[Intro]
(Sitar melody intertwines with acoustic guitar strumming, gentle tabla rhythm begins)
[Verse 1]
Sun dips low on the dusty track
Shadows stretch long, ain't no turning back
Carry this weight, miles in my bones
Seeking a haven, whispering stones
The river she calls with a silver tongue
A lullaby old when the world was young
[Chorus]
Oh, River Road, carry me down
Through the twilight, to familiar ground
Where the peepal tree whispers ancient tales
And the monsoon wind fills the jasmine sails
Take me home, where my spirit flies free
Down the River Road, flow on with me
[Verse 2]
Sparrows take flight in the fading light
A temple bell rings, soft and bright
Across the field, a farmer's song
A rhythm steady, carrying on
The scent of earth after the rain
Washes the worry, eases the pain
[Chorus]
Oh, River Road, carry me down
Through the twilight, to familiar ground
Where the peepal tree whispers ancient tales
And the monsoon wind fills the jasmine sails
Take me home, where my spirit flies free
Down the River Road, flow on with me
[Bridge]
(Flute melody soars over sustained sitar drone, tabla becomes more intricate)
Not just a place on a map I know
But a feeling deep where the warm winds blow
A confluence where two rivers meet
Folk soul and raga, bittersweet
Finding the stillness beneath the sound
Where my roots go deep in the sacred ground
[Verse 3]
Lanterns now glow on the water's edge
Reflecting the stars from the river's ledge
A figure waits by the old boat shed
Silent welcome, nothing said
The journey's long, but the heart knows true
This winding path leads me back to you
[Chorus]
Oh, River Road, carry me down
Through the twilight, to familiar ground
Where the peepal tree whispers ancient tales
And the monsoon wind fills the jasmine sails
Take me home, where my spirit flies free
Down the River Road, flow on with me
[Outro]
(Sitar, guitar, flute, and tabla gradually fade, leaving only the gentle acoustic guitar strumming, then silence)