The American Spirit is a great lakes freighter that had to make one last run before returning to Toledo to layup for the winter. The boat got caught in the ice. It struggled for some time, but eventually got free of the ice. Perseverance. Steady on. We will break through.
Earlier Mixes
With Mandolin, Accordion and second vocal
Original recording without additional instrumentation
Lyrics:
The American Spirit
Hauling freight
out on the great lakes
The American Spirit
Had one more to take
From Cleveland to Conneaut
Loaded with ore
Maybe 52000 tons or more
Dock hands were working
Late on Sunday night
Snow was falling
conditions were right
With temperatures dropping,
Winds from up north
Lake Erie was likely to freeze
Still they had to set sail
Back home to toledo
Facing fierce 40 knot gales
The spray from the lake
would soon turn to ice
The engines were likely to fail
The American Spirit is trapped in the ice
as it loses control in dark of the night
The American Spirit is fighting for life
Imprisoned in the ice
The cold deadly ice
Further north
Where they dig out the ore
The People were scared
Twin cities at war
Citizens angry
they would not back down
As the feds took over their town
They unleased their agents
Who were known as ice
sent to cause chaos
Violate rights
Invading homes
They went door to door
To deport young children to other shores
The agents took joy
pain was the plan
Murdered a mother,
Executed a man
The news spread quickly
across this great land
Through winter’s worst hour we stand
The American Spirit is stuck in the ice
as it loses control in dark of the night
The American Spirit is fighting for life
Imprisoned in the ice
The cold deadly ice
out on the great lakes
The American Spirit
Had one more to take
From Cleveland to Conneaut
Loaded with ore
Maybe 52000 tons or more
Dock hands were working
Late on Sunday night
Snow was falling
conditions were right
With temperatures dropping,
Winds from up north
Lake Erie was likely to freeze
Still they had to set sail
Back home to toledo
Facing fierce 40 knot gales
The spray from the lake
would soon turn to ice
The engines were likely to fail
The American Spirit is trapped in the ice
as it loses control in dark of the night
The American Spirit is fighting for life
Imprisoned in the ice
The cold deadly ice
Further north
Where they dig out the ore
The People were scared
Twin cities at war
Citizens angry
they would not back down
As the feds took over their town
They unleased their agents
Who were known as ice
sent to cause chaos
Violate rights
Invading homes
They went door to door
To deport young children to other shores
The agents took joy
pain was the plan
Murdered a mother,
Executed a man
The news spread quickly
across this great land
Through winter’s worst hour we stand
The American Spirit is stuck in the ice
as it loses control in dark of the night
The American Spirit is fighting for life
Imprisoned in the ice
The cold deadly ice
Copyright 2026 - Charlie Mosbrook Music
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