^Dboy.

                A                             D

and it was good,  in those Northwoods.

They built a tiny cabin, and lived in it that year, he worked as a carpenter, and she worked here and there,

their life it was not easy, but they made it on their will,

and the next year brought a baby girl, and it brought them closer still.

and it was good, in those Northwoods.

The babies turned to toddlers, the toddlers turned to kids, fishing trips and camping out, and feelings never hid,

they built the house they'd wanted, way out there in the woods,

with a dog and a cat, the kids and their dreams, and you know it sure was good,

and it was good, in those Northwoods.

But then he opened up the bottle, and closed down on his mind,

and started losing everything, he'd worked for all that time,

and the friends it'd taken years to make, well they stopped coming around,

and the kids were old, and the wife was cold, when the bottles could be found.

and that ain't good, yeah that ain't good.

And they couldn't keep it from him, and he wouldn't change his life,

and the bottle made him choose between, his drinking and his wife,

so his wife and daughter left him, but his boy stayed by his side,

and the kid he took on fishing trips, had to watch him slowly die,

and that ain't good, yeah that ain't good.

I saw him 'bout a year ago, and we talked about the old days,

and I realized as we laughed a bit, he'll never change his ways,

well, just last week she called me, and told me that he'd died,

so I sat down and wrote this song, then went outside and cried,

and ya know the words came easy, cause I'd been thinkin' them for years,

cause he'd been dead a long, long time, after drownin' in his beers,

and that ain't good, yeah that ain't good.

I see them coming now to the Northwoods, ah, they're starting out their life,

he looks 25 years old, maybe 19 is his wife,

And the Winter here's not easy, but I hope you make it fine,

you remind me of some friends of mine, from back a long, long time,

and I hope it's good, and I hope it stays good, here in the Northwoods.