C5 F5 The River ran through Howard County, it was the life blood of the land C5 G5 It made fields of green tobacco, aching backs and callused hands C5 F5 Mama talked of a coming battle that the womenfolk had to fight G5 F5 G5 C5 'Cause the good Lord owned the daytime, but the Devil seemed to own the night C5 F5 Well it came up out of nowhere, from a dark and bitter seed C5 G5 It was the roughest kind of roadhouse and a most unwanted weed C5 F5 It drew the menfolk like a magnet, the women knew what they had to do G5 F5 G5 C5 So they put it in the hands of Jesus, 'cause they knew that he'd come through C5 And the rains came and the river swelled G5 C5 And the more they prayed the more it fell C5 G5 When the levies broke everybody saw the awesome power of God C5 G5 C5 Then the clouds rolled back and the rainbow came to bring a brighter day C5 G5 C5 'Cause when the flood hit Howard County, all the sins were washed away C5 F5 Now the mothers tell the story, of the week that the river raged C5 G5 It's a passing of the wisdom to the ears of a tender age C5 F5 Better walk the straight and narrow, better keep a watchful eye G5 F5 G5 C5 'Cause there's a symbol of the wrath of heaven in every dark cloud in the sky C5 'Cause the rains came and the river swelled G5 C5 And the more they prayed the more it fell C5 G5 When the levies broke everybody saw the awesome power of God C5 G5 C5 Then the clouds rolled back and the rainbow came to bring a brighter day C5 G5 C5 'Cause when the flood hit Howard County, all the sins were washed away C5 G5 C5 Then the clouds rolled back and the rainbow came to bring a brighter day C5 G5 C5 'Cause when the flood hit Howard County, all the sins were washed away C5 G5 C5 Yes, when the flood hit Howard County, all the sins were washed away