Been here since Boulder City was just Ragtown
Came west when we had nowhere else to go
And left behind those old breadlines to build this dam
Joined a crew of Indians, acrobats, and sailors
We all earn an extra quarter on the hour
To put our hope in lengths of rope
Swinging high out o'er the canyon
Dynamite clenched in our teeth
We're the high scalers
Dodging falling rocks, we climb across the cliff face
Wielding jackhammers that weigh near 50 pounds
Cheating chance with hard-boiled hats and nerves of steel
Performing when the foremen are distracted
For the workers, a few hundred feet below
They hold their breath while we dance with death
Swinging high out o'er the canyon
Dynamite clenched in our teeth
We're the high scalers
But the pace they set is truly treacherous
Too many friends gone far too soon
In the years to come it will be sung of us
"They died to make the desert bloom"
Swinging high out o'er the canyon
Dynamite clenched in our teeth
Swinging high out o'er the canyon
Dynamite clenched in our teeth
We're the high scalers
