Adams was born the daughter of a preacher and was raised with gospel music. In her youth her family moved to Yakima, Washington, which is sometimes shown as her place of birth.
Adams started her career in 1980 with two self-financed albums which had limited success. In 1985, she was discovered by Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith, founders of the famous English pop band Tears for Fears whilst performing in a Kansas City, Missouri bar. They invited her to join their band as a singer to their next album The Seeds of Love.
In 1989, the LP was released and the single "Woman In Chains" - sung as a duet by Adams and Orzabal and with Phil Collins on drums - became her real first hit. Oleta started her solo career in 1990 assisted by Orzabal who did the production. Her debut album Circle of One received much critical acclaim and she scored her biggest hit to date in 1991 with her cover of Brenda Russell's "Get Here". 1991 also saw Oleta contribute to the Elton John/Bernie Taupin tribute album, Two Rooms, on which appeared her version of John's 1974 hit "Don't Let the Sun Go Down On Me".
Her next album Evolution was also a commercial success. Her 1995 release, Moving On, saw Oleta move more in the direction of R&B. Two years later she released the Christian themed Come Walk With Me.
Adams' smooth sumptuous contralto voice has become the vanguard in an R&B jazz segment that was largely vacant during Anita Baker's hiatus.
In 2001, Adams released her sixth album, All The Love, a return to an R&B/Adult contemporary sound. The album was re-released in 2004 in Germany with a different title I Can't Live a Day without You.
In 2004, Adams reunited with Tears for Fears once again as she made a surprise guest appearance onstage at their Kansas City concert, performing "Woman in Chains".
Adams released her first Christmas album on 3 October 2006, entitled Christmas Time with Oleta.
A secular album entitled Let's Stay Here, was released on April 21, 2009.
Many Rivers to Cross
Oleta Adams Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But I can't seem to find my way over
Wandering I am lost
As I travel along white cliffs of Dover
Many rivers to cross
And it's only my will that keeps me alive
I've been licked, washed up for years
And this loneliness won't leave me alone
It's such a drag to be on your own
My baby left me and he didn't say why
Well I guess I'll have to try
Many rivers to cross
But just where to begin
I'm playing for time
There have been times I find myself thinking of committing
Some dreadful crime
I've got many rivers to cross
But I can't seem to find my way over
Wandering I am lost
As I travel along white cliffs of Dover
The lyrics of Oleta Adams's song Many Rivers to Cross are a reflection of the singer's struggles as they try to navigate life's challenges. The metaphor of 'many rivers' represents the various trials and obstacles the singer is facing, with the 'white cliffs of Dover' symbolizing the uncertainty and confusion that comes with trying to overcome them. The opening lines reveal a sense of hopelessness as the singer admits to being lost and unable to find their way over these rivers. However, they acknowledge that it is their willpower that keeps them alive, highlighting their resilience in the face of hardship.
Throughout the song, the singer expresses their sense of defeat, having been 'washed up for years' and 'merely surviving' due to their pride. The loneliness they feel seems to be overwhelming as they confess that it won't leave them alone. This shows that the trials they face are wearing them down emotionally as well as physically. The mention of their baby leaving them adds to this sense of isolation as they now have no one to lean on.
The chorus reinforces the idea of the many challenges that lie ahead for the singer. They are aware that there are 'many rivers to cross', but are not sure where to start. The phrase 'playing for time' suggests that they are simply biding their time until they are able to find some kind of solution. However, this predicament has led them to consider 'committing some dreadful crime', revealing the desperation that underlies their struggles. Overall, Many Rivers to Cross conveys a sense of helplessness and despair that is relatable to anyone who has found themselves in a difficult situation.
Line by Line Meaning
Many rivers to cross
Many challenges to face
But I can't seem to find my way over
But I am struggling to overcome them
Wandering I am lost
Feeling lost and directionless
As I travel along white cliffs of Dover
As I journey through life, uncertain of the destination
And it's only my will that keeps me alive
My determination is what is keeping me going
I've been licked, washed up for years
I've faced setback after setback for a long time
And I merely survive because of my pride
But I refuse to give up because of my stubbornness
And this loneliness won't leave me alone
Feelings of isolation and sadness persist
It's such a drag to be on your own
It's exhausting to constantly be alone
My baby left me and he didn't say why
The loss of a loved one has left me confused and hurt
Well I guess I'll have to try
But I know I must keep going and try to move on
But just where to begin
But I don't know how to start over
I'm playing for time
I'm trying to buy myself some time to figure things out
There have been times I find myself thinking of committing
There have been moments when I have considered doing something drastic
Some dreadful crime
Even though I know it's not the answer
I've got many rivers to cross
I have many more challenges ahead
But I can't seem to find my way over
And I'm struggling to overcome them
Wandering I am lost
Feeling lost and uncertain
As I travel along white cliffs of Dover
As I continue to journey through life, unsure of where it will take me
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JIMMY CLIFF
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Christopher Steen
Here are the lyrics
I dont own them
Many rivers to cross
But I can't seem to find my way over
Wandering I am lost
As I travel along white cliffs of Dover
Many rivers to cross
And it's only my will that keeps me alive
I've been licked, washed up for years
And I merely survive because of my pride
And this loneliness won't leave me alone
It's such a drag to be on your own
My baby left me and he didn't say why
Well I guess I'll have to try
Many rivers to cross
But just where to begin
I'm playing for time
There have been times I find myself thinking of committing
Some dreadful crime
I've got many rivers to cross
But I can't seem to find my way over
Wandering I am lost
As I travel along white cliffs of Dover
Mamaziha79
"Many Rivers To Cross"
Many rivers to cross
But I can't seem to find my way over
Wandering I am lost
As I travel along the white cliffs of Dover
Many rivers to cross
And it's only my will that keeps me alive
I've been licked, washed up for years
And I merely survive because of my pride
And this loneliness won't leave me alone
It's such a drag to be on your own
My woman left me and she didn't say why
Well I guess, I have to try
Many rivers to cross
But just where to begin, I'm playing for time
There are times I find myself
Thinking of committing some dreadful crime
Yes, I've got many rivers to cross
But I can't seem to find my way over
Wandering I am lost
As I travel along the white cliffs of Dover...
Tom Busch
She has a very unique voice. Beautiful. Hard to imagine that somebody can sing this well.
gylendar love
She has such a beautiful voice
Tricia Wehner
I love her music
Skylightatdusk
She's done justice to this song. Not everyone can do that.
Wheat!
Yes she does
Stanley Gear
This is so beautiful Jason lyric
Rose R.
I have yet to listen to this song and NOT cry!! One of my favorites of all time!
King Naldo 👑
Send your thanks to Jimmy Cliff for writing and first performing this song for his 1973 Jamaican movie "The Harder, They Come" .... Oleta did a masterful job on this rendition though👍
black40sunrise
I know, OMG I’m ova here crying my eyes out🥲 I love this song ✨👍🏿💜💚💙
music lover1984
@black40sunrise I always did too.