INTRO Bm D Bm D
Well, I was eighteen, my br
other was twenty-one.
One Saturday evenin’ when a
ll the work was done,
We w
ent down to the river. Had some t
rot lines we’d run.
My brother Walter had a f
ight the week before.
Knocked a boy name Wilson th
rough the pool hall doors.
They s
aid you don’t mess with Wilson un
less you want a war.
I put the boat in the water and I m
ade the engine run.
I loaded the lantern ag
ainst the sinkin’ sun.
And
my brother Walter was l
oadin’ his gun…
And
we w
ent down the r
iver.
..
Down past the coal docks
we were runnin’ our line.
Heard some drunken boaters ra
cin’ up behind.
It was Wi
lson and his cousin, had tr
ouble on their mind.
They passed on by us, pr
obably goin’ to tend their pot.
We headed up the river w
ith the fish that we’d caught but,
Be
fore we made the landing, I th
ought I heard a shot…
Back d
own the r
iver
…
Well my brother Walter fell o
ver the side.
I couldn’t find him no m
atter how I tried
And I l
ooked along the bank but co
uldn’t find where they hide.
Well the drugged the river, they se
arched it up and down.
Couldn’t find his body so they de
cided that he’d drowned,
But I knew better and Wilson br
agged around town.
So one night I floated down right a
bove Wilson’s shack.
I hid in the woods til I s
aw him walk out back.
I put a bu
llet in his head, dro
pped him in his tracks…
And
we w
ent down the r
iver
…
Down below the tressel, where the w
ater runs slow,
I chained him to an anvil t
hen I let him go.
And f
ive years later,
I ain’t told a soul.
I ain’t done much fishin’, h
ardly wet a line.
The death of my brother is still he
avy on my mind.
I’ve been th
inkin’ Wilson’s cousin better f
ind a place to hide…
Cause I
’m goin’ d
own the r
iver…y
eah, I’m g
oin’ down the r
iver.
D Bm (until end of song)
