[Verse 1]
Bumper to bumper goin' west in the rain
Slowin' down when the bottom fell out
You can smell that money goin' round and round
Dirty smoke blowin' up in the air
Dirty smoke blowin' up in the air

[Verse 2]
There was a one room shack and a one room school
Bad new in the pigeon river
Sawmill sawdust stuck in your lungs
And your head can't hear it thunder
No your head can't hear it thunder

[Chorus]
Do you live to eat
Do you eat to live
For a dollar a day on the river
Damn vanderbilts hold the keys to the city
Eat your supper son and forget it

[Verse 3: Malcolm Holcombe & Drea Merritt]
Speakin' in tongues strung out on the gospel
Somethin' i know nuthin' about (nuthin' about)
He knew ev'ry word to the great speckled bird
Mister 40 year papermill man
He was a fourty year papermill man
[Verse 4: Malcolm Holcombe & Drea Merritt]
Third shift sunrise mouths to feed
Puttin' food on the table amen
Blood's thicker than water (thicker than water) when ya give a damn
Mister 40 year papermill man
He was a forty year papermill man

[Chorus: Malcolm Holcombe, Drea Merritt, Both]
Do you live to eat
Do you eat to live
For a dollar a day on the river
Damn vanderbilts hold the keys to the city
Eat your supper son (Hey) and forget it

[Instrumental: Verse/Chorus]

[Verse 5]
One son of a gun another man o' God
Knows ev'ry nail and dime
That was driven and spent from the ground up to heaven
For a 40 year papermill man
He was a forty year papermill man

[Verse 6: Malcolm Holcombe, Drea Merritt, Both]
There's a power more greater than me an' you
And there's plan i jus' dont understand
That sawmill blade made a bird in the hand
For a 40 year papermill man
He was a forty year papermill man
[Chorus: Malcolm Holcombe, Drea Merritt, Both]
Do you live to eat
Do you eat to live
For a dollar a day on the river
Damn vanderbilts hold the keys to the city
Eat your supper son and forget it

Do you live to eat
Do you eat to live
For a dollar a day on the river
Damn vanderbilts hold the keys to the city
Eat your supper son and forget it
(Hey, ay-ay-ay-ay-ay)
Forget it