I was waltzing with my darlin' To the Tennesse waltz When an old friend I happened to see I introduced him to my loved one And while they were waltzing My friend stole my sweetheart from me I remember the night And the Tennessee waltz Now I know just how much I have lost Yes, I lost my little darlin' The night they were playing The beautiful Tennessee waltz I was waltzing with my darlin' To the Tennesse waltz When an old friend I happened to see I introduced him to my loved one And while they were waltzing My friend stole my sweetheart from me I remember the night And the Tennessee waltz Now I know just how much I have lost Yes, I lost my little darlin' The night they were playing The beautiful Tennessee waltz

Now I taught the weeping willow how to 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. Then I'm gonna sit right here until I die. I met her accidentally in St. Paul (Minnesota). And it tore me up every time I heard her drawl, Southern drawl. Then I heard my dream was back Downstream cavortin' in Davenport, And I followed you, Big River, when you called. Then you 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. I found her trail in Memphis, but she just walked up the bluff. She raised a few eyebrows and then she went on down alone. Now, won't you bat it down by Baton Rouge, River Queen, roll it on. Take that woman on down to New Orleans, New Orleans. Go on, I've had enough; dump my blues down in the gulf. She loves you, Big River, more than me. Now 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. Then I'm gonna sit right here until I die.