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A Brief History of the Orange Line

from Into A Prism by David Rovics

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Much of the Orange Line of the MBTA that goes through the Boston neighborhood of Jamaica Plain (where I lived for many years, and where my sister lives today) is a section of the T that was almost a highway which would have split JP in two and ruined the neighborhood, as highways tend to do. It became a part of the T and a lovely park as a result of a popular struggle that began in the late 1960's. The Wake Up The Earth Festival and the Lantern Parade, organized by an outfit called Spontaneous Celebrations, are all part of the legacy of this neighborhood social movement.

lyrics

In the Sixties they were building lots of single-family homes
The suburbs were the place to have your child, dog and cat
Businessmen and housewives each had a swimming pool
Prescription drugs, a big car and a generic welcome mat
All the suburbs needed highways and they were being built
In every state, from the east coast to the west
But when in Boston, Massachusetts they came to build a highway
At GM and DOT's behest
In front of their bulldozers there in Jamaica Plain
From all around, people came and stood
They asked should we have commuters or community
A highway or a neighborhood

The governor said we hear you but you just don't understand
It's the way things are, the order of the day
Is that progress must go on, the economy must grow
And this state needs another highway
A whole bunch of people protested, a whole bunch were arrested
The cops figured that was that
But folks kept coming back, where the backhoes were supposed to dig
That's just where people sat
They asked would you have a fast lane here, with big trucks spewing diesel
Or keep your homes of wood

It was the Anti-Highway Movement, who said the national is local
And the people of JP
Against all of those in power, the biggest business interests
Federal as well as state authority
But perseverance won and the highway was abandoned
The neighborhood remains
Instead they built a subway line, a long, thin park
Playgrounds and bicycle lanes
The people had spoken, the question had been answered
As one would think it should

credits

from Into A Prism, released July 2, 2013

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David Rovics Portland, Oregon

Singer/songwriter, writer, podcaster (on Spotify, Substack & Patreon), anarchist, dad, lover of life.

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