See My Friends
Ray Davies and The Crouch End Festival Chorus Lyrics
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See my friends,
Layin' 'cross the river,
See my friends,
See my friends,
Layin' 'cross the river,
She is gone,
She is gone and now there's no one left
Layin' 'cross the river,
She just went,
She just went,
Went across the river.
Now she's gone,
Now she's gone,
Wish that I'd gone with her.
She is gone,
She is gone and now there's no one left
'Cept my friends,
Layin' 'cross the river,
She is gone and now there's no one else to take her place
She is gone and now there's no one else to love
'Cept my friends,
Layin' 'cross the river,
See my friends,
See my friends,
Layin' 'cross the river,
See my friends,
See my friends,
Layin' 'cross the river,
The lyrics of Ray Davies’s song ‘See My Friends’ can be interpreted in different ways, but one possible interpretation is the sense of loss and mourning. The singer is lamenting the loss of a woman who has passed away and expressing his sorrow. The repeated phrase “see my friends, layin' 'cross the river” suggests a funeral procession, as friends and family carry the casket across the river to the burial site. The repetition of “she is gone” reinforces the finality of death and the singer’s sense of loss.
There is a poignancy and emotional depth to these lyrics that is amplified by the simplicity of their presentation. The use of repetition and parallel structure reflects the singer’s grief and his attempt to come to terms with the reality of the woman’s death. The final lines, “she is gone and now there's no one else to take her place / she is gone and now there's no one else to love,” reveal both the singer’s personal loss and a broader sense of the impermanence of life.
Overall, Ray Davies’s ‘See My Friends’ is a poignant tribute to love and loss, using spare but powerful lyrics to convey the sense of mourning experienced when someone passes away.
Line by Line Meaning
See my friends,
The singer is requesting the listener to observe his friends
Layin' 'cross the river,
The singer's friends are positioned across the river
She is gone,
The singer's romantic partner has departed
and now there's no one left 'Cept my friends,
The only people who remain in the artist's life are his friends
She just went,
The artist's romantic partner recently left
Went across the river.
The singer's romantic partner crossed the river for unknown reasons
Now she's gone,
The singer's romantic partner is now absent
Wish that I'd gone with her.
The artist wishes that he had accompanied his romantic partner
She is gone and now there's no one else to take her place
No one else can replace the artist's romantic partner
She is gone and now there's no one else to love
The artist is grieving the loss of his romantic partner and feels as though he has no one else to love
'Cept my friends,
The singer's only source of comfort and company are his friends
See my friends,
The artist's repetition of this phrase emphasizes the importance of his friends in his life
Layin' 'cross the river,
The singer's friends are still positioned across the river
See my friends,
The singer once again requests the listener to observe his friends
See my friends,
The singer reiterates the importance of his friends
Layin' 'cross the river,
The artist's friends have not moved from their position across the river
Lyrics © BROADWAY MUSIC CORPORATION, Kassner Associated Publishers Ltd
Written by: Raymond Douglas Davies
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind