Let The River Wash Me (To the Gulf of Mexico)

 Let The River Wash Me (To the Gulf of Mexico)

Chorus 

Ashes to ashes, iron turns to rust.

It's better to die living than to grovel in the dust.

And when the living’s over, turn me loose and let me go

Let the river wash me to the Gulf of Mexico!

Verse 1

Before my father was my father, he took comfort in the breeze 

When the shade fell down upon him by the creek beneath the trees,

He followed that old creek bank wherever it would go

Where the water meets the water to the Gulf of Mexico!

Chorus 

Ashes to ashes, iron turns to rust.

It's better to die living than to grovel in the dust.

And when the living’s over, turn me loose and let me go

Let the river wash me to the Gulf of Mexico!

Verse 2

The time was drawing near. I didn’t know what I should know.

So we drank a beer and talked about the row we had to hoe.

Take my ashes to the creek bank, spread them out and let me go.

It will take me to the river and the Gulf of Mexico!

Chorus 

Ashes to ashes, iron turns to rust.

It's better to die living than to grovel in the dust.

And when the living’s over, turn me loose and let me go

Let the river wash me to the Gulf of Mexico!

Notes:

Ride that blessed river to the gulf of Mexico

Let it wash me down the river to the Gulf of Mexico!

All the way from Texas to the Gulf of Mexico

From Eastern Texas to the Gulf of Mexico

And when the rain begins to fall, and the wind begins to blow,

It will wash me down the river to the Gulf of Mexico

Let the rain begin to fall and when the water starts to flow it will….

And when the song is over and it’s time for me to go

The river like a song will play me to the gulf of Mexico

Spring rains sing me down

Chorus Alt

Ashes to ashes, and iron turns to dust

It’s better to die riding on a bronc that you cant bust

Than to wither away and just lay down in the dust

And when that ride is over 

Be it fast or be it slow

I will ride that muddy river

To the gulf of Mexico