So long, boy, you can take my place
I got my papers, I got my pay
So pack my bags and I'll be on my way . . . to Yellow River
Put my gun down, the war is won
Fill my glass high, the time has come
I'm goin' back to the place that I love . . . Yellow River
Yellow River, Yellow River . . . is in my mind and in my eyes
Yellow River, Yellow River . . . is in my blood, it's the place that I love
Got no time for explanations, got no time to lose
Tomorrow night you'll find me sleepin' underneath the moon
And Yellow River
Cannon fire lingers in my mind
I'm so glad I'm still alive
And I've been gone for such a long time . . . from Yellow River
I remember the nights were cool
I can still see the water pool
And I remember the girl that I knew . . . from Yellow River
etc.---------------
Notes:In the last verse, I'm interpreting the word "pool" as a verb (the water is
forming a pool). That is, in the recollections of the singer, the Yellow
River at some point in its course is pooling -- perhaps into a small lake or
reservoir near his boyhood home where the singer used to go swimming with his
friends. I don't think the words "water pool" are meant as a thing. "Water"
is a noun; "pool" is a verb. But that's only my take on it. If somebody
wants to think the opposite, that's fine.
By the way, I'm trying to locate the original sheet music for "Yellow River,"
which a family member thinks she has stored in an attic. If I do get a hold
of it, I'll check to see if my transcription matches (or doesn't match) Jeff
Christie's original composition.
Oh, and here's a bit of trivia that you may not have heard before: The
drummer for Christie, Mike Blakley, is the brother of Alan Blakley of the
Tremeloes ("Silence Is Golden"; "Here Comes My Baby"; "Even the Bad Times Are
Good").