Down River
M.I.A. Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Testing one
Go, one, two, three, four

Wilcannia Mob
M.I.A.
Morganics

When it's real hot we go down the river and swim
And When we go fishing we're catching the bream
When the river's high we jump off the bridge
And when we get home we play some didge

When it's real hot we go down the river and swim
When we go fishing we're catching the bream
When the river's high, we jump off the bridge
And when we get home we play some didge

They call me Wally, this is where I'm at
I wear my NRL baseball cap
Parramatta's my team if you know what I mean
To be the captain, that's my dream

My name is Keith from Wilcannia Street
I walk on stilts to read the beat
When it crawls out, I shake a leg
This is my rhyme and that's what I said

First of all I wanna say
I don't really know why you act that way
My name is Maya and people always say
I act kinda strange like a dooba weh

I like fish and mango pickle
When I climb trees them feet them tickle
I'm broke this month, didn't pay rent
I had to jump town and the money's all spent (all spent)
I had to jump town and the money's all spent

When it's real hot we go down the river and swim
And When we go fishing we're catching the bream
When the river's high, we jump off the bridge
And when we get home we play some didge

When it's real hot we go down the river and swim
And when we go fishing we're catching the bream
When the river's high, we jump off the bridge
And when we get home we play some didge

We-we-we play some didge
We-we-we play some didge
We-we-we play some didge

Well Colroy's here and I have no fear
All you old pigs better watch out for this bit
And I'm with the gang and I'm almost ten
I wanna be an actor like Jackie Chan

Lendal is my name; I like to do back flips
Listen to the words that come from my lips
Jump off the bridge and I'll play the didge
And when I catch a fish, I put it in the fridge

My name is Buddy, I can't stand still
Wilcannia to Dubbo to Broken Hill
I've been movin' 'round from town to town
And this is how I, get down

Rode the BMX, we walked through the bush
The boys fight to ride it but I just let 'em push
Keith stole an egg from a li'l kookoo
Kept it safe in his mouth, while he danced the jookoo jookoo

There's only one ocean that got fish left
One day we'll have to be a really good chef
And I don't mean us in the bush making meth
Boys, if you catch meth, you catch your death
When I said that Keith sneezed and had a chick
Broke the little egg in his mouth in little bits

When it's real hot we go down the river and swim
And when we go fishing we're catching the bream
When the river's high, we jump off the bridge
And when we get home we play some didge

When it's real hot we go down the river and swim
And when we go fishing we're catching the bream
When the river's high, we jump off the bridge
And when we get home we play some didge

When it's real hot we go down the river and swim
And when we go fishing we're catching the bream




When the river's high, we jump off the bridge
And when we get home we play some didge

Overall Meaning

M.I.A.'s "Down River" is a song that emphasizes the importance of connecting with nature and tradition, particularly in Indigenous Australian culture. The song's opening lines feature Wilcannia Mob, a group of Indigenous hip-hop artists, who introduce the theme of connecting with the river and the outdoors. The song highlights activities like swimming and fishing, which are not only fun but also help people to feel a sense of community and belonging.


In the other verses, M.I.A. introduces herself and her experiences with poverty and hardship, which has made her appreciate simple pleasures like eating mango pickle and climbing trees. The other members of Wilcannia Mob also introduce themselves and their passions, including acting, backflips, and BMX riding. These diverse interests are united by the common theme of respect for nature and pride in their heritage.


Overall, "Down River" celebrates the diversity and richness of Indigenous Australian culture while emphasizing the importance of appreciating and respecting the natural world. The song's upbeat tempo and fun lyrics make it a joyous celebration of community and tradition.


Line by Line Meaning

When it's real hot we go down the river and swim
Swimming in the river is a way to cool down when the weather is hot


And When we go fishing we're catching the bream
Fishing in the river is a way to catch bream


When the river's high we jump off the bridge
Jumping off the bridge is a fun activity when the river is high


And when we get home we play some didge
Playing the didgeridoo is a form of entertainment when they return home


They call me Wally, this is where I'm at
Wally is the artist's nickname and this is where he currently is located


I wear my NRL baseball cap
The singer wears a baseball cap with the NRL team Parramatta on it


Parramatta's my team if you know what I mean
The NRL team Parramatta is the singer's favorite team


To be the captain, that's my dream
The artist dreams of being the captain of the Parramatta team


My name is Keith from Wilcannia Street
The artist's name is Keith and he is from Wilcannia Street


I walk on stilts to read the beat
Keith walks on stilts to match the rhythm of music


When it crawls out, I shake a leg
When the music starts playing, Keith dances energetically


This is my rhyme and that's what I said
The lines he just spoke are part of his rhyme and that's what he said


First of all I wanna say
The singer wants to start with expressing something they feel is important


I don't really know why you act that way
The singer is unsure why someone behaves in a certain manner


My name is Maya and people always say
The singer's name is Maya and people often comment on her behavior


I act kinda strange like a dooba weh
Maya's behavior is often considered odd, like a 'dooba weh'


I like fish and mango pickle
The artist enjoys eating fish and mango pickle


When I climb trees them feet them tickle
When the singer climbs trees, their feet feel ticklish


I'm broke this month, didn't pay rent
The singer doesn't have money this month and hasn't paid rent


I had to jump town and the money's all spent
The artist had to leave their town and spent all of their money


When it's real hot we go down the river and swim
Swimming in the river is a way to cool down when the weather is hot


We-we-we play some didge
They play the didgeridoo together


Well Colroy's here and I have no fear
Colroy is present and the singer is not afraid


All you old pigs better watch out for this bit
The artist warns older people to pay attention


And I'm with the gang and I'm almost ten
The singer is part of a group and is almost ten years old


I wanna be an actor like Jackie Chan
The singer's dream is to become an actor like Jackie Chan


Lendal is my name; I like to do back flips
The singer's name is Lendal and they enjoy doing back flips


Listen to the words that come from my lips
The artist encourages the listener to pay attention to their words


And when I catch a fish, I put it in the fridge
When the artist catches a fish, they place it in the fridge


My name is Buddy, I can't stand still
The singer's name is Buddy and they are always moving


Wilcannia to Dubbo to Broken Hill
Buddy has traveled from Wilcannia to Dubbo to Broken Hill


I've been movin' 'round from town to town
Buddy has been traveling from one town to another


And this is how I, get down
This is how Buddy enjoys spending their time


Rode the BMX, we walked through the bush
The artist and others rode BMX bikes and walked in the bush


The boys fight to ride it but I just let 'em push
Other boys fight over who gets to ride the bike, but the singer lets them push it


Keith stole an egg from a li'l kookoo
Keith took an egg from a small bird called a kookoo


Kept it safe in his mouth, while he danced the jookoo jookoo
While Keith danced the 'jookoo jookoo', he kept the egg safe in his mouth


There's only one ocean that got fish left
There is only one ocean with fish remaining


One day we'll have to be a really good chef
The singer hopes to become a great chef someday


And I don't mean us in the bush making meth
The artist clarifies that they don't mean cooking drugs in the bush


Boys, if you catch meth, you catch your death
The artist warns that catching meth can lead to death


When I said that Keith sneezed and had a chick
When the singer mentioned Keith, he sneezed and a baby bird popped out


Broke the little egg in his mouth in little bits
Keith accidentally broke the egg in his mouth into small pieces




Contributed by Kylie P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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