I left my home at fifteen
I wore this very same coat
My mama said, "Son, if you stay on this path,
You'll find a river full of money where the rich fish flow"
I said, "I'll catch me them fish"
And I've searched low and searched high

Well, I've seen more water than Columbus had seen
I found me this lake that was greener than green
I said, "Mama, I know this is what you mean"
But when I bent for a sip, the river ran dry
The river won't flow for me no no no
The river won't flow for me no no no no

I live my life on the up and up
And this is where I was meant to be
But the river don't
The river won't
Flow for me

I never had me no house
I never had me no phone
I never had much that I didn't have to go
And fight for the right to call it my own

I don't expect any help
I don't expect nothing free
It's not about being any righteous man
It's not about God and the master plan
It's not about doing the best I can
No, this corner was where I was meant to be

‘Cause the river won't flow for me no no no
The river won't flow for me no no no no
It's just one of the little lessons
That I learned on my Mama's knee
The river don't
The river won't
Flow for me

It's all luck,
It's just luck
There's no way you can rig the game because
It's all luck,
It's just luck
The sinner and the saint could wind up the same ‘cause
It's all luck,
It's just luck
That decides between the noose and the knife
It's all luck,
It's just luck
When you're begging to switch
With some rich son-of-a-bitch
Who ain't never done nothing to deserve that life

It seems so easy to run
Until there's nowhere to go
You never get much for the dues you pay
You never go far on the easy way
There isn't much choice
But to kneel and pray
For the river, the river, the river
To flow, flow, flow, flow, flow
Flow, flow, flow, flow, flow, flow
Flow

But the river won't flow for you no no no
The river won't flow for you no no no no
You gotta live how you gotta live
You gotta do what you gotta do
‘Cause the river
The river don't
The river won't
The river can't
Ain't never ever gonna flow for you
Never gonna flow for you
Never gonna flow for you
Never gonna flow for you