Her influences are varied, including Nina Simone, Nick Drake, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, John Lennon, Simon and Garfunkel, and Velvet Underground. She has sung with Badmarsh & Shri album and worked with Twisted Nerve artist Pedro.
Her album, Leave to Remain, was greeted with critical acclaim, and her earlier Little Black Numbers was nominated for a Grammy award.
In 2010 Williams collaborated with former Delicate Vomit member Anna Spencer as The Crayonettes on the album Playing Out - Songs for Children and Robots
In 2012 she launched a new project called 'The Pond.'
A trio with Simon Edwards and Ginny Clee, the project mixed by Portishead’s Adrian Utley.
The Ballad of Easy Rider
Kathryn Williams Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The river flows, it flows to the sea
Wherever that river goes that's where I want to be
Flow river flow, let your waters wash down
Take me from this road to some other town
All he wanted was to be free
Flow river flow, let your waters wash down
Take me from this road to some other town
Flow river flow, past the shady trees
Go river go, go to the sea
Flow to the sea
The river flows, it flows to the sea
Wherever it goes that's where I want to be
Flow river flow, let your waters wash down
Take me from this road to some other town
The lyrics to Kathryn Williams' song "The Ballad of Easy Rider" were first written by rock band The Byrds for the movie of the same name. The song speaks of the desire for freedom and a longing to escape the constraints of society. The river is used as a symbol of this desire, flowing freely to the sea and carrying the singer away from the road and into some other town.
The repetition of "flow river flow" throughout the song emphasizes this idea of escape and release from the confines of everyday life. The mention of "shady trees" further emphasizes the idea of nature being a source of solace and freedom.
The final verses of the song speak of the river flowing to the sea, which is where the singer wants to be. This metaphor highlights the idea of the sea as a form of infinity, something vast and uncontainable, much like the desire for freedom.
Overall, the lyrics of "The Ballad of Easy Rider" speak to a universal desire for freedom, release, and escape from the trappings of everyday life.
Line by Line Meaning
The river flows, it flows to the sea
The river represents the flow of life. It continuously moves towards an ultimate end, the sea, symbolizing death.
Wherever that river goes that's where I want to be
The singer wants to let the flow of life take them wherever it may lead, without any resistance or control on their part.
Flow river flow, let your waters wash down
The singer is asking the river, or the flow of life, to wash away any burden or difficulty they may be facing.
Take me from this road to some other town
The artist wants to leave the path they are currently on, which may symbolize their current struggles or hardships, and start anew in a different place.
All he wanted was to be free
The subject of the song, Easy Rider, desired freedom- a life free of constraints and boundaries.
And that's the way it turned out to be
Easy Rider ultimately achieved the freedom he desired, even if it came with risks and consequences.
Flow river flow, past the shady trees
The river continues to move past obstacles and challenges, like the shady trees that may block its path.
Go river go, go to the sea
The artist is encouraging the river, and by extension, the flow of life, to keep moving forward towards its inevitable destination.
Flow to the sea
The song's repeated theme of letting life take its natural course and flow towards the sea, or death, is emphasized once again.
Contributed by Sydney G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.