Name the Water's Sound

[Intro] [Verse 1] Coal stacked high on the barge deck Morning fog erased the shore Sounder quit beneath my thumb No green numbers anymore You called, “red buoy, two boat lengths” I held the wheel against the pull Old bends stayed beneath my hands Though the river hid them all [Chorus] Call the markers, keep them coming I know this channel by its scars Black load riding, current turning We’ll clear the span before it bars Call the markers, don’t go quiet Hold that line and watch the bow When the steel bridge takes the morning We’ll be through the throat somehow [Verse 2] Your voice cut across the deck plates “White stake, then the willow snag” I eased her left against the eddy Kept the towline running slack The bridge ribs grew from the vapor A low iron roof ahead I counted pilings from the wheelhouse And watched the channel’s thread [Chorus] Call the markers, keep them coming I know this channel by its scars Black load riding, current turning We’ll clear the span before it bars Call the markers, don’t go quiet Hold that line and watch the bow When the steel bridge takes the morning We’ll be through the throat somehow [Guitar solo] [Bridge] One bell for the left bank Two bells, bring her round You leaned into the railing And named the water’s sound The bridge deck crossed above us The tow drew tight and true I took the bend by memory And trusted every word from you [Chorus] Call the markers, keep them coming I know this channel by its scars Black load riding, current turning We’ll clear the span before it bars Call the markers, don’t go quiet Hold that line and watch the bow When the steel bridge takes the morning We’re through the throat—we’re through it now [Outro] Coal holds fast, the river opens Fog lifts off the channel line You call the last buoy behind us And i let the wheel unwind