Across the border they turn water into wine
Some say it's the devil's blood
They're squeezing from the vine
Some say it's a savior
In these hard and desperate times
You see it helps me to forget that we're just born
To die

I came here like so many did to find a better life
To find my piece of easy street
To finally be alive
And I know nothing good comes easy
All good things take some time
I made my bed I'll lie in it
To die in it's the crime

You can't help but prosper
Where the streets are paved with gold
They say the oil wells ran deeper here than anybody's known
Now I packed up on my wife and kid
And left them both back at home
See there's nothing in this pay dirt
The ghosts are all I know

Now the oil's gone
And the money's gone
All the jobs are gone
Still we're hangin' on

Down in dry county
They're swimming in the sand
Praying for some holy water
To wash the sins from off our hands
Here in dry county
The promise has run dry
Where nobody cries
And no one's getting out of here alive (Not this time)

"In the blessed name of Jesus" I heard a preacher say
That we are all God's children
And He'd be back, back someday
I hoped that he knew something as he drank that cup of wine
I didn't have too good a feeling as I head out to the night

I cursed the sky to open
I begged the clouds for rain
I prayed all night for water
For this burning in my veins
It was like my soul's on fire
And I had to watch the flames
All my dreams went up in ashes
And my future blew away

Now the oil's gone
And the money's gone
All the jobs are gone
Still we're hangin' on

Down in dry county
They're swimming in the sand
Praying for some holy water
To wash these sins from off our hands
Here in dry county
The promise has run dry
Where nobody cries
And no one's getting out of here alive

Men spend their whole lives waiting
Prayin' for some big reward
But it seems sometimes the payoff
Leaves you feeling like a dirty whore
If I could choose the way I'd die
Make it by the gun or knife
'Cause the other way there's too much pain
Night after night after night after night

Down in dry county
Where they're swimming in the sand
Praying for some holy water
To wash the sins from off our hands
In dry county
The promise has run dry
Where nobody cries
No one's getting out of here
Dry county
And no one's getting out of here
Dry county


Lyrics submitted by Demau Senae

Dry County Lyrics as written by Jon Bon Jovi

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Dry County song meanings
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19 Comments

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  • +2
    General Comment
    "Across the border they turn water into wine..." I'm a sucker for a great opening lyric, and, in my opinion that is one of the best ever written. It kind of sets the scene for the whole song and lets you know what it's about. I get chills whenever this song starts. Just amazing.
    kait25on July 10, 2009   Link
  • +1
    General Comment
    A great song and the heavy guitar solo in the middle is awesome.
    hoopson December 23, 2004   Link
  • +1
    General Comment
    Richie is a GOD! I'm just saying. How awesome is that solo?! The lyrics are great too. It's cool with bands that can write serious stuff like this along with "rock-on-cause-life's-amazing-songs".
    Samborafpon March 13, 2005   Link
  • +1
    General Comment
    This is possibly the greatest Bon Jovi song ever! The lyrics are really personal to Jon and you see the message that he is trying to get across. The guitar solo is also KICK ASS!!! Well what can you expect, after all (like "Samborafp" said) "Richie is a GOD!"!!!!
    SS2112on March 24, 2006   Link
  • +1
    General Comment
    This song is really an epic! But I don't agree that it has to do with suicide. It's against Bon Jovi philosophy. The crime here is: not living your life. They are against surviving(see Fear, It's my life, Every Day, All I Want is Everything...). The lyrics are pretty literal, as most times, but in the same time poetic. Another reason to love Bon Jovi!!!
    bonjovinaon April 14, 2006   Link
  • +1
    General Comment
    richie sambora is a fucking guitar god. enough said. this solo section is sick. one of the best guitar solos ever. i rank him 3rd best rock guitarist? by far my favorite guitarist. great song.
    lppodd12on July 15, 2007   Link
  • +1
    General Comment
    i love this song! it's got such a powerful meaning! and the guitar solo, great!
    B.Jrockson September 20, 2008   Link
  • +1
    General Comment
    I'm sure this ISN'T what they had in mind when writing this, but it reminds me of a town called pithole PA. In the 1800's there was a profuse amount of oil found under the ground where this town once stood. The town Litterally had hundreds of hotels (most probably brothels) stores saloons and all the norm for a goldrush town. It lasted less than 600 days. Thousands of people raced to raise hundreds of derricks and bled the ground dry of the black gold. All that remains to this day is some building foundations and they have built a small museum so to to speak about the former town. Like I said, I really doubt this is what they had in mind when writing this song, but in literal terms its almost uncanny
    cowboy22on May 13, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    The solo in this song rocks. The lyrics are deep probably their deepest. Living in a dry area of the world I can relate to this song. Sometimes you just pray for rain.
    antmannon June 09, 2003   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    This song is one of my fav's by Bon Jovi. It really makes me think that he's talking about suicide,or leaving this place for a better one. I've felt like that and listened to this song alot,so that's my opinion
    P3rf3ctImp3rf3ctionon June 19, 2003   Link

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