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 And the sailboats they all sailed by and a river she cried And the wind was suddenly sweeter than Roosevelt pie The windows broke out and the cigarette smoke drifted by The bums on the Bowery, they were swallowed in the lights As cars rumbled by in the night screamin', "run for your life." With cool and silvery eyes And a heart that was fit for design Drown in a river of tears, oh a river she cried Left her with her heart made of ashes & fire One day there was a silence and it washed through the town There was no reason to speak and no one made a sound Her eyes were indigo and the cats were all calico And the sailboats they all sailed by and a river, she cried With cool and silvery eyes And a heart, it was fit for design Drown in a river of tears, oh a river she cried Left her with a heart made of ashes & fire Ashes & fire Ashes & fire Ashes & fire