Well look what’s going down the river now
Big steam whistle gonna blow, man, blow
Look what’s going down the river now
Let the wheel stop turning, let the anchors go
Showboat, pretty boat, stop a while
Make a little music for the baby to smile
Showboat, slow boat, you and me
gonna sail on down to the shiny sea
They go down the fields to the sandy shore
Lay down the plough, leave the milk in the cow
They go down from the fields to the sandy shore
just to look what’s going down the river now
Master’s in the cabin with his head hung low
The tide’s been a-turning but the boat won’t go
Hit rock bottom left high and dry
down in the delta where the river runs high
There’s a church on the hill got a brand-new choir
Got a big bell tower and a burnin’ hot fire
The graveyard’s empty and the book’s been closed
Don’t pass the plate, just put down the rose1
Down in the pasture there’s a golden cow
She gives no milk ’cause she don’t know how
Grab that heifer by the end of the tail
then get out the buckets and bail, bail, bail
The baby’s in the cradle rockin’ to and fro
Gonna get out the valley so the shadow don’t grow
And if that brand-new choir don’t sing
gonna get that baby a bell to ring
I got a feelin’ deep down in my soul
the baby’s awake and the bell’s gonna toll
I got a love deep down in my soul
Move out of the way and let the riverboat roll
Words by Brian Godchaux
Music by Keith and Donna Godchaux
See note under “That’s It for the Other One.”
Studio recording: Keith and Donna Godchaux’s Keith and Donna (1975).
Studio rehearsal recording from August 12, 1975, released as a bonus track for the Blues for Allah CD in the box set Beyond Description.
Never performed live by the Grateful Dead.