the water comes down from the higher ground
and it's carryin' the sin of man
we can't help but get thirsty
down here where the river is damned
they say good things happen up river
they say the river, it can wash a man clean
but down here the water's just dirty
you can try but it's hard to get up from down stream
but I'll try again
i'll paddle up this river of sin
i'll send up a broken amen
i'll swallow some pride but i won't be denied
'cause i'll try again and again
if i had a boat for this river
i'd find out just what it all means
i'd go see all those used to be heathens
come up from the water washed clean
and i'd wash my own sins down the river
but i wonder how much more it can bear
it must be so full of misdoing and shame
i can't see the bottom from here
CHORUS
the water comes down from the higher ground
and it's carryin' the sin of man
we can't help but get thirsty
down here where the river is damned
but I'll try again
i'll paddle up this river of sin
i'll strip down to nothing and swim
i'll swallow some pride but i won't be denied
'cause i'll try again and again