Belafonte is perhaps best known for singing the "Banana Boat Song", with its signature lyric "Day-O". Throughout his career, he was an advocate for civil rights and humanitarian causes.
Belafonte won three Grammy Awards (including a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award), an Emmy Award, and a Tony Award. In 1989, he received the Kennedy Center Honors. He was awarded the National Medal of Arts in 1994. In 2014, he received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award at the Academy's 6th Annual Governors Awards and in 2022 was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the Early Influence category and was the oldest living person to have received the honor.
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Deep as the River
Harry Belafonte Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Deep as the river when we′re apart
Cold as the river, so cold are my empty arms
Cold as the river my empty heart
The leaves all a-tremble, tremble no more than I
The stars all assemble and listen to my sigh
Swift as the river that's running to kiss the sea
Swift as the river that′s running to kiss the sea
Swift as the river may you come back to me
The lyrics to this song are a representation of the depth of emotions that one can feel when they are separated from someone they love deeply. Using the analogy of a river, the lyrics describe the depth of loneliness and the coldness of emptiness that the singer feels when he is alone. The leaves are said to tremble no more than the singer, emphasizing the intensity of his loneliness. The stars are personified as they assemble around the singer, lending an ear to his sighs.
The swift river that runs to the sea, is compared to the speed with which the singer wishes for his beloved to return to him. The repetition of the lines "swift as the river that's running to kiss the sea" and "swift as the river may you come back to me" reflects the desperation and longing of the singer to be reunited with his love. The use of the word "may" could be interpreted as the singer expressing a sense of uncertainty about whether his beloved will come back to him, adding to the poignancy of the lyrics.
Overall, the song expresses the universal theme of love and loss, and the emotions that come with it. The analogy of the river is effective in emphasizing the depth and intensity of the singer's emotions.
Line by Line Meaning
Deep as the river, so deep is my loneliness
My loneliness is as deep as a river.
Deep as the river when we're apart
When we're apart, the depth of my loneliness is like that of a river.
Cold as the river, so cold are my empty arms
My empty arms are as cold as a river.
Cold as the river my empty heart
My heart is as empty and cold as a river.
The leaves all a-tremble, tremble no more than I
I am trembling just as much as the leaves.
The stars all assemble and listen to my sigh
I am sighing so heavily that even the stars seem to be listening.
Swift as the river that's running to kiss the sea
The river is running swiftly towards the sea.
Swift as the river may you come back to me
Please come back to me swiftly, like the river running towards the sea.
Swift as the river that's running to kiss the sea
The river is moving quickly towards the sea.
Swift as the river may you come back to me
I hope you return to me as quickly as the river moves towards the sea.
Writer(s): Joan Whitney, Alex C. Kramer
Contributed by William N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Frederique Roberge
on Angelina
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