When I was young and full of dreams,
My whole life in front of me
But things are not always the way they seem,
Some things will always change

My papa'd been a trapper living hand to mouth,
But when I made shop foreman, I had it all figured out,
I thanked god each and everyday
When the industry came to town

Chorus:
Sunset on Louisianne,
The sun going down on the promised,
I've given you everything I can,
I've got nothing left to lose

Married a girl from Pauch? Briide,
Raised a family of Cajun kids,
Nobody did no better than we did,
But things can always change

My sister lost her baby premature,
And my papa got the sickness that got no cure,
And what they told us about it at the plant,
We could not be sure

Chorus
Bridge:
Smokestacks burning on the river,
From New Orleans to Baton Rouge
How can I go on believing
When the won't tell me the truth

I take my grand son fishing down at Camanida Bay,
I hope some of this beauty will last,
But, lord, it's changing so damn fast,
Each and every day

I love the river and I love the swamp,
The snowy egret and the old bull frog,
But they're harder to find one and all
Since the industry came to town