River Of Pain
Primal Scream Lyrics


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Johnny's home drunk again quoting from "The rights of man", it's midnight
Working late, job he hates, rage he can't communicate inside him
Susan's roused from her bed to frozen kitchen, silent without protest
Half asleep, food on stove, threat and insults, a rain of blows screaming hell

Oh you feel the shame, oh you feel the pain
When there's nothing you can do you carry it with you
Susan tries her best to hide, the blues and purples around her eyes with make up
She gets the kids dressed for school, they all pretend, it never happened
Little children bury deep, awful sectrets they must keep inside them
Damaged daughters, damaged sons, river of pain in every one

Oh you feel the shame, oh you feel the pain
When there's nothing you can do you carry it with you
When there's nothing you can do you carry it with you

Oh you feel the shame, oh you feel the pain
When there's nothing you can do you carry it with you




When there's nothing you can do you carry it with you
When there's nothing you can do you carry it with you

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Primal Scream's "River of Pain" speak to the experience of domestic abuse and the ways in which it impacts not only the individual experiencing the abuse, but also their families and loved ones. The first verse describes Johnny, who comes home drunk and quotes from "The Rights of Man" - a political pamphlet written by Thomas Paine in the late 18th century. The use of this specific text could suggest Johnny's frustration with his own lack of agency and power in his life, as it argues that everyone has the right to certain freedoms and protections. However, Johnny's actions towards his partner Susan are anything but protective or free - instead, he subjects her to verbal and physical abuse.


The second verse focuses on Susan's attempts to hide the evidence of Johnny's abuse with makeup and to maintain a facade of normalcy for their children. The line "little children bury deep, awful secrets they must keep inside them" highlights the way that witnessing domestic abuse as a child can have long-lasting impacts on one's psychological well-being. The song ends with a repetition of the lines "when there's nothing you can do you carry it with you" - a poignant reminder of the lasting effects of trauma and abuse.


Overall, "River of Pain" is a powerful and emotional exploration of a difficult subject. Its lyrics are painfully honest and unflinching, and they provide a window into the experiences of those affected by domestic violence.


Line by Line Meaning

Johnny's home drunk again quoting from "The rights of man", it's midnight
Johnny has come back home inebriated and is reciting quotes from "The Rights of Man" by Thomas Paine despite it being late at night


Working late, job he hates, rage he can't communicate inside him
Johnny is frustrated as he's working at a job he detests, and is unable to express his anger


Susan's roused from her bed to frozen kitchen, silent without protest
Susan is woken up and heads to her kitchen, responsive but not resisting the situation


Half asleep, food on stove, threat and insults, a rain of blows screaming hell
Susan is only partially awake as she leaves food on the stove, while being subjected to insults and physical assault


Oh you feel the shame, oh you feel the pain
The victims of the abuse feel intense guilt and agony


When there's nothing you can do you carry it with you
The pain and trauma persist even when the victims are unable to take any action


Susan tries her best to hide, the blues and purples around her eyes with make up
Susan attempts to conceal the bruising and discoloration under her eyes with makeup


She gets the kids dressed for school, they all pretend, it never happened
Susan readies her children for school, and they act like the previous night's events never occurred


Little children bury deep, awful sectrets they must keep inside them
The children feel compelled to keep their traumatic experiences to themselves and keep them buried inside


Damaged daughters, damaged sons, river of pain in every one
Both the girls and boys in the family are damaged by the abuse and suffer greatly




Contributed by Tyler M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

Cleriston F. A.

Fucking great song

Mehbub Jalil

alien river of pain Audiobook do you know were i can download that

sebastian morales lezica

uuuf

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