4 a.m. comes awful early
And I was dead on my feet
But if you're gonna catch the biggest fish
You gotta lose a little sleep
I packed my gear and a couple beers
And I headed for my favorite spot
But I cursed my luck
When I saw his truck
Right where I pulled off
Was hopin' to have the river to myself that day

'Cause the river don't talk
The river don't care
Where you've been
What you've done
Or why it is you're standin' there
It just rolls on by
Whisperin' to your soul
It's gonna be alright
The river just knows

The way the sun bounced off the water
I could hardly make him out
But I could see he had a fish on
A big ol' rainbow trout
The fight went on forever
And as they headed down my way
I saw his military haircut
And the new scars on his face
Right then I knew
What brought him to this place
You know the river don't talk
The river don't care
Where you've been
What you've done
Or why it is you're standin' there
It just rolls on by
Whisperin' to your soul
It's gonna be alright
The river just knows

He held the fish down in the water
And he coaxed it back to life
He said 'I'll help you get your wind back
'Cause you helped me get mine'
And all I could think to say was 'Welcome home'
But I think that river said it best on its own

'Cause the river don't talk
You know the river don't care
Where you've been
What you've done
Or why it is you're standin' there
It just rolls on by
Whisperin' to your soul
It's gonna be alright
The river just knows