Greg Brown



River Will Take You

That river will take you to Keokuk just as well
as it'll take you past Eldon straight down to hell.
Them boys'd been drinkin', two was real fat
They went out at midnight, goin' after cat.

Two could swim sort of, two not at all,
They was all plastered, havin' a ball.
Well they left from the east side down a' carbide shack,
They just went fishin' and never come back.

We seen that junk boat next day in a snag,
Called up the men, went out to drag.
Found 'em next sundown, Lord, how they stank,
We lay them poor boys up on the river bank.

Now they was just drunk boys, they didn't know what they did,
One of 'em was married, three of 'em had kids.
That old river will take you, most of us swore
next time we got drunk, we'd just fish from shore.