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The River Won’t Flow Lyrics by Jason Robert Brown

Songs for a New World (Original Cast Recording)

1997

[MAN 2]
I left my home at fifteen
I wore this very same coat
My mama said, "Son, if you stay on the path
You'll find a river full of money where the rich fish float."
I said, "I'll catch me them fish!"
And I searched low and searched high
Well, I've seen more water than Columbus had seen
I found me this lake that was greener than green-
I said, "Mama, I know this is what you mean"
But when I bent for a sip, the river ran dry
Now the river won't flow for me, no no no
The river won't flow for me, no no no no
I live my life on the up and up
And this is where I was meant to be
But the river don't
The river won't flow for me
[MAN 1]
I never had me no house
I never had me no phone
I never had much that I didn't have to go
And fight for the right to call it my own
I don't expect any help
I don't expect nothin' free
It's not about bein' any righteous man
It's not about God and the master plan
It's not about doin' the best I can-
No, this corner is where I was born to be
'Cause the river won't flow for me, no no no
The river won't flow for me, no no no no
It's just one of the little lessons
That I learned on my Mama's knee:
The river don't
The river won't flow for me
[ALL, MAN 2, MAN 1, MAN 1 & MAN 2]
It's all luck-
It's just luck!
There's no way you can rig the game, because
It's all luck-
It's just luck!
The sinner and the saint could wind up the same, 'cause
It's all luck
It's just luck
That decides between the noose and the knife
It's all luck
It's just luck
When you're beggin' to switch
With some rich son-of-a-bitch
Who ain't never done nothing to deserve that life!
It seems so easy to run
Until there's nowhere to go
You never get much for the dues you pay
You never go far on the easy way
There isn't much choice but to kneel and pray
For the river, the river, the river to
[MAN 1]
Flow, flow
Flow, flow
River!
The river's got to flow
The river's got to flow!
Flow, river!
River, river
River, river
Flow!
[MAN 2]
Flow! Flow!
Flow, Flow!
Flow!
Flow!
Flow!
Flow!
Flow
Flow
Flow!
[WOMAN 1]
Flow, flow
Flow, River!
Flow
The river's got to flow
The river's got to flow
Flow, river!
River, river
River, river
Flow!
[WOMAN 2]
Flow, Flow
Flow, Flow
River!
Flow
Flow
River!
Flow
River!
River, river
Flow!
[ALL]
But the river won't flow for you no no no
[WOMAN 1 & WOMAN 2, MAN 1 & MAN 2]
The river won't flow for you!
The river won't!
The river won't
No, the river won't
Flow for you
Flow for you
No, no!
No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no!
The river won't flow
[ALL]
You gotta live how you gotta live
You gotta do what you gotta do
'Cause the river don't
The river won't, the river can't
The river ain't never ever gonna flow for you!
Never gonna flow for you!
Never gonna flow for you!
Never gonna flow for you!
Credits
Jason Robert Brown

Jason Robert Brown

About “The River Won’t Flow” by Jason Robert Brown

Read the complete lyrics to "The River Won’t Flow" by Jason Robert Brown from the album "Songs for a New World (Original Cast Recording)" in 1997. 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 Musicals, Pop.

"The River Won’t Flow" is performed by Jason Robert Brown. from the album "Songs for a New World (Original Cast Recording)" in 1997 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 Won’t Flow", explore more songs by Jason Robert Brown 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.

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Frequently asked questions

"The River Won’t Flow" is credited to Jason Robert Brown. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"The River Won’t Flow" appears on "Songs for a New World (Original Cast Recording)" in 1997.

Visit the Jason Robert Brown artist page at /artist/jason-robert-brown for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.