Page type: lyric reference
Artist: John Hiatt
Canonical path: /john-hiatt/cold-river
Related lyric paths: 6
Lyric guide
Cold River
Read Cold River lyrics by John Hiatt on LyroVerse, with linked artist context and related song paths.
person
Curated by Ethan Walker
LyroVerse team
Reference snapshot
The page facts to cite before the commentary
Use this page for the lyric text, linked artist context, and any LyroVerse editor's note attached to the song. Listener comments remain user-generated and should not be treated as the primary source.
Lyrics
Cold River
The lyric stays readable and compact here; the note and related paths sit nearby so you do not lose the song while looking for context.
Well he packed up his suitcase
'Cause the deal gone down
She was slipping on her stockings
Lord it made the sweetest sound
There was a baby in the reeds
Along the river outside of town
As he wound his pocket watch
To set time spinnin' 'em all around
Wasn't long they'd be forgetting
This old rainy Texas day
Little fella wasn't meant
For this old world anyway
Gambling and whoring
Hiding from plain view
Tell me which one of us rounders
Would you trust this poor child to
You just roll on cold river
Wash little Moses down
We've got business to attend to
In Chicago town
In Chicago town
Well they rolled out of Austin
On some kind of cattle train
She'd been with him for a year
Didn't know his second name
He worked the small towns hustling nine ball
She hooked the truck stops too
They were trying to make Chicago
Before the winter come blowing through
Some trucker sprang a leak
In California they supposed
Started working Arizona
Lord she missed the bloody rose
They rambled through the southwest
Making money and making time
But they never could find no help
Not a doctor, not that kind
You just roll on cold river
Wash little Moses down
We've got business to attend to
In Chicago town
In Chicago town
Some women love their babies
Some women won't have one
Some Texas woman found him
And we're still on the run
Taken from OldieLyrics.com
The kind of life we're living
He'd only slow us down
Ain't good for nothing anyway
Just rambling town to town
You just roll on cold river
Wash little Moses down
We've got business to attend to
In Chicago town
In Chicago town
Well he unpacked his suitcase
She pulled her stockings down
Dreaming up a pool hall
And shooting up a round
She thought about tomorrow
When the money rolled around
That night they slept like babies
In Chicago town
Quick answers
What this page can answer fast
Who performs "Cold River"?
John Hiatt performs "Cold River", and this lyric page sits inside the John Hiatt catalog on LyroVerse.
Are there related songs to explore after "Cold River"?
Yes. The related section below points to 'Til I Get My Lovin' Back and (No More) Dancing In The Street with a short reason for opening each page next.
Where can I find more songs by John Hiatt?
Use the artist link near the top of the page or the related paths section below to keep moving through John Hiatt's lyric pages.
Song Room
Open Song Room
Interpretations, questions, and corrections for this song
Interpretations, questions, memories, and correction notes live together here. The room stays noindex while the best insights are reviewed.
Listener comments
What people are saying
No listener comments on Cold River yet.
A strong comment here is specific: the phrase you keep hearing, the mood you come back for, or the reason this song stays in rotation.
Sign in to post the first listener note. Reporting stays open to everyone.