A Bend In The River

It’s just a bend in the river
Where the water slows down
Might not look like much to you
But it’s my hometown
It ain’t no mystery
How this town was born
It started with a couple farms
Then the mill and the general store
Ever since the work went south
And those wheels don’t run
The bars got the churches beat
By at least two to one
I’ve lived 'round here
Since I was a little kid
Used to dream of getting out
Just like the college boys did
Maybe I was born
Without a rambling bone
You stay in one place long enough
And it starts to feel like home
I got married here
It’ll be two years this spring
I can see her in her mama’s white dress
Every time I hear the church bell ring
I know some folks said
She could do better than me But she was raising a girl on her own
And she was only 19
Can’t get? em everything they want
But I try to give? em what they need
Now and then I pull a graveyard shift
Down at the factory
When I see that little girl smile
Playing in our backyard
Lord it makes it all worthwhile
Keeps me going when the going gets hard
Might not look like much to you
But it’s our hometown
It’s changing everyday
The signs are all around
One more field gone to seed
Another barn falling down
Main Street’s all boarded up And nobody cares I guess
?Cause there’s a place on the edge of town
Selling everything for less
But sometimes in my dreams
I see the waters rise
When the river jumps its banks
This town is purified
Everything is washed away
Clear to the county line
And we can start all over again
Maybe do a little better next time