The River Keeps No Score

[Verse 1] I walked down where the creek bends, Past the roots of an old oak tree. Had a pocket full of old words That were never kind to me. I could name a hundred hard days, I could count a hundred wrongs. But the water wasn't counting, It just kept on rolling on. [Harmonica — long, lonesome answer] [Chorus] The river keeps no score, Don't ask what you've done before. It carries off the broken leaves And lets a springtime find the shore. I can't change the rocks behind me, I can change the way I go. When the heart lets go of counting, The river keeps no score. [Verse 2] I remember all the reasons I was certain I was right. How I held them like a lantern Till they burned away my night. So I put my hands in cold water, Let the silence have its say. Some things don't need another fight, They just need to float away. [Chorus] The river keeps no score, Don't ask what you've done before. It carries off the broken leaves And lets a springtime find the shore. I can't change the rocks behind me, I can change the way I go. When the heart lets go of counting, The river keeps no score. [Bridge] There's a bend I cannot see yet, There's a stone beneath the foam. But I don't have to own the water To let the current lead me home. [Harmonica solo — eight bars] [Final chorus — hushed] The river keeps no score, And I won't keep mine anymore. It carries off the broken leaves And lets a springtime find the shore. There's a peace in not collecting Every debt from long ago. When the heart lets go of counting, The river keeps no score. [Spoken outro] Some things are better left to the water. And all is well.