We couldn't be further from home
Oh no what's left of a journey of tears
We cry like the curlew
Oh Christ, save our souls and help hold our fears
And it couldn't be darker than this
Oh no, even with so much light in the sky
And the sun burns forever
We can't find the shade though we try and we try
So, big river, don't fool me
I'm depending upon a sign
I'm relying upon your motion
To carry these cares of mine
And, big river, we're helpless
And we bend to your every turn
But not even our courage can help us
As the big river runs on and on
As the big river runs on and on and on
To clear this bush will take a whole life
I'm sure and even the lives of my sons
But we dream of a harvest
And oh how we'll feast when it finally comes
And when sugar cane grows to the wind
We'll think on that journey of tears
And the murdering hold of the hellish
George Fyfe will fade with the years
So, big river, don't fool me
I'm depending upon a sign
I'm relying upon your motion
To carry these cares of mine
And, big river, we're helpless
And we bend to your every turn
But not even our courage can help us
As the big river runs on and on
As the big river runs on and on and on