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A Day on the River Lyrics by Vernon Scannell

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It moved so slowly, friendly as a dog
Whose teeth would never bite;
It licked the hand with cool and gentle tongue
And seemed to share its parasites’ delight
Who moved upon its back or moored among
The hairy shallows overhung
With natural parasols of leaves
And bubbling birdsong.
Ukuleles twanged and ladies sang
In punts and houseboats vivid as our own
Bold paintings of the Ark;
This was summer’s self to any child:
The plop and suck of water and the old
Sweet rankness in the air beguiled
With deft archaic spells the dim
Deliberations of the land,
Dear river, comforting
More than the trailing hand.
The afternoon of sandwiches and flasks
Drifted away.
The breeze across the shivering water grew
Perceptibly in strength. The sun began to bleed.
‘Time to go home,’ the punctured uncles said,
And back on land
We trembled at the river’s faint, low growl
And as birds probed the mutilated sky
We knew that, with the night,
The river’s teeth grew sharp
And they could bite.
Credits
Vernon Scannell

Vernon Scannell

About “A Day on the River” by Vernon Scannell

Read the complete lyrics to "A Day on the River" by Vernon Scannell. 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 Non-Music.

"A Day on the River" is performed by Vernon Scannell. 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 "A Day on the River", explore more songs by Vernon Scannell 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

"A Day on the River" is credited to Vernon Scannell. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

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