Big River
Cash - Dylan Lyrics

Now I taught the weeping willow how to cry,
I was so heartbroken and upset that even the trees began to weep alongside me in sadness.

And I showed the clouds how to cover up a clear blue sky.
I was in so much pain that even the skies above reflected my emotions by becoming cloudy and grey.

And the tears that I cried for that woman are gonna flood you Big River.
My tears of sorrow over losing this woman will soon enough become a river in and of themselves, one that is powerful enough to flood the very river that I am standing next to.

Then I'm gonna sit right here until I die.
I am so heartbroken that I will remain in this spot, consumed by sadness, until the day that I die.

I met her accidentally in St. Paul (Minnesota).
I encountered this woman purely by chance while I was in St. Paul, Minnesota.

And it tore me up every time I heard her drawl, Southern drawl.
Her accent, which reminded me of the South and of better times, only served to further upset me when I heard it.

Then I heard my dream was back Downstream cavortin' in Davenport,
When I learned that this woman, who I had feelings for, was cavorting with someone else downstream in Davenport, Iowa, it crushed me.

And I followed you, Big River, when you called.
I couldn't resist the call of the river, which seemed to be leading me towards this woman, even if it was only in my imagination.

Then you took me to St. Louis later on (down the river).
Eventually, my journey down the river led me to St. Louis, Missouri.

A freighter said she's been here but she's gone, boy, she's gone.
I learned from a passing freighter that the woman I was searching for had been in St. Louis, but she had since moved on and was no longer there.

I found her trail in Memphis, but she just walked up the block.
I was able to find clues that led me to Memphis, Tennessee, but even though she had recently been there, she had already left by the time I arrived.

She raised a few eyebrows and then she went on down alone.
People were surprised to see her leaving town by herself, but she seemed determined to go it alone.

Now, won't you batter down by Baton Rouge, River Queen, roll it on.
I am asking the river and the boats that travel on it to continue on towards Baton Rouge, Louisiana, without me.

Take that woman on down to New Orleans, New Orleans.
I am instructing the river to take her to New Orleans and away from me.

Go on, I've had enough, dump my blues down in the gulf.
I am so tired of feeling sad about this woman that I am asking the river and the ocean (gulf) to take away my pain.

She loves you, Big River, more than me.
I have finally come to the realization that this woman is not meant for me, and that she loves the river (and perhaps the freedom it represents) more than she loves me.