I was born and raised on steel river   I see it all like it was yesterday   The ships and bridges they were all delivered   From Sydney harbour to the Cisco bay   And I met my love down on steel river   We served our dreams and spent our childhood days   In rainy streets we'd kiss away the shivers   And hide from fear inside the latest craze   Dancing to Motown   Making love with Carole King record playing   And oh how I loved you   Say goodbye steel river      Ten thousand bombers hit the steel river   And many died to keep her running free   And she survived but now she's gone forever   Her burning heart is just a memory   And I ran away from life on steel river   Luck or not I gladly took the break   The odds were low the chances nearly zero   A chance it was I had to take   Say goodbye steel river      They say that salmon swim in steel river   They say it's good to see them back again   I know it hurts to see what really happened   I know one salmon ain't no good to them   They were born and raised to serve their steel mother   It was they taught and all they ever knew   And they believed that she would keep their children   Even though not a single word was true   Say goodbye steel river