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James River Blues Lyrics
James River Blues
I just heard the awful news
I could steer around the rocks
But they're bustin down the docks
James River Blues
That train came on through
And the works gotten slow
Now where's a boat man to go?
I think i'll flow on down
To richmond town
They don't need us anymore
Haulin freight from shore to shore
That big iron hauls much more
Than we ever could before.
I've seen good men goin wrong
Ive seen bad ones get it right
As that river rolls along
I'll be steppin out tonight
On the cool flow,
Floatin down
Down below
The bridge to the waters edge
From the ridge to the ledge
From the hills to the sea
I'll become a memory
James River Blues
James River Blues
James River Blues
I just heard the awful news
I could steer around the rocks
But they're bustin down the docks
That train came on through
And the works gotten slow
Now where's a boat man to go?
I think i'll flow on down
To richmond town
They don't need us anymore
Haulin freight from shore to shore
That big iron hauls much more
Than we ever could before.
Ive seen bad ones get it right
As that river rolls along
I'll be steppin out tonight
On the cool flow,
Floatin down
Down below
The bridge to the waters edge
From the ridge to the ledge
From the hills to the sea
I'll become a memory
James River Blues
James River Blues
Song Info
Submitted by
melancholyjen On Oct 28, 2008
More Old Crow Medicine Show
Wagon Wheel
Take 'Em Away
I Hear Them All
Down Home Girl
We're All in This Together
Add your song meanings, interpretations, facts, memories & more to the community.
Industrialization taking people's jobs. Unemployment is an issue in contemporary America. Old Crow uses pre-WW 2 type songs to refer to today. The boat man losing his job due to the technical advancements is like Americans losing jobs to sweatshop labor or by lower wages/inflation.
Dude and friends lost job to railroad. He becomes a memory.
Theme: Labor
Taken literally, it's a song about the evolution of transportation on the James River, from boats and batteaus to rail road.