THE RIVER HYMN

The ladies would put the baskets on the table And the men would sit beneath a shady tree The children would listen to a fable While something else came through to me The river got no end just rolls around the bend Then pretty soon the women would all join in One the river hymn... The whole congregation was standing on the banks of the river We are gathered here to give little thanks thanks The voice of the rapids will echo And ricochet like an old water well Who would ever want to let go Once you sit beneath its spell It's dark and wide and deep, towards the sea it creeps I'm so glad I brought along my mandolin To play the river hymn... You can ride on it or drink it Poison it or dam it Fish in it and wash in it Swim in it and you can die in it, run you river, run Son, you ain't never seen yourself No crystal mirror can show it clear, come over here instead Son, you ain't never eased yourself Until you layed it down in a river bed If you hear a lonesome drone it's as common as a stone And gets louder as the day grows dim That's the river hymn... The whole congregation was standing on the banks of the river We are gathered here to give a little thanks thanks