The instrumental only version of this song can be heard at:
https://soundcloud.com/dana-instrumental/river-and-falls?in=chris-junos-synth/sets/coffe-time
We took that river on a dare,
we were both young
and devil-may-care
always looking for
risky thrills to share
and those rapids were
just waiting there.
and so we set off as a pair.
we had our gear and
we were both prepared
In kayaks
made of fiberglass
we could feel each thump
up against our ass
but there was nobody
there for us to pass
which should have been a clue
to a question that we’d never asked
we’d never scouted this waterway
but what the hell it was a sunny day
and both of us were game to play.
The first set of rapids
were really quite mild
we were hoping for
something far more wild
as we flew past
wilderness undefiled
then just around the bend
we both were wowed
by a rough course we’d
not tried till now
The rocks were like
a granite maze
we struggled through
tremendous sprays
of water that sought
to blind us
with a current like
a rocket thrust
we paddled desperately and cussed
these rapids twists and
turns that sought to bust
our heads against
dead logs and stone
or break some of
our fragile bones
and then we heard
a thunderous roar
and we knew what
we were headed for
as we desperately
tried to make the shore.
But rushing current holds no mercy
running waterfalls can end adversely
we had to go over feet first
but even then it’s bound to hurt
depending on the heighth we’d face
as we went dropping into space
if it was shallow underneath
we both might earn a funeral wreath
in spite of all our efforts
the cruel river chose to suck
both of us off a massive drop
as we were screaming “Fuck! .”
plus my poor friend was turned around
backwards his head was facing down
where he could crack his skull and drown
then as the rush of gravity
took all my hopes away from me
I plunged feet first into a pool
that seemed bottomless to me
so I broke free of my Kayak
cause I knew I’d need to breathe
and when I reached the surface
my numb fingers found some purchase
on a felled tree close to me
but my buddy’s empty kayak
was all that I could see
till I saw his bobbing head of hair
floating nearby so bloody.
I struggled with him to the shore
but there I realized
that his skull was crushed beyond repair
on a dare my friend had died
and for him I sat and cried
I sold my kayak that same year
Just past his funeral
kayaking now seemed juvenile
it’s risks no longer suitable
after what they took from me
my best friend eternally….
my best friend eternally….
Be careful when you’re taking risks
the thrill might not be what you wished
prepare before you take a dare
you might wind up no longer there.
Fabulous Music Composed and
Played by- Frank DANA--©-2023
Lyrics & Vocals Written & Sung by
Matthew F. Blowers III-©-2023 at:
Art~Whimsically Yours Studio
Photo Credit to: unsplash.com
