Word came from up the road Polk county is full of gold The air is sweet the rivers low They say the living's fine There a man can wave his hand An ounce of gold in the pan Pack the wagon in the bride Start a better life Look down the river The water swirling Ain't that a lonesome sight? Look at the train tracks No freight is coming You know you'll wait your whole life Tied to a ball and chain A golden lock, a golden chain The fever hits you all the time Rusts you like moonshine Green River took many lives Not the ones just drowned and died The families it starved thin The ones it drove to sin Look down the river The water swirling Ain't that a lonesome sight? Look at the train tracks No freight is coming You know you'll wait your whole life Word came from up the road Polk county is full of gold The air is sweet the rivers low They say the living's fine