By This River
Martin L. Gore Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Here we are
Stuck by this river
You and I
Underneath a sky that's ever falling down, down, down
Ever falling down

Through the day
As if on an ocean
Waiting here
Always failing to remember why we came, came, came:
I wonder why we came

You talk to me
As if from a distance
And I reply




With impressions chosen from another time, time, time
From another time

Overall Meaning

The song "By This River" by Martin L. Gore speaks about being stuck in a moment of life with someone, standing still by a river where the sky is falling down. The lyrics denote a feeling of hopelessness and being stuck in time. The river could symbolize life and the constant flow of time; the characters in the song stand still, seemingly unable to move or escape. The falling sky may represent the struggles and worries that constantly weigh them down, making them feel helpless and trapped in this moment.


The second verse emphasizes the characters' forgetfulness of the reason for being there. They are lost in time and cannot recall why they arrived at this moment. It highlights a feeling of confusion and bewilderment, emphasizing the sense of hopelessness and despair. It seems like they are both struggling with some kind of memory loss or disorientation, adding to the overall sense of discomfort and unease. The final verse features a communication gap, adding an extra layer to the song's meaning. The singer offers a distance from the person they are talking to. They refer to another time and respond from a distance, implying a lack of connection and understanding.


Overall, the lyrics of "By This River" speak to feeling stuck and lost, trapped in a moment where time seems to stand still. The characters struggle to move forward or remember why they are there, leaving them feeling disconnected and isolated. The song offers a profound insight into the human experience of being stuck in a moment and struggling to move past it.


Line by Line Meaning

Here we are
We find ourselves in this situation


Stuck by this river
We are unable to move from this place


You and I
Both of us are present


Underneath a sky that's ever falling down, down, down
Beneath a perpetual cycle of darkness and despair


Ever falling down
Continuously worsening


Through the day
During the hours of daylight


As if on an ocean
Like we are adrift on a vast sea


Waiting here
Remaining in this place


Always failing to remember why we came, came, came:
Unable to recall our reason for being here


I wonder why we came
I question our purpose


You talk to me
You communicate with me


As if from a distance
As though you are far away


And I reply
I respond


With impressions chosen from another time, time, time
Using memories from the past to express myself


From another time
From a different point in the past




Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Most interesting comment from YouTube:

MazeGen

Here we are
Stuck by this river
You and I
Underneath a sky that's ever falling down, down, down
Ever falling down

Through the day
As if on an ocean
Waiting here
Always failing to remember why we came, came, came
I wonder why we came

You talk to me
As if from a distance
And I reply
With impressions chosen from another time, time, time
From another time



All comments from YouTube:

Viviane

Dois artistas que eu amo, Martin Gore e Brian Eno ❤️

Bill Warp

Never actually knew Martin had done this. Adore Brian Eno, obsessed with Depeche, so this should be heaven, perhaps this cover is tautologous though, whereas others he's done have really made something new and incredible of the original song. Still, two geniuses... should work together.

TK01

I saw him live when this album came out. I looked behind me a second (a very small club in Milan) and Andrew Fletcher was right there enjoying the concert lol. Great times.

ElephantxBalloons

These covers are so atmospheric. Such a great listen!

Till Haber

The song was written by Dieter Moebius, Brian Eno and Hans Joachim Roedelius.
Moebius had a house by the river in Forst in the Weserbergland ( Germany).
Moebius, Eno and Roedelius wrote this song in this house in 1977.
"Harmonia", the joint project of Moebius, Roedelius and Michael Rother, is the "most important rock band in the world," Eno said at the time.

Beauford A. Stenberg

Thank you so much for that information.

MazeGen

Here we are
Stuck by this river
You and I
Underneath a sky that's ever falling down, down, down
Ever falling down

Through the day
As if on an ocean
Waiting here
Always failing to remember why we came, came, came
I wonder why we came

You talk to me
As if from a distance
And I reply
With impressions chosen from another time, time, time
From another time

Silvia Cavanini

The sound of Martin ....unico!Eno approved♡♡♡

Bise Ushery

Отличный старый сольный альбом Мартина Гора (1989 год), причём здесь все сольные песни Мартина Гора - также это каверы Мартина Гора с других песен других певцов и певиц. Но для меня, каверы Мартина Гора - тоже это песни Мартина Гора, и точка 🤗🤗

Nocturnal Artist1909

Ah, simply beautiful 🌹🌹🌹

More Comments

More Versions