Down by the riverside,
I took a young girl there, I made her my bride.
Her dress was white, her hair was gold,
and everywhere I travel this story gets told,
and every time I tell it my blood runs cold.

Her laughter was so pure, it could make me cry.
I'd lose myself for days staring into her eyes,
her touch was soft, it was soft as night,
in the valley of my soul she was my light.

I trusted her more than I trusted my own self,
and I loved her wildly, like I loved nobody self.
I never thought that she could do me wrong,
but a man turns fool when his love's too strong.

Down by the riverside,
I took a young girl there, I made her my bride.
Her dress was white, her hair was gold,
and everywhere I travel this story gets told,
and every time I tell it my blood runs cold.

I was working a night shift down at the mill,
I went home early because I wasn't feeling well.
Walking down the road I sensed that something wasn't right,
it's funny how you know things like I knew it that night.

Walking up the pathway what did I see?
Two shapes behind the curtain, and neither one was me.
And no I didn't shake, and no I didn't cry,
I just turned me right around and walked on down that riverside,
I sat there all night until the early sunrise.

Down by the riverside,
I took a young girl there, I made her my bride.
Her dress was white, her hair was gold,
and everywhere I travel this story gets told,
and every time I tell it my blood runs cold.

In that early morning light, I got me up and walked me home.
Of course, when I got there she was all alone.
Later that evening, just around twilight,
yeah, we went out walking, just me and my wife.

I said we ought to go down to the spot where we was wed,
just a silly thought running through my head I said.
And when I touched her shoulder it was plain to see,
the knowledge in her eyes when she turned to look at me,
and no I didn't shake, and no I didn't cry, as I choked her down the at the riverside.