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The River (live) Lyrics by Chely Wright

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On a friday night where I grew up
There ain't a whole lot you can do
The same ole' faces the same ole' places
Ain't nothin' ever new
After the football game we'd hang around
The high school parking lot
Then we'd pile into a couple of cars
And head off to our favorite spot

Down to the river
We went to the river

My Sophomore year was a carbon copy
Of the ones that came before
'Til a night in late November
That shook us all down to the core

We'd won the game by twenty points
Couldn't wait to celebrate
But our lead car was goin' way too fast
They never even hit the breaks
They went into the river
Deep in the river

We buried Laurie Mabrey
In the clothes that she'd been wearin'
Her cheerleader outfit never looked
So out of place

That sweater and that pleated skirt
Of blue and white and crimson
Just didn't belong in that shiny silver case

I moved here to Nashville
On May 12th of '89
And I started gettin' letters once a week
From this friend of mine

I'd gone to school with Christine Thuro
From kindergarten on
She'd say hang in there 'cause
I just know you're gonna be a star
She and her boyfriend and a couple of kids
I guess she met through him
Set out for the Marais Des Cygne
To try to cool off by takin' a swim

There'd been a lot of rain that summer
And the current was too strong
I heard they did all they could
But Christine she was gone

Into the river
She died there in the river

I was baptized in that same water
Gave my soul to Jesus
How can such a peaceful place
Be filled with so much pain

'Cause two young mothers lost their daughters
Right there for no reason
I swear I'll never go down there again

Back to the river
That mean ole' river
That beautiful river
That damn ole' river
That damn ole' river
Credits
Chely Wright

Chely Wright

About “The River (live)” by Chely Wright

Read the complete lyrics to "The River (live)" by Chely Wright. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Pop.

"The River (live)" is performed by Chely Wright. This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "The River (live)", explore more songs by Chely Wright using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

View all songs and biography for Chely Wright · Trending lyrics · Billboard Hot 100

Frequently asked questions

"The River (live)" is credited to Chely Wright. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

Album information for "The River (live)" is not available in our database yet. You can still read the full lyrics on this page.

Visit the Chely Wright artist page at /artist/chely-wright for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.

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