The canal still saw some use, though
Bank robbers, slaves, criminals
And others seeking refuge in the north
Followed the abandoned waterways
Some found refuge
And others died along the way
According to one ghost story
A young girl from the south who had run away
From an abusive family followed
A system of locks northbound
She made it as far as Akron
Where she drowned herself in the water
Out of of frustration
She supposedly still haunts the area
And can be heard sobbing
Outside the Civic Theater on some nights
Spoooky!

When you commit unforgivable crimes
There is a house in which to hide
At this house, there are guns inside
If you begin to starve, I will feed you well
If you cannot read, I will gladly help
If you need some sleep, you can rest a spell

But there's no swimming in the old canal
In those polluted waters where the best of men drown
There's no swimming in the Cuyahoga Canal

If you build a boat, you can sail up north
You may find freedom past the Canadian border
But your presence here is unwelcome, in the name of law and order