River Drive

歌詞

I'd like to tell you the story boys, about taking down the drive' My foreman's name is Buster, boys, and he also does reside Near the banks of this river, boys, in Skowhegan, Maine But when the rear gets in this year we'll never drive again. We've been driving this old river, boys, for two centuries and a half' Just to get that wood down to the mill, it almost makes me laugh Some educated fools from God knows where, well they figured it should end So that outfit down to Augusta says we can never drive again. Now this mighty Kennebec she's something to be seen From her Headwaters and Moosehead down to Merrymeeting and the Sea With islands, back channels, white water and dead Great eddies and great remedies for a river driver's head. We hang the booms in springtime, we sluice in summertime They're rafting wood across the lakes, five thousand cord to a time And when the fall is coming on, it's time to take the rear Better head up to that cutoff and get old McLollen's butt in gear. There's Buster and Gerry Bigelow, them Sanipass boys and me George Waters and my father rave about days that used to be The Messer boys are hung over, they're praying for a head wind So we can hitch her up at noontime, and they can start right in again. From Indian Pond down to the Forks it's white water most of the way Riding them leaky bateaux, I don't think it's worth the pay From the Forks down through Carratunk we're over the Wyman Dam By the first week in September we're headed for the Solon Dam. From Solon down through Libby Country and down into North Anson That oxbow it don't slow us up and we're down into Madison We take those three dams, we're always on the run She's a flying rear through Norridgewock and down to Skowhegan. We send Dennis up to the Green Front and head for Shawmut Shores There's two weeks of hard picking, but then there'll only be two or three more And now it is November, God Damn, it's getting cold Best be careful where you step; there's no place to take hold. Finally we do get her in, we're all feeling good We'll have us a little gathering to forget the God damn wood With some liquor and some smoking, some bullshitting all around But everyone of us knows this is the last time we'll take her down - oh Everybody knows this is the last time we'll take her down.