Harlem River marked the solo debut. Known for his work as the singer/guitarist for the Brooklyn band The Babies and bassist for Woods, the Kansas City native and new Los Angeles resident, calls the record “an homage to New York City,” his adopted home for the past five years.
Harlem River
Kevin Morby Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Harlem River talk to me
Tell me what you think about
Harlem river I'm in love love love love
Harlem River talk to me
Where' we headed now
Harlem River I'm in love love love love
All because of you
I climbed a cloud
Now i stole the moon
Harlem River
All because of you
And Harlem River swallow me
Put your hands around my neck
And Harlem River I can't breathe
They've got the lights down now
And Harlem River give me wings
Put my head up in the clouds
And Harlem River all because
Oh I'm nowhere now
Harlem River
The music's true
And in my pearl and diamond shoes
I climbed a cloud
And now i stole the moon
Harlem River
All because of you
And i don't know
I don't know
Just where I'm going
'cause i've never been
And I don't know
I don't know
Just where I'm going
Or where i've been
Oh Harlem River
Like a diamond
Rattle
That easy rattle
Flow like that Harlem River
Rattle
That easy rattle
Flow like that Harlem River
I ran for you
I ran for you
I ran for you
I ran for you
In Kevin Morby's song "Harlem River," the lyrics revolve around the river that runs through Harlem in New York City. The song starts with the singer addressing the river, asking it to tell him what it thinks about. He then declares his love for the river and how it has influenced him to climb a cloud and steal the moon. The river is personified as it swallows the singer and gives him wings, as if it has an almost mystical power. The singer acknowledges that he is nowhere and doesn't know where he's going, which can be interpreted as a metaphor for being lost in life, with the river being the only constant and guide.
The repetition of the phrase "all because of you" implies that the river has given the singer a sense of purpose and direction. The upbeat tempo, accompanied by the sounds of a rattling, flowing river creates a sense of movement and energy. The river is portrayed as a force that can both suffocate and liberate, as the singer pleads with it to put its hands around his neck and give him wings. The song ends with the singer declaring that he ran for the river, implying that it has been his goal since the beginning.
Line by Line Meaning
Harlem River talk to me
The singer is asking the river to speak to him
Tell me what you think about
The singer wants the river to give its opinion
Harlem river I'm in love love love love
The singer loves the Harlem River very much
Where we headed now
The artist is asking where they are going
All because of you
Everything good that has happened is because of the Harlem River
In my pearl and my diamond shoe
The singer is wearing beautiful shoes
I climbed a cloud
The singer has achieved something impossible
Now i stole the moon
The artist has accomplished something that many would view as impossible
Harlem River swallow me
The artist is asking the Harlem River to consume him
Put your hands around my neck
The artist wants the river to suffocate him
And Harlem River I can't breathe
The singer is having trouble breathing because of the Harlem River's grip
They've got the lights down now
The artist is in a dark place
And Harlem River give me wings
The singer wants to be set free and fly
Put my head up in the clouds
The singer wants to ascend into the sky
Oh I'm nowhere now
The singer feels lost
The music's true
The artist is listening to authentic, real music
And i don't know
The artist is unsure
Just where I'm going
The singer is uncertain where they are headed
'cause i've never been
The singer is in uncharted territory
Or where i've been
The artist is uncertain of their past
Oh Harlem River
The artist is addressing the Harlem River directly
Like a diamond
The Harlem River is beautiful and precious
Rattle
An onomatopoeic line that suggests motion
That easy rattle
The Harlem River moves along smoothly
Flow like that Harlem River
The Harlem River is free and effortless
I ran for you
The singer has committed to making an effort for the Harlem River
Contributed by Leah J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@yanchand3603
Sulli f(x) brought me here....RIP Sulli 🙏
"Harlem River swallow me
Put your hands around my neck
Harlem River, I can't breath
You've got the lights down now
And Harlem River, give me wings
Put my head up in the clouds
And Harlem River all because
Oh, I know where now"
@nurmelrose3110
After Sulli’s death, i did some research on this song and listened to all Kevin Morby’s 3rd Album. Sulli might have his playlist on her phone. This playlist is freaking so relatable on her life. And I felt so devastated after read those lyrics.
Kevin Morby’s 3rd Album :
1. "Miles, Miles, Miles"
2. "Wild Side “
3. "Harlem River"
4. "If You Leave, and If You Marry"
5. "Slow Train"
6. "Reign"
7. "Sucker in the Void “
8. "The Dead They Don't Come Back".
I’ve been actively followed her back after she joined new show (Reply Night’s)
Can see that she felt so upset with those haters commenting on others. She also find all those bad comments so relatable on her. Although she’s been telling her fans that she was fine. all the viewers on ig kept asking is she ok or not. Why us can sense that she was not fine. Why pple around her not aware on her situation. She even spoke out her current situation on one of the episode in “Reply Night’s”, and confessed
“My life is actually empty, so I feel like I’m lying to everyone by pretending to be happy on the outside.
I asked around a lot for advice. They told me, ‘Everyone has a dark side in their lives but they live pretending that they don’t. Don’t think of it as weird.”
https://www.koreaboo.com/news/sulli-life-empty-pretending-happy-outside/
Copy link above to read more.
I must say. I’m still in shock about her leaving us. As u can read i even listened and read those lyrics of Kevin Morby’s 3rd Album.
Rip 🍑
@lilinputih3373
And Harlem River swallow me
Put your hands around my neck
And Harlem River I can't breathe
They've got the lights down now
And Harlem River give me wings
Put my head up in the clouds
And Harlem River all because you
RIP-Sulli, now you are free
@theofanisnikos
Harlem River talk to me
Tell me what you think about
Harlem river I'm in love love love love
Harlem River talk to me
Where' we headed now
Harlem River I'm in love love love love
All because of you
In my pearl and my diamond shoe
I climbed a cloud
now i stole the moon
Harlem River
all because of you
And Harlem River swallow me
Put your hands around my neck
And Harlem River I can't breathe
They've got the lights down now
And Harlem River give me wings
Put my head up in the clouds
And Harlem River all because
Oh I'm nowhere now
Harlem River
The music's true
And in my pearl and diamond shoes
I climbed a cloud
and now i stole the moon
Harlem River
All because of you
And i don't know
I don't know
Just where I'm going
'cause i've never been
And I don't know
I don't know
Just where I'm going
Or where i've been
oh Harlem River
Like a diamond
Rattle
That easy rattle
Flow like that Harlem River
Rattle
That easy rattle
flow like that Harlem River
I ran for you
i ran for you
I ran for you
i ran for you
@Miles-Arts
Harlem River Lyrics
[Verse 1]
Harlem River, talk to me
Tell me what you think about
Harlem River I'm in love, love, love, love
[Verse 2]
Harlem River, talk to me
Where we headed now?
Harlem River I'm in love, love, love, love
All because of you
[Verse 3]
In my pearl and my diamond shoes
I've climbed the cloud, now I stole the moon
Harlem River, all because of you
[Verse 4]
And Harlem River, swallow me
Put your hands around my neck
Harlem River, I can't breathe
They've got the lights down now
[Verse 5]
And Harlem River, give me wings
Put my head up in the clouds
And Harlem River, all because
Oh, I'm nowhere now
[Verse 6]
Harlem River, tell me, is it true?
That in my pearl and my diamonds
I've climbed the clouds, now I stole the moon
Harlem River, all because of you
[Bridge]
I don't know, I don't know just where I'm going
'Cause I've never been
And I don't know just where I'm going
Or where I've been
Oh, Harlem River, like a diamond
[Outro]
And ride on that easy rider
Flow like that Harlem River
Ride on that easy rider
Flow like that Harlem River
I ride for you
I ride for you
@aprilcollier4462
You want to know the best thing about the Great Mother? She cries for all her children. Not just for one or a select few.
@user-qg9ol1mz2n
I wanna meet her
@alfredflorin4419
This song takes me back to my childhood, but in a weird way.. the weirdest way possible.
I feel a deep melancholy, that I have probably never felt before. Listening to this gives me goosebumps and forces images down my throat, beautiful images of home, of people that I knew, of places I used to camp.
It sends me into the most beautiful trance ever. It s like loving someone that rejects you constantly. It hurts, but in a pleasant way...
I feel like Kevin has touched my soul.
@SatishKumar-ve3oi
I don't have happy memories yet i hope i will create in future
@SatishKumar-ve3oi
There is a song which took me to childhood
Palm tree by choncho i too feel something weird by listening to it
@n.a.8708
Excelente lo que has expresado. Siento lo mismo...de manera extraña.
@fredchristman9255
I like it
It’s unique
@11FREEDOM670
98г
@luce8972
Stop talking about her death, start talking about her amazing music taste cause this song is one of the most calming songs I've ever heard.. it helps me sm with studying and the vibe itself is just amazing, what a great voice he has!!
@notwerkinginthishouse8634
Exactly! Its disrespectful to both Sulli and Kevin Morby as people and artists! Kevin himself said that this song wasnt about d3ath anyways!
Sulli has beautiful songs as dayfly,to the moon,goblin, dorothy and songs from fx!
Kevin also has other beautiful songs and he is a well spoken poet!
Also sulli changed kpop,she went to donate and help in person,helped with feminism and mental health and people should stop speaking of her only to speak ill about her!
I get that some people deal with the loss and that they suffer themselves,but enough is enough