songs of the sumday

full lyrics:

there’s a pebble covered beach

just before a bend

just before the rapids

on the eastern end

of the American

you can see from the shore

‘fore it’s not that wide

an old pair of fishin chairs

on the other side

of the American

but you can’t see the rapids

they’re around some more

ya just hear the current

and the riders roar

at the American

oh mountain river

taker and giver

if it’s thrills you’re seekin

she will sure deliver

are ye lamb or big horn ram

master of wild or merely man

do ya dare to chance a dance

with La Madame?

do ya dare to chance a dance

with La Madame?

mid afternoon

all the tours were done

my lady workin on her tan

under the July sun

by the American

I’m more the restless type

and I was feelin spry

so I wandered out a ways

with a reckless eye

on the American

now I must admit

I’m no Olympic swimmer

wasn’t raised beside

no rapid rushin river

but it only looked to be

‘bout twenty meter

and I had that in me

‘least that’s what I figured

the passage across

wasn’t all that rough

was about the final quarter

when the goin got tough

in the American

but I made the far bank

fell into a chair

surprised to be so outta breath

while I recovered there

by the American

but my wits were dry

and in tact my pride

that alone could will me over

to the other side

of the American

that’s what I told myself

just like I’m tellin you

and I was raised to always

thine self be true

and though to be true

to myself I try

on this occasion

mighta told a lie

oh mountain river

taker and giver

if it’s thrills you’re seekin

she will sure deliver

are ye lamb or bighorn ram

master of wild

or merely man

do ya dare to chance a dance

with La Madame?

do ya dare to chance a dance

with La Madame?

I stood up and stretched

rolled my shoulders a bit

until the only thing to do

was just get on with it

across the ‘Merican

slid down the muddy bank

and dove head first in

but the current caught me sideways

in an awkward spin

in the American

I tried to stroke on thru

but the force was strong

and too late to turn back

I knew my wits were wrong

about the 'Merican

it’s a sinking sorta feelin

when your muscles just quit

a soberin sensation

I’ll never forget

tried to raise my left arm

it went limp instead

as my wedding ring slipped down

toward the river bed

gaspin desperate gulpin water

in a panic then

spittin distance from the rapids

that’d spell my end

when my foot caught the branches

of a fallen pine

with a trunk risin to shore

like an extraction line

my spirit sprung awake

and with a last ditch dive

bear hugged that soggy timber

gaspin clean air

still alive!

oh mountain river

taker and giver

if it’s thrills you’re seekin

she will sure deliver

are ye lamb or bighorn ram

master of wild

or merely man

do ya dare to chance a dance

with La Madame?

do ya dare to chance a dance

with La Madame?

I don’t know how long

maybe an hour passed

before I found power to crawl

out of the water at last

out the American

then another went by

as I limped on back

up a road over a bridge

along a railroad track

by the American

fallin beat soon as I made

that pebble covered beach

where my lady looked the shade

of a Santa Cruz peach

watched the river flowin south

toward the Folsom Dam

and I swore I’d never more

pit foolish pride

‘gainst La Madame!

oh mountain river

taker and giver

if it’s thrills you’re seekin

she will sure deliver

are ye lamb or bighorn ram

master of wild

or merely man

do ya dare to chance a dance

with La Madame?

oh mountain river

taker and giver

if it’s thrills you’re seekin

she will sure deliver

are ye lamb or bighorn ram

master of wild

or merely man

do ya dare to chance a dance

with La Madame?

do ya dare to chance a dance

with La Madame?

do ya dare to chance a dance

with La Madame?