The day the river freezes is the day it won't seem fair
Cause they'll come to get the river lady
And I don't think they'll care

I know they'll scrape her paint off
In their same old foolish ways

Now the people see the river
But the old ship's gone away
Water turns cold and gets to freezing
Before you even know it the old girl's easing
Away from her berth round by the point and out of our view
Off in the mist her engines pounding
Back on the banks that old horn's sounding
A little good-bye
A little I'll do what I must do
A little good-bye
A little I'll do what I must do

I know I will remember when I cannot hear that horn
That would roll up by the mountains
As she took us through the storm
I know they've got to take her
But I can't say I approve
Cause she's won so many battles
That I hate to see her lose

Water turns cold and gets to freezing
Before you even know it the old girl's easing
Away from her berth round by the point and out of our view
Off in the mist her engines pounding
Back on the banks that old horn's sounding
A little good-bye
A little I'll do what I must do
A little good-bye
A little I'll do what I must do

Water turns cold and gets to freezing