On a Friday night where

I grew up there ain't a whole lot you can do

The same old faces the same old places ain't nothin' ever new

After the football game we'd hang around the high school parkin' lot

Then we'd pile into a couple of cars and head off to our favorite spot

Down to the river

We went to the river

My sophomore year was a carbon copy of

The ones that came before

Until that night in late november

That shook us all down to the core

We'd won the game by twenty points

Couldn't wait to celebrate

But our lead car was goin' way to fast

And they didn't even hit the brakes

They went into the river

Deep in the river

We buried laurie maybrie in the clothes

That she'd been wearin'

Her cheerleader outfit never looked so outta place

That sweater and that pleated skirt of blue

And white and crimson

Just didn't belong in that shiny silver case

I moved here to nashville on may 12 of '89

And I started gettin' letters once a week from this friend a mine

I'd gone to school with christine thorough from kindergarten on

She'd say hang in there 'cause I just know you're gonna be a star

She and her boyfriend and a couple a kids

I guess she met through him

Set out for the merazine to try

To cool off by takin' a swim

There'd been a lotta rain that summer

And the current was too strong

I heard that they did all they could

But christine she was gone

Into the river

She died there in the river

I was baptized in that same

Water gave my soul to jesus

How can such a peaceful

Place be filled with so much pain

'Cause two young mothers

Lost their daughters right there for no reason

I swear I'll never go down there again

Back to the river

Back to the river

That mean old river

That beautiful river

Beautiful river

That damn old river

That damn old river