[Verse 1] Summer evenings on the Riverwalk, the DuPage running slow Past the shops of quaint downtown, the evening windows glow There's a Metra whistle coming west just as the sky turns gold And this town in Illinois is a story being told [Pre-Chorus] Carillon tower by the river, hear the bells begin to chime I learned this town by walking it, one slow season at a time [Chorus] Down by the river with the string lights on the water Kids on the footbridge — somebody's son, somebody's daughter All these years of Friday nights, the lightning bugs agree This is home now, out here Where the cornfields used to be [Verse 2] I remember open fields where the cul-de-sacs now run I watched a whole new neighborhood grow up into the sun Safe streets, top schools, and summer days — the life I hoped to see Bike wheels hum along the sidewalks where the tall grass used to be [Pre-Chorus] And the train still keeps its promise, I know it like a song Some nights I thank this little town for carrying me along [Chorus] Down by the river with the string lights on the water Kids on the footbridge — somebody's son, somebody's daughter All these years of Friday nights, the lightning bugs agree This is home now, out here Where the cornfields used to be [Bridge] Now the maples have had time to grow and shade the quiet street Kids still race their bikes at dusk, the whole block at their feet Every porch light knows my name now, every mailbox, every tree And the river keeps on shining like it saved a place for me [Final Chorus] Down by the river with the string lights on the water Grown-up now, still that kid — somebody's son, somebody's daughter All these years of Friday nights, the lightning bugs agree This is home in Naperville Where the cornfields used to be [Outro] Home is here in Naperville Where the cornfields used to be Come walk the river with me
