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!