The River (Live at St. Rose of Lima School, Freehold, NJ - 11/8/1996)

I come from down in the valley where mister, when you're young

They bring you up to do like your daddy done

Me and Mary, we met in high school when she was just 17

We'd drive out of that valley, down to where the fields were green

We'd go down to the river

And into the river we'd dive

Oh, down to the river we'd ride

Then I got Mary pregnant and man, that was all she wrote

And for my 19th birthday, I got a union card and a wedding coat

We went down to the courthouse and the judge put it all to rest

No wedding day smiles, no walk down the aisle, no flowers, no wedding dress

That night we went down to the river

And into the river we'd dive

Oh, down to the river we'd ride

And I got a job working construction for the Johnstown Company

But lately, there ain't been much work on account of the economy

Now all them things that seemed so important

Well, they vanished right into the air

I just act like I don't remember, Mary acts like she don't care

But I remember us riding in my brother's car

Her body tanned and wet down at the reservoir

At night on those banks I'd lie awake

Pull her close just to feel every breath she'd take

Now those memories come back to haunt me

Yeah, they haunt me like a curse

Is a dream lie if it don't come true or is it something worse?

That sends me down to the river

Oh, I know the river is dry

Sends me down to the river tonight

Yeah, down to the river, my baby and I

Whoa, down to the river we ride, hey!