The streets are almost empty, the shops are all closed down
There's not a soul left in the bar to tell my troubles to
Think I'll walk down to the river that runs just south of town
I hate like hell when there ain't nothing left to do
But stand beneath the river bridge and listen for the train
It's been a long hot summer, not a drop of rain
I broke down in December and headed for the coast
I thought the wind and water would elevate my mind
I surfaced in the springtime feeling like a ghost
Missing more than ever the things I left behind
Now I'm standing on this river bank and still cannot explain
It's been a long hot summer, not a drop of rain
My bag is full of letters unopened and unread
I'm sure they tell the story of worry and reform
My heart is beating heavy with all we left unsaid
I swear to you I never meant you any harm
But sacrifice and compromise could never stand the strain
It's been a long hot summer, not a drop of rain
Tonight I close my eyes again and try to see your face
Listen for your voice to tell me it's all right to sleep
Convince myself I'll wake up in another time and place
Knowing all the while it's a promise I can't keep
A string of broken promises another link of chain
It's been a long hot summer, not a drop of rain
The children on the playground, the lovers in the shade
Remind me of a life and time that feels more like a dream
When the sound of love and laughter was the music that we played
As we lay beside the waters of the never ending stream
Now the stream's gone into hiding, the dream lives on in vain
It's been a long hot summer, not a drop of rain
The clouds are building slowly on the skyline to the east
The wind and dust are dancing like the devil 'cross the lake
I could try and find a bottle or try and find a breeze
Salvation won't be traveling either road I take
So I turn my collar to the wind that echoes this refrain
It's been a long, hot summer, not a drop of rain