The water comes down from the higher ground
And it's carryin' the sin of man
We can't help but get thirsty
Down here where the river is damned

They say good things happen up river
The river it can wash a man clean
But down here the water's just dirty
You can try but it's hard to get up from down stream

But I'll try again
I'll paddle up this river of sin
I'll send up a broken amen
I'll swallow some pride but I won't be denied
'Cause I'll try again and again

If I had a boat for this river
I'd find out just what it all means
I'd go see all those used to be heathens
Come up from the water washed clean

And I'd wash my own sins in that river
But I wonder how much more it can bear
It must be so full of misdoing and shame
I can't see the bottom from here

The water comes down from the higher ground
And it's carryin' the sin of man
We can't help but get thirsty
Down here where the river is damned