Down south were plantations and the Midwest had farms
The land was free and rich, but Appalachia did us harm
We couldn't transport at a low price
But then we had had enough and we rolled the dice
DeWitt Clinton's child, 363 miles
Erie dearie bring us the crops of the Midwest
Not an even an old nickel from Uncle Sam
Too scared to try it, not in the least bit a fan
For this Clinton could not stand
Jesse Hawley reached out and DeWitt lent a hand
They called it Clinton's ditch, but it made us rich
Cash flow, Albany to Buffalo
It was 8 years until you saw your day
7 million dollars was what we paid
Part of a revolution
And you were our solution
You made things quick and cheap, pas un fille de joie
Erie dearie eighth Wonder of the World
An engineering marvel
Connected East to West
You made New York the capital just overnight