[Verse 1]
4 a.m. comes awful early, and I was dead on my feet
But if you going to catch the biggest fish
You gotta lose a little sleep
Well, I pack my gear and a couple beers
I headed for my favourite spot
Well, I curse my luck when I saw his truck right where I pulled off
Was hoping to have the river to myself that day

[Chorus]
Because the river don't talk, the river don't care
Where you've been, what you've done
Why it is your standing there
It just rolls on by whispering to your soul
It's going to be alright, the river just knows

[Verse 2]
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 old rainbow trout
The fight went on forever
And as they headed down my way, I saw his
Military hair cut and the new scars on his face
Right then I knew what brought him to this place
[Chorus]

[Verse 3]
He held that fish down in the water
And he coaxed it to back to life
He said "Help, you get your wind back
'Cause you help me get mine"
And all I could think to say was "Welcome home"
But I think that river said it best on its own

[Chorus]