Roll on, river

[Verse 1] I ease the marigold past the willow bend Two barges deep with grain for the mills A blue heron lifts from a marker post And rides the air where the river spills [Pre-Chorus] I call, “good morning, old brown water” You turn the boat without a sound A muskrat slips through the cattails And the whole wide day comes round [Chorus] Roll on, river, carry us easy Past the sandbar, under the bridge I’ve got a tune for the gulls above me And room for the reeds along the ridge Roll on, river, we share this passage Your quiet life and my working hands One long bend, then another bend— We’re all just travelers on these lands [Verse 2] At lock nine, the keeper waves me through A turtle suns itself on a snag The engine hums low against the current While swallows stitch the air behind the flag [Pre-Chorus] I sing to the carp below me They turn like coins in the shade The banks keep all their green secrets And i keep the course we made [Chorus] Roll on, river, carry us easy Past the sandbar, under the bridge I’ve got a tune for the gulls above me And room for the reeds along the ridge Roll on, river, we share this passage Your quiet life and my working hands One long bend, then another bend— We’re all just travelers on these lands [Bridge] When the evening shift takes the channel And the marsh lights blink on one by one I’ll leave the night to the owls and the water And steer by the stars till the morning sun [Final chorus] Roll on, river, carry us easy Past the sandbar, under the bridge I’ve got a tune for the gulls above me And room for the reeds along the ridge Roll on, river, we share this passage Your quiet life and my working hands One long bend, then another bend— We’re all just travelers on these lands [Outro] Good night, old brown water Good night, heron on the post I’ll be back around the next bend Singing softly to the coast