Known for honest, self-reflective songs as well as captivating lyrical works of fiction and an intimate live show, Shauf is considered one of the most intriguing emerging songwriters around.
His release, The Bearer of Bad News, explores themes of uncertainty, curiosity and spirituality. “I think spirituality is a part of life whether you are religious or not, even if you’re just superstitious. You can’t really get away from the fact that we don’t know everything.” The unsettling stories told on The Bearer of Bad News came as Shauf wrote both at home and on the road. Musically, the record took shape in a modest home studio in his parents’ basement in Regina, Canada, where Shauf spent 4 years recording and producing each song himself. “Spending all this time allowed me a lot of freedom in the ways I arranged the songs. I could work on a drum part for a whole day, or play piano for 2 hours without figuring anything out and be okay with that.”
Bearer is 11 songs built from the sounds of a weathered piano, the warm tone of his guitar’s aged strings, and a clarinet. Shauf is one-of-a-kind voice and dark, literate storytelling.
Drink My Rivers
Andy Shauf Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Easy dreamer
Do you dream of me
When I'm far away
Do I drift further every day
When i drink my rivers, drag my feet, and drown in my dreams
It's not as bad as it seems.
Daylight dreamer
I'll try to dream of you
When you're
Far away
When you seem further every day
I'll drink my rivers, drag my feet, and drown in my dreams
It's not as bad as it seems.
Light sleeper
Easy dreamer
When you dream of me
Am I far away
Do I inch closer every day
Do I drink my rivers, drag my feet, and drown in my dreams
Is it as bad as it seems?
In the song "Drink My Rivers," Andy Shauf speaks to someone who is both a light sleeper and an easy dreamer, wondering if this person ever dreams of him when he is not there. The lyrics carry a sense of longing and distance, with the singer asking if they are growing further apart in their dreams. The metaphor of drinking rivers and drowning in one's own dreams may suggest a feeling of being overwhelmed or lost in one's thoughts and a desire to escape from reality. Despite this, the singer assures that it is "not as bad as it seems," and that they will continue to try and dream of each other, even when distance keeps them apart.
The chorus repeats the lines "I'll drink my rivers, drag my feet, and drown in my dreams," serving as both a declaration of the singer's feelings and a reminder that they are not alone in their experiences. The verses alternate between the perspectives of the two people in the relationship, with each asking if the other thinks of them and if they are growing distant. The lyrics are subtle and introspective, portraying the struggles of maintaining a connection across distance and time.
Line by Line Meaning
Light sleeper
Acknowledging the singer's tendency to sleep lightly.
Easy dreamer
Highlighting the ease with which the singer can dream.
Do you dream of me
Asking if the person being addressed dreams of the singer.
When I'm far away
Indicating distance between the artist and the person being addressed.
Do I drift further every day
Questioning if the distance between the artist and the person being addressed is increasing over time.
When I drink my rivers, drag my feet, and drown in my dreams
Describing the singer's coping mechanism for dealing with the distance and longing for the person being addressed.
It's not as bad as it seems.
Asserting that the situation isn't as dire as it appears to be.
Dig deeper
Encouraging introspection and further reflection on the situation.
Daylight dreamer
Highlighting the artist's tendency to dream during waking hours.
I'll try to dream of you
Committing to thinking about and longing for the person being addressed.
When you're far away
Reiterating the distance between the singer and the person being addressed.
When you seem further every day
Noting the emotional strain of increasing distance.
I'll drink my rivers, drag my feet, and drown in my dreams
Repeating the coping mechanism used by the singer in response to longing for the person being addressed.
It's not as bad as it seems.
Restating the previous assertion that the situation isn't as bad as it appears to be.
Light sleeper
Reintroducing the singer's tendency to sleep lightly.
Easy dreamer
Reemphasizing the ease with which the artist can dream.
When you dream of me
Returning to the theme of the person being addressed dreaming of the artist.
Am I far away
Questioning if the person being addressed feels distance from the singer.
Do I inch closer every day
Hopeful that the gap between the two is decreasing over time.
Do I drink my rivers, drag my feet, and drown in my dreams
Reflecting on the coping mechanism used by the artist in response to their longing for the person being addressed.
Is it as bad as it seems?
Asking if the situation is truly as dire as it feels.
Writer(s): Andy Shauf
Contributed by Samantha F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
A C
Light sleeper
Easy dreamer
Do you dream of me
When I'm far away
Do I drift further every day
When i drink my rivers, drag my feet, and drown in my dreams
It's not as bad as it seems.
Dig deeper
Daylight dreamer
I'll try to dream of you
When you're
Far away
When you seem further every day
I'll drink my rivers, drag my feet, and drown in my dreams
It's not as bad as it seems.
Light sleeper
Easy dreamer
When you dream of me
Am I far away
Do I inch closer every day
Do I drink my rivers, drag my feet, and drown in my dreams
Is it as bad as it seems?
Nishan Jefferson
I don't know about you but this song really puts me in a calm place and it's where I feel really comfortable and as long as this song is playing I'm in content. I've never heard any song come close to this level of calming me down like truly. Lovely arrangement with the music and the flow. What a song!
Jennifer Kennedy
Sometimes songs come to u at the right time this is so beautifully orchestrated I'm always getting lost in your music mr shauff thank u for the beautiful drifting daydreams
Daniel Currier
I thought the same thing when I heard this. Music always comes through when you need it the most
Neil Gebhard
The beginning is my favorite. The piano solo into that slow tempo beat is so good
Lihe Wang
Barnes Multimedia do you know which piece it is? thank you
Tenez
Do you know what piece it is?
Barnes Multimedia
Thats Mozart yall..
Andrew Reicherter
weird I thought the opposite like the piano was too upbeat and opposite of the later parts but regardless he's the bomb!
Florentina Ana Ionita
Makes me cry every time! And I listen it a hundred times a day! The deepest love song I know! ❤️
A C
Light sleeper
Easy dreamer
Do you dream of me
When I'm far away
Do I drift further every day
When i drink my rivers, drag my feet, and drown in my dreams
It's not as bad as it seems.
Dig deeper
Daylight dreamer
I'll try to dream of you
When you're
Far away
When you seem further every day
I'll drink my rivers, drag my feet, and drown in my dreams
It's not as bad as it seems.
Light sleeper
Easy dreamer
When you dream of me
Am I far away
Do I inch closer every day
Do I drink my rivers, drag my feet, and drown in my dreams
Is it as bad as it seems?