With a piece in my hand a blood shot eyes
I walked to the water for a last goodbye
He begged so much it was clouding my mind
But one thing's clear the man's gotta die
Might makes right so he said
When he held all the keys over our head
I lived in that grip but now he'll learn
At the end with table's turned
Lord forgive me...
Take me on down the river
Where the guilt can't find
A red handed sinner
On where the grave can't cry out
Cause I done wrong down the river
With a hand on a colt
And a finger on the trigger
And long before dawn
They'll try to find me
So take me on down
Take me on down
I sank that body by the river bank
Caught a boat south took off like a hurricane
With spotlights, dogs, ya the whole nine yards
They're breathing down my neck and breathing hard
2 weeks in a wild chase
Across the highways, mountains, over 7 states
Found a man at the harbor, said that he could take me
Across the ocean somewhere far away
Lord forgive me...
Take me on down the river
Where the guilt can't find
A red handed sinner
On where the grave can't cry out
Cause I done wrong down the river
With a hand on a colt
And a finger on the trigger
And long before dawn
They'll try to find me
So take me on down
Take me on down
I never saw them coming on the boarding plank
Now I'm staring down a barrel at point blank range
I make for the water jumping off the ledge
But not before I catch 2 to the chest
Now there's blood and water filling up my lungs
Blood and water filling up my lungs
My heart is beating like a fading drum
Lord forgive me here I come
Take me on down the river
Where the guilt can't find
A red handed sinner
On where the grave can't cry out
Cause I done wrong down the river
With a hand on a colt
And a finger on the trigger
And long before dawn
They'll try to find me
So take me on down
Take me on down
Take me just take me on down
Take me on down