He was born in a small town And he was given every reason to stay Hallelujah, Mississippi, postcard living no sign of decay 'Til Vietnam moved next door, then Hallelujah was off to war In the dream he couldn't finish the deed He didn't smoke any weed so why leave? Going where I can't be found And I won't be coming 'round His father Tom said you better sign on You'd better take up your gun and fight I got nothing against them Viet Cong What did they do wrong and why am I right? He's on his way to Thunder Bay Crossed the border late at night And it was high stakes until he saw the Great Lakes And he felt the cold wind bite Going where I can't be found And I won't be coming 'round No, I'm an American on the Canadian Shield And I'm putting down roots in your frozen fields It gets cold but you feel so good To be a stranger in town and you're understood Missing his home, he would wake up in a cold sweat And pick up the phone and hope that Tom found a way to forget He's been teaching at the high school, learning the game In Thunder Bay we're all the same He's one of us, he has our trust But there's no going back once the line is crossed I'm an American on the Canadian Shield And I'm putting down roots in your frozen fields It gets cold but you feel so good To be a stranger in town and you're understood You can't ask what you're asking me to do And I hope you understand when I refuse I'm going North with my point of view And I'm never gonna think the same as you And I'm where I can't be found And I won't be coming round No I'm an American on the Canadian Shield And I'm putting down roots in your frozen fields It gets cold but you feel so good To be a stranger in town and you're understood