Oh, the women 'cross the river Carry water from the well at break of day They talk to one another God only knows what they might say You might get an education After years of dedication You might finally get a glimpse Of what is right and what is wrong But the women 'cross the river They knew that all along Oh, the women 'cross the river Work with tools that are ancient and handmade They plow their fields in perfect rows and then They rest beneath the shade Now we have learned to build Out of concrete out of steel And our buildings last a thousand years But then even they are bound to fall But the women 'cross the river Never learned to build a wall Oh, the women 'cross the river Are as gentle as the dew upon the ground How I love to hear them laughing in the rain When it makes that perfect sound Now a soldier with a gun and a battle to be won Might kill you with a bullet And you'd never even know the reasqon why But the women 'cross the river They can kill you with their eyes The women 'cross the river They can kill you with their eyes