It's from David Francey's second CD (The Far End of Summer)
The following lyrics are from his website http://www.davidfrancey.com/
MILL TOWNS
After hearing Northern Ontario's Grievous Angels, I started thinking about the similarities between mining towns and mill towns such as Cornwall, Ontario, where I lived for a time as a boy.
I heard a voice call down from the lonesome north, Singing songs of work and worth, Hard edged stories from the hard rock towns; And I can picture the Saturday nights, Hear the tires squealing from the Main Street lights, Hear the creaking of the cables on the cage as it's lowered down: Hard luck stories from the streets of the mining towns.
CHORUS: Don't follow me in, boys. Don't follow me in, boys. Don't follow me in, boys. Don't follow me down.
I was raised by the Seaway side, Staring out at the river wide. Rode my bike up the bridge, looked back at the paper mill. Through the windows I'd try and see What the future held for the likes of me; And I can hear the shift-change siren still In the Seaway City, by the stacks of the paper mill. CHORUS
And the towns that rose with the mines and mills Watch the future pass like they're standing still; And the kids all leave, like the light when the sun goes down. When you go back now and you walk the streets, There's parking lots where buildings used to be. Night still falls but it doesn't make a sound. Long shadows fall on the streets of the cold mill towns. CHORUS