Well, I met her accidentally in St. Paul, Minnesota And it tore me up every time I heard her drawl, Southern drawl Then my dreams were back Downstream cavortin' in Davenport And I followed you, Big River, when you called Well, I taught the weeping willow how to cry, cry, cry And I showed the clouds how to cover up a clear blue sky And the tears that I cried for that woman are gonna flood you, Big River And I'm gonna sit right here until I die Well, she took me to St. Louis later on, down the river A freighter said: "She's been here but she's gone, boy, she's gone" Picked up her trail in Memphis, but she just walked up the block She raised a few eyebrows and then she went on down alone Well, I taught the weeping willow how to cry And I showed the clouds how to cover up a clear blue sky All the tears that I cried for that woman are gonna flood you, Big River And I'm gonna sit right here until I die Now, won't you batter down by Baton Rouge, River Queen, roll it on Won't you take that woman on down to New Orleans, New Orleans? Go on, I've had enough, dump my blues down in the gulf Oh, she loves you, Big River, more than me Well, I taught the weeping willow how to cry, cry, cry And I showed the clouds how to cover up a clear blue sky And the tears that I cried for that woman are gonna flood you, Big River And I'm gonna sit right here until I die