The four-time Grammy winner has acted in a number of films and been a guest-star on television. Lovett was married to actress Julia Roberts for a short time in the mid-1990s. In 2002, he was gored by a bull while working on his uncle's farm in Texas, but soon recovered and resumed touring.
Texas River Song
Lyle Lovett Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We forded the nueces
We swum the guadalupe
And we followed the brazos
Red river runs rusty
The wichita clear
But down by the brazos
I courted my dear
Singing li, li, li, le, le, le
Lend me your hand
Li, li, li, le, le, le
Lend me your hand
Li, li, li, le, le, le
Lend me your hand
There's many a river
That waters the land
Now the fair angelina
Runs glossy and gliding
The crooked colorado
Runs weaving and winding
The slow san antonio
Courses and plains
But I never will walk
By the brazos again
She kissed me and she hugged me
And she called me her dandy
The trinity's muddy
But the brazos quick sandy
She kissed me and she hugged me
And she called me her own
But down by the brazos
She left me alone
Now the girls of little river
They're plump and they're pretty
The sabine and the sulphur
Hold beauties a'many
The banks of the neches
There are girls by the score
But down by the brazos
I'll wander no more
Lyle Lovett's "Texas River Song" is a tribute to the many rivers of Texas, where the singer and his beloved cross and follow these rivers throughout the song. The song opens with the line "We crossed the wild pecos," and the singer then describes other rivers they have forded, swum, and followed. The lyric "Red river runs rusty, the wichita clear, but down by the brazos, I courted my dear" highlights the contrast in the appearance of different rivers, but the singer's true love was found by the Brazos River, which becomes the focal point of the song.
As the song progresses, the singer describes other Texas rivers and the beauty held by their respective banks, but he declares that he will never walk by the Brazos again as she left him alone despite the love he received from her. The chorus repeats "Li, li, li, le, le, le, lend me your hand, there's many a river that waters the land" and suggests that, while the Brazos River was the site of both good and bad experiences, many other rivers in Texas hold untold potential for new experiences and discoveries.
Line by Line Meaning
We crossed the wild pecos
We successfully made it across the Pecos River, which was wild and unpredictable
We forded the nueces
We managed to cross the Nueces River by wading through it on foot
We swum the guadalupe
We crossed the Guadalupe River by swimming across it
And we followed the brazos
We continued to travel along the Brazos River
Red river runs rusty
The Red River has a reddish-brown color, similar to rust
The wichita clear
The Wichita River is clear and transparent
But down by the brazos
In the vicinity of the Brazos River
I courted my dear
I spent time with my beloved person romantically
Singing li, li, li, le, le, le
Making a repetitive, joyous sound
Lend me your hand
Assist me by giving me your hand to hold on to
There's many a river
There are numerous rivers in the world
That waters the land
That provide nourishment to the land around it
Now the fair angelina
The Angelina River, which is lovely and graceful
Runs glossy and gliding
Flows smoothly and effortlessly, with shiny, reflective water
The crooked colorado
The Colorado River, which has a winding, twisting path
Runs weaving and winding
Flows in an undulating, serpentine course
The slow san antonio
The San Antonio River, which moves at a leisurely pace
Courses and plains
Moves through relatively flat, open areas
But I never will walk
I will avoid travelling
By the brazos again
In the area close to the Brazos River in the future
She kissed me and she hugged me
She showed me affection by kissing and embracing me
And she called me her dandy
She referred to me as her fashionable and elegant companion
The trinity's muddy
The Trinity River has muddy, murky water
But the brazos quick sandy
The Brazos River has sandy banks that shift and change quickly
She kissed me and she hugged me
She embraced me and cuddled me
And she called me her own
She referred to me as her special and unique partner
But down by the brazos
In the area near the Brazos River
She left me alone
She abandoned me and left me by myself
Now the girls of little river
The girls who live near the Little River
They're plump and they're pretty
They are attractive and healthy-looking
The sabine and the sulphur
The Sabine River and the Sulphur River
Hold beauties a'many
Have many attractive and charming aspects
The banks of the neches
The region adjacent to the Neches River
There are girls by the score
There are many girls living in that area
But down by the brazos
In the vicinity of the Brazos River
I'll wander no more
I will avoid travelling and exploring
Lyrics © Regard Music, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DP, LYLE LOVETT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind