[Intro] River, don't wash it all away Some things follow you from yesterday I can kneel down, I can call your name But the water never takes away the blame [Verse 1] River, don’t wash it all away Some things stick like smoke in a denim sleeve I can stand here talking to the dark But you know what I brought down to the bank with me A name I never said out loud A lie I let ride shotgun for too long Now the moon’s laid out on the water And every ripple knows where I went wrong [Chorus] River, don’t wash it all away Let a little grit stay in the gravel Let that old sin keep its shape Let it drag me for a while, let it rattle I can kneel down, I can call your name But you can’t float clean what I can’t change River, don’t wash it all away Some things follow you from yesterday [Verse 2] My daddy said, “Boy, you can outrun dust You can burn down fields and plant them back” But he never said what it costs When the truth won’t sit still in the tracks I saw my face in the side of the water Looked like a stranger in a borrowed coat I reached for the edge, but the current pulled harder Like it knew the weight I never let go [Chorus] River, don’t wash it all away Let a little grit stay in the gravel Let that old sin keep its shape Let it drag me for a while, let it rattle I can kneel down, I can call your name But you can’t float clean what I can’t change River, don’t wash it all away Some things follow you from yesterday [Bridge] If mercy comes, let it come with scars Not polished up, not brave, not clean Let me keep the parts that proved I was wrong So I don’t forget what I’ve seen [Final Chorus] River, don't wash it all away Some things follow you from yesterday I can kneel down, I can call your name But the water never takes away the blame [End]
