Her debut extended play (EP) collection “Wild Woman” was released in April 2019 to much critical acclaim, garnering a nomination for “Best Roots/Country EP” in the 2020 Independent Music Awards. The project has also won multiple nominations and awards from International Acoustic Music Awards (IAMA), the International Songwriting Competition (ISC) and the Mid-Atlantic Songwriting Contest (MASC).
A prolific songwriter who plays guitar, piano, ukulele, bass, mandolin and harmonica, Calista also writes for the stage, having completed her second classic-rock inspired musical, Crystal Skies, which premiered in April 2018. Crystal Skies is a 2020 semifinalist for the Eugene O’Neill Musical Theatre Conference. A soundtrack for Crystal Skies is in progress.
A member of ASCAP and the Dramatists Guild, Calista is a 2020 National YoungArts Gold Winner in Voice/Singer-Songwriter (top prize), a 2020 Johnny Mercer Songwriting Project Fellow, a 2019 Strathmore Artist in Residence, a 2017 & 2018 Berklee Performance Showcase Winner, the 2017 Bernard Ebbs Young Songwriter of the Year and a two-time Grammy Foundation Young Songwriter Program Artist. Calista has recently relocated from her hometown in Arlington, VA to Nashville, TN. She was recently selected for the worldwide roster of Takamine guitar artists.
Muddy River
Calista Garcia Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All these trees look the same
I can't see you through the smoke of the city
Remind me what′s my name
And I don't know who you are
At least half enough to care
I hope when I open my eyes
But this muddy river can′t get me clean
This muddy river can′t wash you off of me
I can't feel my arms
And I can′t shake off yours
Sometimes it makes me wonder
What the hell our hearts are for
And I can't get no sleep
The traffic′s much too loud
And I can't get no peace
Until I rinse you out
But this muddy river can′t get me clean
This muddy river can't wash you off of me
So if you love me, let me go
And if you don't, leave me alone
Oh if you love me, let me go
And if you don′t
Well this muddy river can′t get me clean
This muddy river can't wash you off of me
Can′t wash you off of me
The lyrics to Calista Garcia's song "Muddy River" paint a picture of a person lost and confused, both physically and emotionally. The opening line, "I don't know where I am", sets the tone for the rest of the song. The singer is lost and disoriented, unsure of themselves and their surroundings. The repetition of "all these trees look the same" emphasizes the feeling of being trapped and overwhelmed.
The singer is also struggling with a past relationship, unable to "wash" their ex-partner off of them. They can't see through the "smoke of the city" to move forward, and they don't even know if they care about their former partner "half enough." The line "sometimes it makes me wonder what the hell our hearts are for" expresses a feeling of frustration and disillusionment with love.
The chorus reinforces the idea that the muddy river cannot cleanse the singer of their emotional and physical confusion. They are searching for release, either through their ex-partner's love or their absence. At the heart of the song is a feeling of being stuck, unable to move forward, and unable to let go.
Overall, "Muddy River" is a poignant exploration of emotional trauma and confusion. It's a song that gives voice to the feeling of being lost and trapped within oneself.
Line by Line Meaning
I don’t know where I am
The singer is lost and disoriented, and she does not know her current location
All these trees look the same
The environment around the singer is uniform and indistinguishable
I can't see you through the smoke of the city
The urban environment is generating pollution and obscuring the singer's view
Remind me what's my name
The singer is overwhelmed by her surroundings and struggling to maintain her sense of identity
And I don’t know who you are
The singer lacks a clear understanding of the person she is addressing
At least half enough to care
The singer has a conflicted emotional attachment to the person she is addressing, but it is insufficient to sustain a relationship
I hope when I open my eyes, you won't be there
The singer is afraid that she will be confronted by a difficult situation when she becomes more aware of her environment
But this muddy river can't get me clean
The singer is feeling trapped by a difficult circumstance, and nothing she does seems to improve her situation
This muddy river can't wash you off of me
The singer is haunted by the memory of someone and cannot escape their influence
I can't feel my arms
The singer is experiencing a loss of sensation, which might indicate a feeling of helplessness or detachment
And I can't shake off yours
The singer is finding it difficult to let go of someone and move on
Sometimes it makes me wonder, what the hell our hearts are for
The singer is doubting the purpose or function of her emotional experiences
And I can't get no sleep
The singer is experiencing insomnia or an inability to achieve restful sleep
The traffic's much too loud
The sound of passing vehicles is disturbing the singer's peace and quiet
And I can't get no peace, until I rinse you out
The singer is hoping to eliminate the strong emotions associated with the person she is addressing
So if you love me, let me go
The singer is signaling a desire for freedom from a difficult relationship, even if love is involved
And if you don't, leave me alone
The singer is rejecting any attempt to maintain contact or attachment, if there is no genuine love
Oh if you love me, let me go
The singer is emphasizing the importance of freedom and independence in a relationship
And if you don't
This line reinforces the earlier sentiment that contact is unwanted, if there is no true love
Well this muddy river can't get me clean
The singer is once again expressing frustration with a situation that seems inescapable
This muddy river can't wash you off of me
The singer is emphasizing the powerful influence and hold that someone has over her, which cannot be eliminated easily
Writer(s): Calista Rose Garcia
Contributed by Bentley Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
David Ybarra
Yeah...