In the rock (and roll) community, Bill Monroe may be best known via one of Elvis Presley's earliest recordings at Sun Records, that of Monroe's 'Blue Moon of Kentucky'. Patsy Cline also made a highly regarded version of this song.
Big River
Bill Monroe Lyrics
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And I showed the clouds how to cover up a clear blue sky.
And the tears that I cried for that woman are gonna flood you Big River.
Then I'm gonna sit right here until I die.
I met her accidentally in St. Paul (Minnesota).
And it tore me up every time I heard her drawl, Southern drawl.
Then I heard my dream was back Downstream cavortin' in Davenport,
Then you took me to St. Louis later on (down the river).
A freighter said she's been here
But she's gone, boy, she's gone.
I found her trail in Memphis,
But she just walked up the block.
She raised a few eyebrows and then she went on down alone.
Now, won't you batter down by Baton Rouge,
River Queen, roll it on.
Take that woman on down to New Orleans, New Orleans.
Go on, I've had enough;
Dump my blues down in the gulf.
She loves you, Big River, more than me.
Now I taught the weeping willow how to cry,
And I showed the clouds how to cover up a clear blue sky.
And the tears that I cried for that woman are gonna flood you Big River.
Then I'm gonna sit right here until I die.
"Big River" is a classic country song performed by Bill Monroe that tells the story of a man's unrequited love and his journey down the Mississippi River. The man's love for a woman from the South takes him on a journey from St. Paul to New Orleans, following the Big River. He describes how he taught the weeping willow how to cry and showed the clouds how to cover up a clear blue sky when he is heartbroken. The tears he cried for that woman are going to come back and flood the Big River.
In the song, the man learns that the woman he loves has moved on and will never feel the same way he does. He hears her southern drawl and follows her down the river, but he never finds her. He sees her trail in Memphis, but she just walked up the block, and she went on down alone. The man realizes that the woman loves the river more than him, so he decides to stay where he is, content to watch the river flow by until he dies.
The song is a poignant reminder of the power of unrequited love and the impact it can have on someone's life. It highlights the lengths that someone will go when they are in love and the pain that they will endure when their love is not returned. The song also serves as a tribute to the Mississippi River, which has long been an important part of American culture and history.
Line by Line Meaning
Now I taught the weeping willow how to cry,
I was so broken-hearted that I cried a lot, even the trees learned how to cry from me.
And I showed the clouds how to cover up a clear blue sky.
I felt so sad that I wished to make the sky match my mood and hide its beauty away, so I taught the clouds to do it.
And the tears that I cried for that woman are gonna flood you Big River.
The woman I loved caused me so much pain that my tears will overflow and flood the river which has always been my companion.
Then I'm gonna sit right here until I die.
I am so heartbroken that I have given up on everything else and have decided to sit by the river until I die.
I met her accidentally in St. Paul (Minnesota).
I met her by chance in Saint Paul, a city in Minnesota.
And it tore me up every time I heard her drawl, Southern drawl.
Every time I heard her speak with her Southern accent, it reminded me of my love for her and pained me deeply.
Then I heard my dream was back Downstream cavortin' in Davenport,
Someone told me that she had gone further downstream and was having fun with someone else in the town called Davenport.
And I followed you, Big River, when you called.
I followed the river downstream to find her, as I felt the river was calling me to do so.
Then you took me to St. Louis later on (down the river).
The river led me to St. Louis further downstream.
A freighter said she's been here But she's gone, boy, she's gone.
A freighter told me that she had been there, but she had already left and was no longer around.
I found her trail in Memphis, But she just walked up the block. She raised a few eyebrows and then she went on down alone.
I traced her footsteps to Memphis, but when I found her there, she had moved on and left without me, raising people's curiosity along the way.
Now, won't you batter down by Baton Rouge, River Queen, roll it on.
I ask the river to keep flowing and batter down near Baton Rouge, while I address the River Queen to roll on.
Take that woman on down to New Orleans, New Orleans.
I ask the river to take the woman I love down to New Orleans, a city that epitomizes jazz and romance.
Go on, I've had enough; Dump my blues down in the gulf.
I have had enough of my pain and my blues, and I ask the river to take them away and dump them into the gulf of Mexico.
She loves you, Big River, more than me.
I accept that the woman I love loves the river more than me and bid farewell to the river, acknowledging its role in bringing us together.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Johnny R. Cash
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind