I've been a traveler most of my life I never took a home I never took a wife I ran away young and decided to roam But I wanna see my mama and my daddy back home Home where the river runs cold The water tastes good the winters ain't cold Home where trees grow tall The homefires burn and the whippoorwills call [ guitar ] I remember stories that my pappa used to tell My eyes get big and my chest begin to swell I could sit for hours and listen with glee As he'd tell of how he lived when he's a boy like me Home where the river runs cold... [ guitar ] Mama dear mama do you still love your boy After all my roamin' can I still bring you joy Mama sent a letter got it not long ago Said come home we're missing you so Home where the river runs cold... Where the whippoorwills call where the whippoorwills call