[Intro] (432 Hz — let it float in) [Verse 1] Got a tube and a cooler and a slow green river Got a mouth that runs quicker than my ears ever did Spent about forty years bein' the guy with the answer Handin' out truth like a lid on a kid Nobody asked me, nobody wanted it Nobody said "hey, would you fix me today" But I had the receipts and I had the diagnosis And I led with the punchline every single time [Pre-Chorus] Then the water got quiet And I got quiet with it [Chorus] The less I say, the more they hear me Ain't that a hell of a way to learn Drop the paddle, let the current carry Some things you don't steer, you just turn The less I say, the more they hear me Lord, that's a bitter little sip But the truth was never the problem, honey It was the charge I put on it [Verse 2] Called my mama on a Tuesday, had my whole case ready Every point lined up like a soldier in a row And somethin' in me said "son, just let her talk" So I asked a little question and I let the silence go She sounded different — she sounded easy Like she wasn't bracin' for the thing I always say And she sent me a little heart when we hung up the phone And I sat on the porch and I cried a little anyway [Pre-Chorus] 'Cause the water was quiet And I finally got quiet with it [Chorus] The less I say, the more they hear me Ain't that a hell of a way to learn Drop the paddle, let the current carry Some things you don't steer, you just turn The less I say, the more they hear me Lord, that's a bitter little sip But the truth was never the problem, honey It was the charge I put on it [Percussion Break] (congas, timbales, bass drops to the pocket — let the drummer cook) (no words, just the river) [Horn Break] (fat lazy trumpet and trombone, Buffett brass, sunburnt and grinning) [Bridge] I ain't gotta be right I ain't gotta be first I ain't gotta prove I'm worth the room I'm standin' in Listen — retreat — receive — THEN you open your mouth That's the order, that's the whole damn medicine [Verse 3] So I'm floatin' down easy, got no place to be Got a hat on my head and the sun on my chest And the fixin' I was doin' was the thing in the way So I'm layin' down the hammer and I'm callin' it rest Playful, connected, honest and free That's the frequency, that's the whole prayer And the funniest part of this whole slow river Is I hear a lot better when I'm not tryin' to be heard [Final Chorus] The less I say, the more they hear me Ain't that a hell of a way to learn Drop the paddle, let the current carry Some things you don't steer, you just turn The less I say, the more they hear me And I'm done fightin' the trip 'Cause the truth was never the problem, darlin' It was the charge I put on it [Outro] (horns fade, one shaker, one snare, one long exhale) Just float it, brother Just float it on down
