Oregon Hill is a working class neighborhood in Richmond, Va – I was born and raised in Richmond, and know Oregon Hill well, had many friends who lived there… a couple girlfriends too! I thought you might enjoy knowing some of the references in the song.
A river to the south to wash away all sins
A college to the east of us to learn where sin begins
A graveyard to the west of it all
Which I may soon be lying in
The river is the James, which Oregon Hill overlooks. Richmond is at the fall line, where the rocks are, and was as far as the settlers could sail – the city is built on 7 hills.
The ‘college to the east’ is VCU, located in the Fan District. I used to live about 2 blocks away from it.
The ‘graveyard to the west of it all’ is oddly called Hollywood Cemetary. Very old.
‘Cause to the north there is a prison
Which I’ve come to call my home
But come Monday morning no country song
Will sing me home again
Pretty sure this is a reference to “Take Me Home, Country Roads” by John Denver, written about West Virginia, which is where I live now.
Sunday morning, 8:00 a.m
Sirens fill the air
Sounds like someone made the river
Sounds like someone being born again
The State penitentiary is located just across the James and slightly to the east of Oregon Hill, and occasionally there is an escape.
The Cowboy Junkies spent some time in Richmond early in their career and have returned many times to play there, they are well-loved by Richmonders. Oh and they’re a Canadian band, if you didn’t know, eh?
After years of Canadians being lectured to by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his various and sundry environment ministers that the only way to effectively reduce greenhouse gas emissions is through a national carbon tax, the United States has just passed a US$370 billion climate bill that says it doesn’t 
