Lyrics

12. Willie Tames the River


Jacob went down to the river

And he swore to renounce his sin

And the river rose high and it swept him away

‘Cause it ain’t gonna listen to him

No, it ain’t gonna listen to him


Well, the mud is the blood of the river

And it scours his bones till they gleam

And it lays them to rest where the flood waters crest

And you never seen Jacob so clean

No, you never seen Jacob so clean


chorus

Let the river take him home

Let the river take him home

Let the river take his hard times to the sea

Let it take both tooth and stone

Muscle, flesh, and bone

Well, I know this old river will be the death of me


John pleaded down by the river

For his meager crop was thin

And the river rose high and it covered them up

‘Cause it ain’t gonna listen to him

No, it ain’t gonna listen to him


Well, the cotton and the sugar gonna come back

But old John, his days are spent

With his nights in the tank and his mornings on the bank

Waiting on the river to repent

He’s still waiting on the river to repent


chorus

Let the river take him home

Let the river take him home

Let the river take his hard luck to the sea

Let it take both tooth and stone

Muscle, flesh, and bone

Well, I know this old river will be the ruin of me


Young Willie took a question to the river

Do I always have to take it on the chin

And the river rose high and it swept him away

‘Cause it ain’t gonna answer to him

No, it ain’t gonna answer to him


Well, he swam to the bottom and he stood there

He said, you ain’t the first bully I met

And the river done spit him right back out

Said, we ain’t quite ready for you yet

Son, we ain’t quite ready for you yet


chorus

Then he rode that river home

Yeah, he rode that river home

Well, he rode that river hard down to the sea

And when all his riding was done

And he’d taught that river some

He said, you know, old river, it just could be, you’ve met your match in me