The weather finally broke in the middle of AprilJacob loaded up his wagon with last year's fur He'd have to make the trip alone 'cuz it would be too risky For his pretty wife Sarah and the unborn child she carried with her It took three weeks to reach the Mississippi River Then he turned south toward New Orleans For a boy from the mountains, it was easy to get caught up In the sights and the sounds of the city and the things he'd never seen Chorus And the river rolls on like an endless ribbon The sunlight glistens on the rocks below He can hear her voice in the rippling water Saying, please be home before the cold wind blows He fell in with a bad companion Said, give me all your money or I'll take your life Jacob drew his pistol and in less than a heartbeat The stranger lay dead on the floor and someone had to pay the price Now after three long years in a Louisiana prison He stands on the hill that overlooks his farm With his woman by his side, he thanks God for his blessings And most of all, for the blond haired child resting in his arms Chorus Yes, he can hear her voice in the rippling water Saying, please be home before the cold wind blows