A Bend In The River

(Mark Erelli)

CHORUS

It's just a bend in the river

Where the water slows down

Might not look like much to you

But it's my hometown

It ain't no mystery

How this town was born

It started with a couple farms

Then the mill and the general store

Ever since the work went south

And those wheels don't run

The bars got the churches beat

By at least two to one

I've lived 'round here

Since I was a little kid

Used to dream of getting out

Just like the college boys did

Maybe I was born

Without a rambling bone

You stay in one place long enough

And it starts to feel like home

(CHORUS)

I got married here

It'll be two years this spring

I can see her in her mama's white dress

Every time I hear the church bell ring

I know some folks said

She could do better than me

But she was raising a girl on her own

And she was only 19

Can't get Å?em everything they want

But I try to give Å?em what they need

Now and then I pull a graveyard shift

Down at the factory

When I see that little girl smile

Playing in our backyard

Lord it makes it all worthwhile

Keeps me going when the going gets hard

(CHORUS)

Might not look like much to you

But it's our hometown

It's changing everyday

The signs are all around

One more field gone to seed

Another barn falling down

Main Street's all boarded up

And nobody cares I guess

Å?Cause there's a place on the edge of town

Selling everything for less

But sometimes in my dreams

I see the waters rise

When the river jumps its banks

This town is purified

Everything is washed away

Clear to the county line

And we can start all over again

Maybe do a little better next time