[Verse 1] Down where the Arkansas River bends, In the heart of the hills where the wild begins, The Osage roamed, free and bold, Their stories carved in the earth so old. Frenchmen came, with a map in hand, Called it “Aux Arcs,” this rugged land. In thirty-six, the town was born, Ozark rose with the morning’s dawn. [Chorus] Oh, Ozark, sing by the river’s flow, Where the past and the present together grow. From the courthouse square to the hills so grand, You’re the heartbeat of this Arkansas land. [Verse 2] Steamboats hummed on the water’s glide, Cotton and timber sailed side by side. The courthouse stood, proud and tall, A beacon of hope for one and all. But war came callin’ in sixty-three, Skirmishes echoed through the trees. Yet Ozark held, through fire and pain, Its spirit stronger than the hardest rain. [Chorus] Oh, Ozark, sing by the river’s flow, Where the past and the present together grow. From the courthouse square to the hills so grand, You’re the heartbeat of this Arkansas land. [Verse 3] The railroad rolled, brought a brighter day, Linked the town to the world far away. Peach trees bloomed, coal lit the night, The Hillbilly danced in the firelight. Through Depression’s shadow, through war’s long call, Ozark stood firm, never to fall. The dam was built, the floods were tamed, The river’s bend still calls its name. [Chorus] Oh, Ozark, sing by the river’s flow, Where the past and the present together grow. From the courthouse square to the hills so grand, You’re the heartbeat of this Arkansas land. [Bridge] Now the wine trails wind, and the forests sing, Of a town where history’s bells still ring. Victorian ghosts in the square they roam, Ozark’s heart is forever home. [Verse 4] So raise a glass to the Gateway’s pride, Where the Ozark hills and the river collide. From the fair’s bright lights to the tales retold, This town’s got a spirit that never grows old. With three thousand souls and a story to share, Ozark’s alive in the mountain air. Sing of the bend where it all began, For the love of this Arkansas land. [Chorus] Oh, Ozark, sing by the river’s flow, Where the past and the present together grow. From the courthouse square to the hills so grand, You’re the heartbeat of this Arkansas land. [Outro] So here’s to Ozark, where the river arcs, A town that shines like a fire’s sparks. Through time and tide, it’ll always stand, The soul of the Ozarks, this Arkansas land.
