When apples still grow in November When blossoms still bloom on each tree When leaves are still green in December It's then that our land will be free I wander her hills and valleys Yet still through my sorrow I see A land that has never known freedom And only her rivers run free
I drink to the death of her manhood To those brave men who'd rather have died Than to live in the cold chains of bondage And bring back their rights that were denied Oh, but where are you now when we need you And what burns where the flame used to be Are ye gone like the snows of last winter And will only our rivers run free
And how sweet is life, but we're cryin' And how mellow the wine but it's dry And how fragrant the rose but it's dyin' How gentle is the breeze but it sighs What good is in youth when it's aging What joy is in eyes that can't see Oh, when there's sorrow in sunshine and flowers Will only our rivers run free Yes, will only our rivers run free