The River
Bruce Springsteen Lyrics

I come from down in the valley
I grew up in a place with a particular way of life and limited opportunities.

Where mister when you're young
This way of life is ingrained from a very young age.

They bring you up to do like your daddy done
Parents pass on the same way of life to their children that they experienced or learned.

Me and Mary we met in high school
I met Mary when we were both in high school.

When she was just seventeen
She was only 17 years old at the time.

We'd ride out of this valley down to where the fields were green
We would escape from our small town and find escape in nature.

We'd go down to the river
We would go to the river, which was a symbol for freedom.

And into the river we'd dive
We would immerse ourselves in that feeling of freedom.

Then I got Mary pregnant
I impregnated Mary.

And man that was all she wrote
That event determined the rest of our lives.

And for my nineteenth birthday I got a union card and a wedding coat
For my 19th birthday, I received a union card and clothing to signify my entry into adulthood.

We went down to the courthouse
Instead of having a traditional wedding, we went to the courthouse to get married.

And the judge put it all to rest
The legal proceeding of getting married was simple and without all of the fuss of a traditional wedding.

No wedding day smiles no walk down the aisle
We didn't have all the customary trappings of a wedding like the aisle walking or smiles for the camera.

No flowers no wedding dress
Even essential elements like flowers or a wedding dress were absent.

That night we went down to the river
After the wedding, we went down to the river again.

I got a job working construction for the Johnstown Company
I started working construction for a company called Johnstown.

But lately there ain't been much work on account of the economy
Due to the state of the economy, work on the construction project became scarce.

Now all them things that seemed so important
What used to feel important now feels insignificant.

Well mister they vanished right into the air
These things disappeared into the void.

Now I just act like I don't remember
I pretend to forget because it's easier than dealing with the regret.

Mary acts like she don't care
Mary also tries to ignore the past and move on as if nothing happened.

But I remember us riding in my brother's car
I remember happy times when we were younger and loved each other.

Her body tan and wet down at the reservoir
I remember a time when we were at the reservoir together, and she looked beautiful and free.

At night on them banks I'd lie awake
Sometimes, when I'm alone, I can't help but think of our past.

And pull her close just to feel each breath she'd take
I miss her, and the memory of her comforted me.

Now those memories come back to haunt me
These beautiful memories haunt me because I know I can't go back to those times.

They haunt me like a curse
The memories are suffocating and painful to deal with.

Is a dream a lie if it don't come true
I wonder if my dreams are false hopes when they don't come true.

Or is it something worse
Or maybe not knowing what's worse, when your dreams come true or when they don't.

That sends me down to the river
These thoughts drive me back to the river that used to make me feel free.

Though I know the river is dry
I know that the river no longer holds the same value it once held for me.

That sends me down to the river tonight
I still long for that time of freedom and lost love.

Down to the river
The river represents a time long ago when my life was simpler and more hopeful.

My baby and I
Mary and I will always be tied together through our child and our shared past.

Oh down to the river we ride
We will ride to the river together and remember the past, regardless of what it means for our present or future.