Cumberland River Cumberland River The Cumberland River is a major waterway of the Southern United States. The river drains almost of southern Kentucky and north-central Tennessee. The river flows generally west from a source in the Appalachian Mountains to its confluence with the Ohio River near Paducah, Kentucky, and the mouth of the Tennessee River. Major tributaries include the Obey, Caney Fork, Stones, and Red rivers. Although the Cumberland River basin is predominantly rural, there are also some large cities on the river, including Nashville and Clarksville, both in Tennessee. In addition, the river system has been extensively developed for flood control,
Banks of the Ohio Banks of the Ohio "Banks of the Ohio", also known as "Down on the Banks of the Ohio", is a 19th-century murder ballad, written by unknown authors, in which "Willie" invites his young lover for a walk during which she rejects his marriage proposal. Once they are alone on the river bank, he murders the young woman. The song is superficially similar to other murder ballads in the idiom such as Omie Wise and more especially Pretty Polly, which is also generally narrated in the first person by a killer called Willie. However, it differs significantly in the narrative; the