River winding through this mill town My hometown is dark by four Winter coming, the mills have long shut down No one's working anymore I drove by McDonalds and a long line was followed From a posting today of a job River winding through the darkness Always to rise and fall River winding, you wouldn't believe how many souls Were glued right here Winter coming, everyone's got shoes But no one knows how to get through the year I drove by my high school And the students are so few now So many families have left River winding through the darkness Sometimes cursed and sometimes blessed River winding, sparkling in the moonlight Cleaner than it's been But the main street store fronts are mostly empty now Hand written signs, space for rent I drove by the factories and the windows were broken Where the lights used to be always on River winding through the darkness Always to move along Along