i come from down in the vally
where mr. when you're young
they bring you up to do
like your dad has done
me and mery we met in high school
when she was just 17
we'd ride out of this vally
down to where the fields were green
we go down to the river
and into the river we'd dive
down to the river
we'd ride
then i got mery pregnant
and man, that was all she wrote
and for my 19th 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
at night we went down to the river
and into the river we'd dive
down to the river
we'd ride
i got a job work in construction
for the jhonstown company
but lately there ain't been much work
on the acount of the acconomy
now all them things that seemed so important
well mr. they vanished right into the air
now i just act like i don't remember
and mery acts like she don't care
but i remember us riding in my brothers car
her body tan and wet
down at the reservoir
at night on them banks i lie awake
and pull her close just to feel each breath she takes
now those memories come back to haunt me
they haunt me like a curse
is a dream a lie if it don't come true
or is it something worse
that sends me down to river
oh i know the river is dry
that sends me down to river tonight
down to river my baby and i
oh down to river we'd ride