As he stared past the fire,
His hunger to leave well it gnawed his poor heart alive,
Her skin smelled like black cherry, blossom perfume,
The sail boats they all sailed by... and a river she cried.

And the wind was suddenly sweeter than Roosevelt pine,
The windows broke out and the cigarette smoke was drifting by,
The bums on the bowery were swallowed in the lights as cars rumbled by in the night...
Screaming run for your life.

With cool and silvery eyes and a heart that was fit for desire,
Drowned in a river of tears oh a river she cried left her with a heart... made of ashes and fire.

One day there was a silence and it washed through the town,
And there was no reason to speak so no one made a sound,
Her eyes were indigo and the cats were all
Calico and the sail boats they all sailed by... and a river she cried.

With cool and silvery eyes and a heart that was fit for desire,
Drowned in a river of tears oh a river she cried left her with a heart... made of ashes and fire.

Ashes and fire, Ashes and fire, Ashes and fire.