River's Got To Flow - Original Song by Stan Wells

Performed by Well Perked. Written for Friends of the River, an organization dedicated to preserving and protecting California's rivers. .

Hey mister whatcha doin over there? Trying to dam the river dont you think that we care?




Theres a whole lot of people here that want to know The rivers got life and its got to flow Freely from the mountains to the sea




Thunderous roar of eternity Crystal clear water from the melting snow




The rivers got life and its got to flow




Hey mister now cant you see That the rivers for you and the rivers for me?




Tell me please who you think you are Rearranging the land with a permanent scar? Aint it high time that you looked a little bit




Beyond your own damned interests?




If only you could see youre really up a tree




Cutting off the branch that youre sittin on Hey mister now dont you know




If you build that dam a lot of beautys gonna go Down the drains of your industrial brains On your mindless crusade of disastrous change Theres only two ways to know the rivers grace
One is to sing the rivers song
And the others just to dam it and then see whats gone So please mister wont you try to understand




That the fate of the river lies in your hands Your bulldozing consciousness has got to awaken If were ever going to save what hasnt been taken




Its a crying shame Moneys the name of your game Cause the things that you take cannot be bought Its a lesson by now you shouldve been taught Hey mister what ya doin over there?




Trying to dam the river dont you know that we care? Theres a whole lot of people here that want you to know The rivers got life and its got to flow Freely from the mountains to the sea




Thunderous roar of eternity
Crystal clear water from the melting snow




The rivers got life and its got to flow words and music copyright 1976 Stanley A. Wells

Even though we lost the battle to save the Stanislaus, that river is now being called the last river lost! But new pressures come to bear on our rivers every day on every continent and we must never give up the fight to preserve the rivers that remain free and wild.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• white
• water
• rafting
• kyack
• acoustic
• guitar
• ukulele
• original
• environment
• nature
• Gualala
• River
• photos
• salmon
• habitat
• Big
• Bend
• Ranch
• Stanislaus
• New
• Melones
• Dam

[songblurred]

"It's a lesson by now you should have been taught." Great line, and something I keep thinking every time I hear somebody talking about rivers and other resources as if they are just there to profit from. I like that this song says what it says with kindness. It isn't in your face, it's by your side, saying hey, now, have you really thought about this? Great work on this, Stan. Looks like this song is from awhile back. Still stands up, I think.

[SW94929]

@songblurred Thanks so much Don for sharing those thoughts. The song was about one particular river but applies to all of them.

[mongasb]

How well I remember floating down the Stanislaus in truck inner tubes, marveling at the petroglyphs, and sitting as the Indian women must have done at the grinding rocks high above the river in the shimmering heat of a summer day.

Late in the afternoon, we would climb up the sand of the tailings of a mine and roll down to the waters edge.

I still have my "No on 17 shirt.

Thanks for the memories.

[SW94929]

@mongasb Thanks for sharing your memories of that wonderful river. Friends of the River just celebrated 30 years since that fight but the good news is that because of those efforts the Stanislaus might be the last river we loose. I hope so.

[Gingerjake2]

OMG! That is the most incredible mix of beauty, both pix & music. I'm just sitting here in awe right now...

[SW94929]

thanks Ginger!!

[Sunambra]

This is great

[BrokenBrooms]

Hadn't heard this one yet, great song!

[Cancerpincer]

Erm the link is broken...