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The River Lyrics
I grew up 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
She was just seventeen
We'd drive out of this 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
And I got Mary pregnant
Man that was all she wrote
For my nineteenth 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
We'd go down to the river
And into the river we'd dive
Oh, down to the river we'd ride
I got a job workin' construction
For the Johnstown Company (Company)
But lately there ain't been much work
On account of the economy
All those things that seemed so important
Well they just vanished in the air
And I act like I don't remember
Mary acts like she don't care
And I remember ridin' in my brother's car
Her body tan and wet down by the reservoir
At night on the banks I'd lie awake
And hold her close to feel each breath she'd take
Those memories come back to haunt me
Well they haunt me like a curse
Is a dream a lie that don't come true
Or is it something worse?
And we'd go down to the river
And into the river we'd dive
Oh down to the rive we'd ride
Down to the river
My baby and I
Oh, down to the river we'd ride
Where Mister, when you're young
They bring you up to do
Like your daddy done
She was just seventeen
We'd drive out of this valley
Down to where the fields were green
And into the river we'd dive
Oh, down to the river we'd ride
Man that was all she wrote
For my nineteenth birthday
I got a union card and a wedding coat
And the judge put it all to rest
No wedding day smiles, no walk down the aisle
No flowers, no wedding dress
And into the river we'd dive
Oh, down to the river we'd ride
For the Johnstown Company (Company)
But lately there ain't been much work
On account of the economy
Well they just vanished in the air
And I act like I don't remember
Mary acts like she don't care
Her body tan and wet down by the reservoir
At night on the banks I'd lie awake
And hold her close to feel each breath she'd take
Well they haunt me like a curse
Is a dream a lie that don't come true
Or is it something worse?
And into the river we'd dive
Oh down to the rive we'd ride
My baby and I
Oh, down to the river we'd ride
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Springsteen cover. Way better than Springsteen'll ever be.
agreed
i liked this version with its faster pace and rock tone beter than springsteens.
since they're from pitt, think they might be referring to johnstown, pa, the conemaugh river, the fields in somerset, and the ligonier valley between the chestnut ridge and the laurel ridge? its nice to think so...
when i heard the clarks play this song at the university of pitt at johnstown everyone lost it when they said "workin for the johnstown company".
good time.
What's so sad is that this song could have been written about my parents. That's what makes it so hard for me to listen to.
Actually, the "Johnstown" reference was also in the Springsteen version as well, so as much as it could be a local reference, who knows if it is or not. But (call me biased as a Clarks fan), the SPringsteen version's got nothing on this version. Never has, never will.