The River
Anathallo Lyrics
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She watched the water's living things
She thought, it's not a mound with six planks of wood
The cardinal points to hold you up
Or a mountain where a shed self could
Feed the roots and honor the tongues of the animals
Drift into the moss and bloat where the peat bog pulls
Rolled like a felled tree
With arms as useless as such
Death's panic came, a calmness stayed, you couldn't do much
Just watch the water chip away at the bank eroding
Cut and crumbling through the spate
It took a father, it covered a daughter
Took her down, down, down
With the glass bottles, books, a tire
Collected hair tufts in the weeds
Snagged and wrapped in the peats
Dammed and trapped
You said, is this the ceremony?
I don't know, well I don't mind
The way we all fall in and roll down
Pushed through the veins and trafficked byes
And when your ears sit under
Head is half submerged down below
Pooling all accounts of peace while passed beneath the canopy glow
The song "The River" by Anathallo is a commentary on the power and unpredictability of nature, particularly water. The lyrics describe a person who is carried downstream by high water, observing the living things in the water along the way. She contemplates the fact that death can come at any moment, and that the natural world is indifferent to human constructs like cemeteries or buildings. The chorus tells the story of a father who lost his daughter to the river, along with the objects that were with her. The daughter's body is carried away by the water, snagged and wrapped in the weeds and peat.
Throughout the song, the singer juxtaposes feelings of panic and calm, highlighting the duality of human emotion in the face of powerful natural forces. The bridge of the song contains the line "is this the ceremony?" a question that may refer to the ritual of death, but also implies a sense of reverence for the power of the river. Ultimately, the lyrics suggest that we are all subject to the whims of nature, and that we should find peace in the knowledge that we are but one of many small parts of the greater ecosystem.
Line by Line Meaning
High water carried her down stream
The strong current of the water caused her to be swept downstream
She watched the water's living things
She observed the various creatures that inhabit the water
She thought, it's not a mound with six planks of wood
She realized that death is not just a simple burial in a casket
The cardinal points to hold you up
Refers to the compass directions that one can cling to in times of distress
Or a mountain where a shed self could
Refers to a place where one can retreat to during times of hardship
Feed the roots and honor the tongues of the animals
Suggests the importance of respecting and appreciating the natural world
Drift into the moss and bloat where the peat bog pulls
Implies the idea of allowing oneself to be pulled into the unknown or unfamiliar
Rolled like a felled tree
Compares the experience of being swept away by the river to the feeling of being cut down like a tree
With arms as useless as such
Acknowledges the feeling of powerlessness during a traumatic event
Death's panic came, a calmness stayed, you couldn't do much
Describes the feeling of being overwhelmed by fear and yet resigning oneself to the inevitability of death
Just watch the water chip away at the bank eroding
Refers to the wear and tear that time and nature cause to the environment
Cut and crumbling through the spate
The water's force that erodes the bank is referred to as spate
It took a father, it covered a daughter
Tells the story of a father and his daughter who were both lost in the river
Took her down, down, down
Describes how quickly the water carried the daughter away
With the glass bottles, books, a tire
Objects found in the river were carried by the water alongside the girl
Collected hair tufts in the weeds
Describes how the daughter's hair was caught in the weeds that grow along the river bank
Snagged and wrapped in the peats
Explains how the daughter's body was trapped and enveloped by the peat, a type of soil found in bogs
Dammed and trapped
Refers to the way the water was obstructed by the debris and peat, creating a dam effect
You said, is this the ceremony?
Asks whether this experience is a kind of ritual or ceremony
I don't know, well I don't mind
Expresses a lack of certain knowledge and acceptance of the unknown
The way we all fall in and roll down
Describes the way that every person eventually faces death, like rolling downstream
Pushed through the veins and trafficked byes
Metaphorically describes the way that one's life force is transported through the body and through the world
And when your ears sit under
Refers to the sensation of being submerged under water
Head is half submerged down below
Describes the physical position of being in the water with one's head partially submerged
Pooling all accounts of peace while passed beneath the canopy glow
Suggests the idea of finding solace and inner peace even in the midst of trauma and tragedy
Contributed by Owen M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.