Song of Iowa

by Clayton Ryan

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lyrics

Verse
There’s a river that runs the color of the earth
Through the Cedar trees of my old hometown
It rolls under a rusted railroad bridge
Where the boys and I used to gather around
We’d pack ourselves a bottle of whatever we could afford
And tell stories round the campfire as that dirty river flowed
Our voices would fill that humid evening air
Now that campfire sits dead cold

Chorus
I think of where I wander, the lands yet to roam
That river town among the fields will always be my home
I said goodbye and headed west but never looked away
I’ll sing a song of Iowa until my dying day

Verse
If the measure of a man is in the company he keeps
Than I’m the king of everything I see
Seated in a circle passing stories all around
It’s hard not to feel a crown on top of me
And we’d pass Kentucky bourbon and Dominican cigars
And joke about the times even when those times were hard
And our laughter would fill that smooth autumn air
Never thinking anymore was to come

Chorus
I think of where I wander, the lands yet to roam
That river town among the fields will always be my home
I said goodbye and headed west but never looked away
I’ll sing a song of Iowa until my dying day

Verse
Buchanan County forests smell rustic and sweet
Like roses melting in the mud
The radio played Old Crow and we pitched ourselves a camp
And hollered to the stars up above
And we’d drink to each other, and toast to the corn
We’d hail the Yellow River, and cheer the thunderstorms
A good friend will last you a thousand years
But twenty friends will fill up your cup

Chorus
I think of where I wander, the lands yet to roam
That river town among the fields will always be my home
I said goodbye and headed west but never looked away
I’ll sing a song of Iowa until my dying day

I’ll sing a song of Iowa until my dying day

credits

released February 26, 2023

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about

Clayton Ryan Minneapolis, Minnesota

"Soul Music with Twang"
Raised in Iowa and South Dakota, now Twin Cities native Clayton Ryan’s resonanant baritone voice reverberates with a nostalgic sound and powerful songwriting from the Heartland. His words have been featured in American Songwriter, GemsOnVHS, B-Sides & Badlands, and Americana Road Show, and he has performed with Canaan Cox, Liam St John, and many others. ... more

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