I was born and raised on the river
It's the only life that I know
People around here have put a name on me
And I hear it wherever I go
They call me river boy river boy
Good for nothing river boy
This old world don't hold a whole lot of joy
When you're nothing but a river boy
I do a lot of fishing on the river
To make my living you see
When I take my catch to the market place
The people call out to me
And they say river boy hey river boy
You got any fish today there river boy
I sell my ware but nobody cares
About the feelings of the river boy

There's a pretty girl works at the market place
I see her there everyday
But when I try to talk to her
I can hear her papa say
Come away from that river boy he's a river boy
Nothing but riff raff them river boys
No girl of mine is gonna waste her time
On a good for nothing river boy
So I head my boat back up the river
Back to my old fishing place
I'm afraid this ol river's gonna overflow
From the tears a falling down my face
I'm nothing but a river boy river boy
A good for nothing river boy
This old world don't hold a whole lot of joy
When you're nothing but a river boy
River boy river boy
A good for nothing river boy
River boy
A good for nothing river boy