River of No Return
Marilyn Monroe Lyrics

If you listen you can hear it call...
The river has a distinct call that can be heard if one pays attention.

There is a river called the river of no return
There exists a treacherous river named 'the river of no return'.

Sometimes it's peaceful and sometimes wild and free!
The river's behavior is unpredictable, just like love.

Love is a traveler on the river of no return
Love shares the same qualities as this volatile river and is fated to be lost in it.

Swept on forever to be lost in the stormy sea
Love is helplessly swept away by the current and can never be recovered again.

(Wail-a-ree) I can hear the river call (no return, no return)
The singer can hear the river calling out to them, reminding them of love's inevitable loss.

Where the roarin' waters fall wail-a-ree
The river's rapids create a deafening roar, intensifying the metaphor of love's turbulence.

I can hear my lover call "Come to me" (no return, no return)
The artist can hear their lost lover calling out to them, but knows that it is futile due to the river's unrelenting nature.

I lost my love on the river and forever my heart will yearn
The artist has lost their love to the river and will always long for them.

Gone, gone forever down the river of no return
The artist's love is forever lost to the river, as is any hope of reunion.

Wail-a-ree (Wail-a-ree), wail-a-ree
The singer expresses their sorrow through a mournful cry.

He'll never return to me! (no return, no return, no return)
The artist knows that their lover is never coming back due to the river's unforgiving nature.