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The Yukon Doesn't Care

from Where Do We Go? by Stephen Schijns

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about

Written on a rafting expedition down the Alsek River in 2014, this catchy alt-folk-rock song explores the dichotomy of the North, whereby a visitor or resident can have a great personal experience and be in awe of the magnificent natural surroundings, while the land itself is timeless and everlasting. Our presence is but a tiny blip in the Yukon’s environment and geologic time span. The Yukon will be there long after we pass through, so it is indifferent to our presence.

Meanwhile the verses celebrate the experience of a rafting trip down one of the mighty rivers of the north. The middle eight offers a relaxed contemplative view of the rafting life.

lyrics

The Yukon doesn’t care / If you’re here or if you’re there
The rivers always flow / Come and raft them if you dare
And for all that you accomplish in that crazy world out there
The mountains watch impassively / The Yukon doesn’t care

We came from far and wide / To give ourselves a test
To run the mighty river / And run it with the best
We’re looking at computers / We’re mapping out the route
We lie awake at night / Thinking of rapids that we’ll shoot

But the Yukon doesn’t care / If you’re here or if you’re there
The rivers always flow / Come and raft them if you dare
If your southern situation has you pulling out your hair
It’s all so very far away / The Yukon doesn’t care

We travel with our families / Fly here with our friends
We’re gonna go exploring / Forget the latest trends
Looking for a grizzly bear / It’s all about the quest
To know if you can do it or / To check the bucket list

<bridge>
I’m floating far and wide / drifting down the river
A chunk of glacier ice melting in my drink
Soaring limestone peaks / skirted by spruce forests
The peacefulness and quiet gives me time to think

But the Yukon doesn’t care / And Alaska doesn’t care
The Territories, Nunavut / they didn’t ask you there
Dig a mine, chop a tree, shoot a wild bear
A hundred thousand years from now /The Yukon will not care

So docking on the stony beach / Laughing with new friends
You’ll be packing up and understand / The journey never ends
What the river taught you / Of life and love and space
It’s all about the flow / and Mother Nature calls the race

But the Yukon doesn’t care / If you’re here or if you’re there
The rivers always flow / Come and raft them if you dare
Plan your trip for summer time / Go ahead, prepare
It may snow or turn to ice /The Yukon doesn’t care

Ah the Yukon doesn’t care / no it really doesn’t care
Who you worship, how you look, or even what you wear
The north is fine all by itself / It doesn’t need you there
Go tough it out in wintertime / The Yukon doesn’t care

credits

from Where Do We Go?, released July 31, 2022
Stephen Schijns: music, lyrics, vocals
Andrew Smith: guitars, bass, backing vocals
Zachari Smith: drums
Patrick Gough: drums
Produced by Andrew Smith at Lake Studios, Kelowna, BC, Canada
SOCAN / MAPL

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Stephen Schijns Kelowna, British Columbia

From 60s singles to CFRC/CKCU DJ to garage band archivist to chart documentarian to songwriter and guitar player, Steve Schijns (pronounced "Skines") has soaked up classic influences over several decades to begin building his recording career as a mature and distinctive pop-rock creator. He is based in Kelowna, BC, Canada. ... more

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