He is also part of the Blue Dreams, the backing band for Bat For Lashes.
Christophers has had two TV documentaries made on him by the VPRO in Holland. He has written with and duetted with Françoise Hardy and toured with Tori Amos.
River Song
Ben Christophers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Little diamonds on water
There's blood on your lips
Kissed by the ruin glow of your lust
Captured in your arms
Dead city dreamer
Creep from your hair like vultures do
Ride pretty shadow
Finger tips crawl from you
Wrecking ball swings over us eye's shut
Bicycle spokes
Innocent spin
As lonely as addiction you're it
Tenderness lost
The lyrics of "River Song" by Ben Christophers describe a woman who enters into the singer's life like a portent of doom. The image of ravens hints at the dark and ominous nature of her presence. The woman is described as having "little diamonds on water." This contrasts with the blood on her lips and the ruinous glow of her lust. The image of diamonds on water suggests a beautiful, radiant surface that covers something darker and deeper beneath it. The woman's lustful energy is tainted by death and destruction.
The lyrics go on to describe the singer being captured in the woman's arms. He calls her a "dead city dreamer," hinting at the idea that she is a figment of his imagination or a product of his own unrealized desires. Her hair is described as being haunted by vultures and her fingers crawl from her in a way that suggests a creeping, malevolent aura. The image of a "wrecking ball" suggests an impending sense of doom, as if something is about to come crashing down around them. In the end, the singer laments the loss of tenderness in their relationship, which seems to have been replaced by something darker and lonelier.
Line by Line Meaning
She came round here like ravens
She arrived with a dark and ominous presence, like a flock of ravens.
Little diamonds on water
She glistened and sparkled on the surface, like small diamonds on water.
There's blood on your lips
You have been engaged in something violent or passionate, as evidenced by the blood on your lips.
Kissed by the ruin glow of your lust
Your intense desire has led you down a destructive path, leaving behind a glow of ruin in its wake.
Captured in your arms
I am helpless and trapped within your embrace.
Dead city dreamer
I am a hopeless dreamer, living in a city that has lost its vitality and spirit.
Creep from your hair like vultures do
I am repulsed by you and want to distance myself, like how vultures slowly and cautiously back away from their prey.
Deep inside your skin
Your innermost thoughts and desires are hidden and difficult to access, buried deep beneath your exterior facade.
Ride pretty shadow
I attempt to follow your alluring and mysterious presence, like chasing after a captivating shadow.
Finger tips crawl from you
Your touch is unsettling and invasive, like spider legs slowly crawling from your fingertips.
Wrecking ball swings over us eye's shut
We are oblivious to the destruction that looms overhead, like a wrecking ball swinging towards us with our eyes shut.
Bicycle spokes
We are caught in a repetitive cycle, like the spokes on a bicycle endlessly turning.
Innocent spin
Our actions and intentions may seem innocent, but they are still caught within the cycle and its consequences.
As lonely as addiction you're it
The cycle may seem familiar and comfortable, but it ultimately leads to a lonely and addictive existence.
Tenderness lost
Amidst the destruction and repetition, tenderness and compassion have been lost and forgotten.
Contributed by Jacob C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.