The [D]lines on my [G]father's [D]face Ran deep as creek beds [A]on our [D]place And the river ran right [G]through his [D]soul But I know at times it [A]tooks its [D]toll When the [G]crops would flood we lived on fish But [D]never did my [A]father [D]wish To leave the land his [G]life flowed [D]from The river and my [A]dad were [D]one
And [Bm]I'm one of the river's [G]own It's [A]current down inside me is [Bm]strong[G] And it's [D]up to me to [A]carry [Bm]on 'Cause [G]I'm [A]one of the river's [D]own
As a kid I watched the [G]river [D]flow Yeah, I admired the way it [A]rocked and [D]rolled Dad was proud I was a [G]river [D]rat But that's where our common ground [A]ended [D]at 'Cause I [G] seen those city lights downstream And they [D]drew me in when I was [A]seven[D]teen I went everywhere that [G]river [D]runs Yeah, me and that river [A]we were [D]one
And [Bm]I'm one of the river's [G]own It's [A]current down inside me is [Bm]strong[G] And it's [D]up to me to [A]carry [Bm]on 'Cause [G]I'm [A]one of the river's [D]own
Two years ago dad [G]passed [D]away And I'll never forget that [A]mournful [D]day Then a lawyer read me [G]out his [D]will It said \"son, it's time for [A]you to be [D]still\" Then a [G]week ago a government man Tried to [D]pay me off to [A]flood our [D]land And I did just what my [G]dad would've [D]done 'Cause me and that river [A]we are [D]one
And [Bm]I'm one of the river's [G]own It's [A]current down inside me is [Bm]strong[G] And it's [D]up to me to [A]carry [Bm]on 'Cause [G]I'm [A]one of the river's [D]own.