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Down River - David Ackles lyrics
Down River - David Ackles
Good to see you again, Rosie
I know I've changed a lot since then
But you're lookin' fine, Babe
Three years that ain't long, Rosie
I still remember our song
When you were mine, Babe
Times change, times change I know
But it sure goes slow
Down river when you're locked away
Hey, why didn't you write, Rosie
I stayed awake most every night
Countin' my time, Babe
Oh no I ain't mad Rosie
I know you had to mind your dad
But just a line, Babe
Oh sure I remember Ben
Why, we went all through school
Is that right?
Well, he ain't no fool
He's a good man Rosie
You hold him tight as you can
Don't ask me why, Babe
Yeah, nice seein' you Rosie
Me, I got things to do
Well good-bye Babe
Times change, times change I know
But it sure goes slow
Down river when you're locked away
Times change, times change I know
But it sure goes slow
Down river...
Rosie...hey, Rosie...bye, Babe...
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Down River - David Ackles Video
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Jackson Hart
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Jackson Hart 0 points
Though I've never heard Collins & Ochs sing this, I've always been deeply moved by David Ackles' version.
The arrangement of the instruments could've been better on the David's original (the bass is so BUSY, plus the guitar effects, somewhat ill-advised, are unpleasant to my ear), and Ackles was no great singer, but these lyrics capture the devastating effect of incarceration beautifully.
Ackles lyrics, and the way he sings them, make me feel how being in jail changed the subject of this song. I can sense the man's sentence lasting well beyond his actual time in prison.
The song profoundly saddens me, being that it's about a life ruined, but I've always been fascinated with how much it says in so few words. For me, it's a great work of art.