So I head my boat back up the river
And I hear it wherever I go
When you're nothin' but a river boy
This old world don't hold a whole lot of joy
When you're nothin' but a river boy
I can hear her papa say
River boy, river boy
When I take my catch to the market place
Nothin' but riff-raff, them river boys
No girl of mine is gonna waste her time
I do a lot of fishin' on the river
I'm afraid this ol' river's gonna overflow
About the feelin's of the river boy
I sell my ware but nobody cares
I'm nothin' but a river boy, river boy
On a good for nothin' river boy"
There's a pretty girl, works at the market place
From the tears a-fallin' down my face
A good for nothin' river boy
People 'round here have put a name on me
To make my livin', you see
You got any fish today there, river boy?"
The people call out to me
I see her there everyday
Good for nothin' river boy
And they say, "River boy, hey, river boy
They call me river boy, river boy
But when I try to talk to her
"Come away from that river boy, he's a river boy
Back to my old fishin' place
A good for nothin' river boy
This old world don't hold a whole lot of joy
