Gorka was born in Edison, New Jersey. He received his first guitar as a Christmas gift, though Gorka alleges that his older brother stole it from him shortly thereafter. He eventually learned, instead, to play the banjo, and began performing in a folk music group at his church.
Gorka attended Moravian College in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and joined the Razzy Dazzy Spasm Band which would also include guitarist Richard Shindell. He later began performing solo at the Godfrey Daniels coffee house as the opening act for various musicians that toured there. These included Nanci Griffith, Bill Morrissey, Claudia Schmidt and Jack Hardy.
In 1984, Gorka took first place at the Kerrville Folk Festival. Since then he has toured with artists such as Suzanne Vega, Shawn Colvin, Michael Manring, Christine Lavin, Dave Van Ronk, Cliff Eberhardt, David Massengill, Frank Christian and Lucy Kaplansky.
As of 2005, he was residing in the St. Croix Valley area near Saint Paul, Minnesota.
In 2008, Gorka decided to return to Europe for the first time in fourteen years. In October that year, he played four times in the Netherlands, he played live on VPRO radio and he did a session for the John Gorka video site.
In 2009, Gorka toured in the USA and also in Ireland and the Netherlands. In October that year, Red House Records released the CD "So Dark You See". This is considered a more intimate, vocal and guitar-centered record than the last two albums.
Riverside
John Gorka Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With no riverside
Space a sea
That has no tide
Can't get across, no
It's too wide
If you have loved then
You have cried
We are dust that was
Made in stars
No we roll off
To work in cars
When we were young
We'd spill our
Dreams in bars
Now we clean up the mess
A little bit of thought
Can make a lot of sense
And every little day
Can make a difference
Yes, I'm speaking in the
Present tense
Where my faults
And seams Wear through
I can be more than
Than a little dance
You're gonna get splinters
If you ride that fence
Still I like the way
The river bends
When it turns
Back to you
We called it gravy
Never called it sauce
You better learn something
If love gets lost
Like how hard the hurt
How high the cost
How all smooth
Goes to rust
Time is a river
With no riverside
Space a sea
That has no tide
Can't get across, no
It's too wide
If you have loved then
You have cried
The song "Riverside" by John Gorka is a poignant reflection on the fleeting nature of time and the inevitable pains that come with love and loss. Gorka alludes to the unremitting flow of time and the impossibility of controlling it. He likens time to a river with no riverside and space to a sea that has no tide, emphasizing the intangibility of both. The first verse acts as a metaphor to describe the enormity of the gulf that separates us from those we love. It's too wide to bridge, and if you've ever loved someone, you've undoubtedly felt the pain of that separation.
The second verse refers to the fleeting nature of life itself. We are all made of the same cosmic dust and are carried along by the river of time. Gorka is also highlighting the mundanity of modern life, where we're told to dream big and chase our passions but end up working in unfulfilling jobs. The chorus then returns, reminding us that the river of time flows on and that we should cherish the love and experiences we've had.
The bridge of the song has a hopeful tone, suggesting that small acts can have a significant impact on the world. Gorka claims to be speaking in the present tense to emphasize that we have the power to change our circumstances. He also acknowledges that while he may have faults, he can be more than a mere footnote in the story of life. In the final verse, Gorka returns to the themes of love and loss, the most universal of human experiences. He warns that it's easy to take love for granted and that we must work to preserve it. Finally, he once again reminds us that the river of time flows on and that we must make the most of our time before it's too late.
Line by Line Meaning
Time is a river
Time is constantly flowing and unchanging
With no riverside
There is no stopping time to rest or relax
Space a sea
Space is vast and unexplored
That has no tide
Space is not affected by forces that change like tides in the ocean
Can't get across, no
We cannot always overcome problems we face
It's too wide
Some problems and challenges are just too great to overcome
If you have loved then
When we open ourselves to love, we make ourselves vulnerable to pain
You have cried
Experiencing pain and heartbreak is a natural consequence of having loved someone
We are dust that was
Human beings are made up of the same elements as the stars
Made in stars
Our existence originates from ancient stars that exploded billions of years ago
No we roll off
Despite our cosmic origins, we are now mostly preoccupied with daily life pursuits
To work in cars
We spend most of our days commuting to and from work in vehicles
When we were young
In our youth, we were more likely to take risks and be carefree
We'd spill our
We shared our hopes and aspirations
Dreams in bars
We talked about our dreams in casual settings, like bars
Now we clean up the mess
As adults, we are responsible for fixing the problems we face
A little bit of thought
Small changes can have big impacts
Can make a lot of sense
Making good decisions can lead to positive outcomes
And every little day
Every day matters in the grand scheme of things
Can make a difference
Our actions can affect change, no matter how small
Yes, I'm speaking in the
I am expressing myself in the
Present tense
Current time frame
Where my faults
Where my imperfections and weaknesses
And seams Wear through
And my flaws become visible over time
I can be more than
We are capable of achieving great things
Than a little dance
We are more than mere entertainment
You're gonna get splinters
You will get hurt
If you ride that fence
If you don't take a firm stance on something
Still I like the way
Despite hardships and difficulties
The river bends
We can find beauty and harmony in nature
When it turns
When the river curves
Back to you
Towards you
We called it gravy
We used the term 'gravy' to refer to something
Never called it sauce
We never called it 'sauce'
You better learn something
We need to learn from our experiences
If love gets lost
If we lose love in our lives
Like how hard the hurt
The pain can be intense and difficult to bear
How high the cost
The cost of losing love can be high, emotionally and mentally
How all smooth
Things that once seemed easy and effortless
Goes to rust
Can change and become difficult over time
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Delroy Pinnock, Hassan Kavaz
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@robinbryne4475
HEY , Thanks... first time I've been able to listen to this song since my divorce 3 years ago. Tears, yes, but relief to have your beautiful soulful sound back in my life!
@joeburton7430
when we were young we'd spill our dreams in bars.. man, i'm listening to this almost 20 years on it makes so much sense.. thank you John.
@richardgranvold2370
Beautiful, thank you my friend, little bit of music, a little bit of your soul, a little bit of light, let shine on the river ... let it flow
@AlessandroBernardi82
Thank you from Italy <3
@bigby2010
"If you have loved, then you have cried."
- J. Gorka
@aplacetohideaway
Comfort for the heart on a cold winter morning. Thank you.
@ronbishop7593
Beautiful John, Merriest of joy this season!
@pattybachman8846
Beautiful 🍷✨✨✨
@markasbury9446
This is beautiful!
@Hooksongs
Wonderful!