Origins
In the spring of 2010 Schneider traveled from Los Angeles to Northern Michigan. At Lake Huron, he developed songs for the first Lord Huron EP. He named the recording, Into the Sun. Upon his return to L.A., Schneider set to work putting a band together. The first to join him was his percussion-playing childhood friend Mark. Each of the band members of band hail from Michigan.
Into The Sun and Mighty
Lord Huron released two EPs in 2010, Into the Sun and Mighty. Pop & Hiss, the LA Times Music Blog, described Mighty as "full of lush acoustic guitars and Midwestern-accented harmonies as warm as a winter fireplace, but it's the Caribbean-influenced percussion that fans Lord Huron's folk sound into flame,"and Pitchfork could only classify it as "a stylistic superball, bouncing off any wall you put around it." NPR's World Cafe wrote "the band's lush harmonies are backed by a hazy whirlpool of polyrhythmic tropical drums and folk guitars."
Despite the fact that Schneider played all of the instruments on both EPs, he has gathered a band for live performances, which have also gotten positive reviews. "The totality of the experience was like being on hand for a combination drum circle, chamber performance, and Calypso street party," wrote LA Weekly.Some of the larger shows the band has performed at include Lollapalooza (2011) and Outside Lands (2011), as well as a marathon ten shows in four days at the SXSW (2011) music festival.
Discography
EPs
Into The Sun (2010)
Mighty (2010)
Time to Run (2012)
LPs
Lonesome Dreams (2012)
Strange Trails (2015)
Vide Noir (2018)
Long Lost (2021)
Wait By The River
Lord Huron Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In the light of the moon
At the edge of the city
I will wait for you
Though I can't wait forever
Someday I'll be dead and gone
And I won't be forgiven
For what I've done
I will wait by the river
I will wait by the river
I will wait by the river
I will wait by the river
I will cry out to heaven
As it rains down on me
I will beg for forgiveness
Get down on my knees
If I can't change the weather
Maybe I can change your mind
If we can't be together
What's the point of life
Baby, I didn't mean the things I said
I don't honestly wish you were dead
I'm a fool; I'm just a man
If I only could hold you again
And the stars fill the river
As it flows into the sky
And the mind leaves the body
And floats higher and higher
If we can't be together
I will leave this world behind
If I can't touch your body
Can I touch the sky?
I will wait by the river
I will wait by the river
I will wait by the river
I will wait by the river
Lord Huron's song "Wait By The River" is a haunting and poetic meditation on lost love, regret, and the desperate longing for forgiveness. The song centers on the image of the singer waiting by a river, in the moonlight, on the edge of the city, for his beloved to return. However, the singer knows that he cannot wait forever, and that someday he will die and face judgment for his past sins. He cries out to heaven, begging for forgiveness and pleading with his lover to change her mind and come back to him. The imagery of the river, the sky, and the stars suggests a sense of transcendence and otherworldliness, as if the singer's longing has taken him outside of himself and into a realm of dreamlike beauty and mystery. Ultimately, the song expresses the bittersweet paradox of human existence: our deepest desires and our greatest regrets are often intertwined, and we are left to wait and wonder, hoping against hope for some resolution, some redemption, some way to touch the sky.
Line by Line Meaning
I will wait by the river
I will stay in this location and wait for you.
In the light of the moon
During the nighttime when the moon is the main light source.
At the edge of the city
On the outskirts of a populated area.
Though I can't wait forever
I have limitations and cannot wait for you indefinitely.
Someday I'll be dead and gone
At some point in the future, I will pass away.
And I won't be forgiven
I will not be absolved of my wrongdoing.
For what I've done
For the actions I have taken.
I will cry out to heaven
I will loudly express my distress towards a higher power.
As it rains down on me
During an instance in which water is falling from the sky.
I will beg for forgiveness
I will express my contrition in hopes of being forgiven.
Get down on my knees
I will physically lower myself to a position of supplication.
If I can't change the weather
If I am unable to alter the atmospheric conditions.
Maybe I can change your mind
Perhaps I can influence your thoughts and opinions.
If we can't be together
If we are unable to be in each other's company.
What's the point of life
If we are separated, what is the purpose of existence?
Baby, I didn't mean the things I said
I regret the statements I made.
I don't honestly wish you were dead
I am not sincere in my desire for your demise.
I'm a fool; I'm just a man
I am not perfect and have made mistakes in the past.
If I only could hold you again
If only I could physically embrace you once more.
And the stars fill the river
The sky has become so full of stars that it is reflected in the water.
As it flows into the sky
As the river continues on its course and blends with the sky.
And the mind leaves the body
The consciousness separates from the physical form.
And floats higher and higher
The consciousness ascends further and further upwards.
If we can't be together
If we are unable to be in each other's company.
I will leave this world behind
I will depart from this life and cease to exist.
If I can't touch your body
If I am unable to physically interact with you.
Can I touch the sky?
Is it possible for me to reach the heavens?
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Ben Schneider
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@MrPeezySleezy
I will wait by the river
In the light of the moon
At the edge of the city
I will wait for you
No I can’t wait forever
Someday I’ll be dead and gone
And I won’t be forgiven
For what I’ve done
I will wait by the river
I will wait by the river
I will wait by the river
I will wait by the river
I will cry out to heaven
As it it rains down on me
I will beg for forgiveness
Get down on my knees
If I can’t change the weather
Maybe I can change your mind
If we can’t be together
What’s the point of life
Baby, I didn’t mean the things I said
I don’t honestly wish you were dead
I’m a fool, I’m just a man
If i only could hold you again
As the stars fill the river
As it flows into the sky
And the mind leaves the body
And floats higher and higher
If we can’t be together
I will leave this world behind
If I can’t touch your body
Can I touch the sky
I will wait by the river
I will wait by the river
I will wait by the river
I will wait by the river
@fyodordostoevsky3951
Lyrics
I will wait by the river
In the light of the moon
At the edge of the city
I will wait for you
Though I can't wait forever
Someday I'll be dead and gone
And I won't be forgiven
For what I've done
I will wait by the river
I will wait by the river
I will wait by the river
I will wait by the river
I will cry out to heaven
As it rains down on me
I will beg for forgiveness
Get down on my knees
If I can't change the weather
Maybe I can change your mind
If we can't be together
What's the point of life
Baby, I didn't mean the things I said
I don't honestly wish you were dead
I'm a fool; I'm just a man
If I only could hold you again
And the stars fill the river
As it flows into the sky
And the mind leaves the body
And floats higher and higher
If we can't be together
I will leave this world behind
If I can't touch your body
Can I touch the sky?
I will wait by the river
I will wait by the river
I will wait by the river
I will wait by the river.
@amandawashington4239
The Vet recommended this when my buddy died. I understand why, now. I miss you Boy.
@kimwalls346
I dedicated this song to my little furry companion when she left us also.
@japancountryball5853
Don’t cry cause he’s gone just be happy he’s was born
@RilanaWandir
I also found Bronte by Gotye to be helpful. I'm sorry you lost your friend
@ritab5153
im so sorry for your loss....
@savana1109
Single-handedly ripped my heart out and fed it to me
@TheCapuletCafe
Will never forget when they played this song live and Ben saying, “this song goes out to all you lonely lovers.” Absolutely gorgeous song + performance
@tommym7646
this song really transports you somewhere. Sad and sweet at the same time...
@saywhatyouwill405
What a gifted singer and songwriter and band. They never disappoint.
@marzdagodofwar2291
This song is for all the broken hearts out there who’ve lost someone they wish they could have back 😢😭