The River
Byrne David & Brian Eno Lyrics
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Sleep, dark as the night
Somehow it seems it was all another dream
Soon dissolved in the light.
Oh, we were by the waterline.
Vague, the song of the night.
Innocent to all the peasant gods with you,
So, we drink to be renewed.
On the long, deep river
Where the moorhens cry
As the first sun quivers in the open sky,
Oh, she came down the river.
Soon, all the leaves were still.
The current was strong and the river was so long.
So, we drink to be renewed.
In the long cool evening,
Where the peacocks shiver
And the boat starts down the silver river way
I remember you saying,
As her deep eyes opened,
In the first light seeing her,
Here is someone new.
"The River" by David Byrne and Brian Eno is a hauntingly beautiful song that explores the themes of memory and renewal. The lyrics describe a dreamlike experience by the waterline and the deep river. The water is so deep, and the night so dark that the entire experience feels like a dream. The first section of the song is about dissolving the memory in the light, suggesting that the singer has moved beyond the dream-like experience.
The second section of the song introduces the river, where the moorhens cry and the first sun quivers in the open sky. The singer mentions someone coming down the river, and then everything becomes still. The river is so long, and the current is so strong that it seems that the singer drinks to be renewed. The final section describes a long cool evening where the peacocks shiver, and the boat starts down the silver river way. The singer remembers someone saying that in the first light, they saw someone new.
Line by Line Meaning
So deep in the water
We are immersed in the water, surrounded by its depths.
Sleep, dark as the night
The water is like a deep sleep, black and all-encompassing.
Somehow it seems it was all another dream
It feels as if we are in a dream, as if this moment is not real.
Soon dissolved in the light.
As the light comes, the dream-like feelings and blackness of the water begin to fade.
Oh, we were by the waterline.
We were standing right at the edge of the water.
Vague, the song of the night.
The sounds of the night are mysterious and hard to define.
Innocent to all the peasant gods with you,
Together, we are unaware of the existence of any gods or supernatural beings.
So, we drink to be renewed.
We consume liquid in order to feel refreshed and reborn.
On the long, deep river
We are traversing a river that is lengthy and profound.
Where the moorhens cry
The atmosphere is full of the mournful cries of birds known as moorhens.
As the first sun quivers in the open sky,
The sun is just rising, and its light is flickering on and off.
Oh, she came down the river.
Suddenly, a woman came floating down the river with the current.
Soon, all the leaves were still.
The sound of movement around us faded quickly, and everything became silent and still.
The current was strong and the river was so long.
The river was intensely flowing, and it stretched on for miles and miles.
In the long cool evening,
As the evening fell, a refreshing chill set in.
Where the peacocks shiver
In this place, there are peacocks, whose feathers rustle and shake in the cool air.
And the boat starts down the silver river way
Our boat begins to travel down a river that is silvery in appearance.
I remember you saying,
You spoke to me, and I can still recall your exact words.
As her deep eyes opened,
Her eyes, which were previously closed, suddenly opened wide.
In the first light seeing her,
When the sun first appeared, it illuminated her face, and I saw her clearly for the first time.
Here is someone new.
She is a fresh and different person, unlike anyone we have known before.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BRIAN ENO, DAVID BYRNE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind