If we're lucky we feel our lives know when the next scene arrives So often we start in the middle and work our way out We go to some gray sky diner for eggs and toast New York Times or the New York Post Then we take a ride through the valley of the shadow of death But even for us New Yorkers There's a time in every day The river takes our breath away And the Hudson, it holds the life We thought we did it on our own The river roads collect the tolls for the passage of our souls Through silence, over woods, through flowers and snow And past the George Washington Bridge Down from the trails of Breakneck Ridge The river's ancient path is sacred and slow And as it swings through Harlem It's every shade of blue Into the city of the new brand new And the Hudson yeah, it holds the life We thought we did it on our own I thought I had no sense of place or past Time was too slow, but then too fast The river takes us home at last Where and when does the memory take hold Mountain range in the Autumn cold And I thought West Point was Camelot in the spring If you're lucky you'll find something that reflects you Helps you feel your life protects you Cradles you and connects you to everything This whole life I remember As they begged them to itself Never turn me into someone else And the Hudson yeah, it holds the life We thought we did it on our own And the Hudson yeah, holds the life We thought we did it on our own