I wrote Skeleton Tree after reading about Hannah & Ezra Barker and the land they owned in Nederland, CO back in the late 1800's to the early 1900's. In 1907 the City Of Boulder took their land from them to build what is now "Barker Reservoir (Dam)" through a process now known as "eminent domain". Ezra had died when the process started and Hannah fought for years but finally succumbed under pressure and was paid a meager sum for the vast amount of acreage.
lyrics
Ezra Barker got down on one knee
Underneath the skeleton tree
Said Hannah Connell of Skiberren
Do me the honor and marry me
For my wife has died and my child is seven
Since I met you, feels like heaven
We were married in the dwindling fall
Town folk came, one and all
Ooooooo
Ooooooo
Six years later I laid Ezra to rest
Town of Boulder put me to the test
Said they were aiming to build a Dam
Flood our home in Nederland
CH
You gotta give a damn to fight a dam
You gotta give your heart to love a man
You gotta give your heart to fight a dam
You gotta give your heart to love a man
BR
And I fought and I fought and then I fought harder
They just flooded our land with run off water
Now I stand on top of their land
Looking down at Barker Dam
Think about Hannah from Skibereen
Underneath the skeleton tree
CH
You gotta give a damn to fight a dam
You gotta give your heart to love a man
You gotta give a damn to fight a dam
You gotta lose your heart to love a man
credits
from Star Crossed Lovers,
released May 19, 2018
Written by Cari Minor, Cari vocals, guitar. Ray Smith vocal, guitars.
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