It Must Be A River
Billy Bragg Lyrics


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Something starts swimming inside of me,
At the sound of your name.
And the pressure on my lips,
I'm falling, falling

It must be a river
Cause it swept me away.
It must be a river
Cause it swept me away.

Something starts swimming inside of me,
At the sound of your name.
And the water on fire,
I'm falling, falling

It must be a river
Cause it swept me away.
It must be a river
Cause it swept me away.

Something starts swimming inside of me,
At the sound of your voice.
And the waterfall's walling,
I'm drowning, drowning

It must be a river
Cause it swept me away.
It must be a river
Cause it swept me away.

It must be a river
Cause it swept me away.




It must be a river,
It swept me away.

Overall Meaning

Billy Bragg's song It Must Be A River is a poignant and powerful exploration of the overwhelming emotions of falling in love. The opening lines of the song convey the physical sensations that accompany this experience - the way that hearing the object of one's affection's name can cause something to start moving inside oneself. This feeling is so intense that it seems to cause the singer to lose control, as they describe "the pressure on my lips" and the sensation of falling.


The repetition of the phrase "It must be a river" throughout the song emphasizes the idea of being swept away by one's emotions. This metaphor is particularly evocative, as rivers are powerful and unpredictable forces of nature that can carry us away if we're not careful. The idea that love can be experienced in this way - as a force that is beyond our control - is a common one in art and literature, and Bragg captures it beautifully here.


The final verse of the song takes things even further, as the singer describes the feeling of drowning in their emotions. The waterfall imagery suggests a total loss of control, as the singer is dragged under by the intensity of their love. Overall, It Must Be A River is a beautifully written love song that captures the profound and often overwhelming experience of falling for someone.


Line by Line Meaning

Something starts swimming inside of me, At the sound of your name.
The mere mention of your name causes a stirring within me, something that feels like it's swimming.


And the pressure on my lips, I'm falling, falling
The feeling is so strong that it's like I'm being pushed down and I'm falling, in a way that's almost dizzying.


It must be a river Cause it swept me away.
The force of this feeling is so strong, so overwhelming, that it's like I've been taken away by a river's current. I can't resist it, I can't fight it, and I can't control it.


And the water on fire, I'm falling, falling
This feeling is so intense that it's like the water around me is on fire - hot, blazing, and dangerous. And still, I'm falling, unable to resist it.


Something starts swimming inside of me, At the sound of your voice.
Even just hearing your voice causes this swimming sensation to start within me again. It's like an almost physical reaction, a deep and powerful stirring that I can't ignore.


And the waterfall's walling, I'm drowning, drowning
This feeling is like being pulled under by the force of a waterfall; it's overwhelming and unstoppable. And yet, I can't help but let it take over - I feel like I'm drowning in its power.


It must be a river Cause it swept me away.
Once again, this feeling is so strong and all-consuming that it's like being taken away entirely by a powerful river. I'm left with no choice but to let it take me where it will.


It must be a river, It swept me away.
This feeling is so overpowering that it's like there's nothing else in the world but this river, this force, this feeling. I can't resist it, I can only let it take me where it will - and hope that it will lead me to where I need to be.




Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: BILLY BRAGG

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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