I could see that you're ready to go home
There's some tv shows that you're missing
But you know how an old love loves to talk
And he needs someone who will listen

Come and sit by the river with me for a while
And I'll tell you a story that's true
Of when I was a boy playing here on the shore
And the grass was so green and the water so blue

Well our house stood right over there
Of course they took it down for the highway
I can see my moma's tears, we've been there for twenty years
And you know we would still if I had my way

In those days you could often find me here
With the rest of the nieghborhood children
There was so much we could do, there was fishin' swimmin' too
There was always some raft that we were building

* [Refrain]

Many years I have watched this river flow
Rolling down from the hills to the ocean
I have seen the waters high, almost fierce and rushing by
I have seen in nearly dry and without motion

Now at last you can see what it has come to
Oh we prospered but poisoned the waters
Now the turnes have all been played and the piper must be paid
Not by us but our sons and daughters