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