RIO GRANDE
(Doerflinger, 1951)

Ch:
Heave away, Rio! Heave away, Rio!
Singin' fare you well, my bonnie young gal,
And we're bound to Rio Grande!

"May I come with you, my pretty maid?"
Ch: Heave away, Rio!
Oh, may I come with you, oh, my pretty maid?
Ch: When you're bound to Rio Grande!

Chorus

You can please yourself, young man, she did say,
Ch: Heave away, Rio!
You can please yourself, she did say,
Ch: Because I'm bound to Rio Grande!

Chorus

Now, when I can come to you with open arms,
Ch: Heave away, Rio!
Oh, when I can come to you with open arms,
Ch: When you're bound to Rio Grande!

Chorus

God bless you, may I only hope for your hand,
Ch: Heave away, Rio!
God bless you, may I only hope for your hand,
Ch: When you're bound to the Rio Grande!

Chorus

Now, there is one thing that I would like to say,
Ch: Heave away, Rio!
Oh, here is one thing that I would like to say,
Ch: And we're bound to the Rio Grande!

Chorus

I pray you tell, oh, may I have your hand?
Ch: heave away, Rio!
I pray you tell, oh, may I have your hand?
Ch: And I'm bound to the Rio Grande!

Chorus

Now, if you'll come back, as you went away-
Ch: Heave away, Rio!
If you'll come back as you went away-
Ch: We'll heave to the Rio Grande!

Chorus

I'll marry you when I come back and we'll say,
Ch: Heave away, Rio!
Oh, I'll marry you when I come back and we'll say
Ch: We'll heave for the Rio Grande!

Chorus.
From Wm. Doerflinger, 1951, revised 1972, "Shantymen & Shantyboys, Songs of the Sailor and Lumberman," 374 pp., Macmillan Co.