The River Eternal
Rome Lyrics


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Into the glowing darkness,
We travel the shining black serpent
That plugs us straight into the heart of this nightmare.
At the end of this river, is the end of this war.

Its banks keep hold of the dreams of men.
Now, penetrating the stillness, throwing seeds into the wounds of the ruined land,
Watching the jungle slide by,
Passing the thundering smoke of the faults.

At the end of this river, a lonely smell of sickness and slow death.

We were wrong; beyond wrong to try to create a paradise - a calm - on this raging stream.

Everything's gone now.
Even the bombs bawl out of terror. [?]

Even within this darkest of hours
Upon this sleepless river.

If only this were just madness.




If only...
If only.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Rome's song "The River Eternal" is a desolate representation of the reality of war, where the soldiers fight not only against their foes but against themselves too. The song navigates through the journey of the soldiers and their inner turmoil as they journey on the black serpent, a metaphor for war, that plagues their hearts with the nightmare of destruction. The banks of the river behold the dreams of men that are overshadowed by the chaos and death that surrounds them. The Jungle slides by, and the faults thunder with smoke as the soldiers travel towards the end of the river. The end, where the war would come to a halt, and peace would reinstate. The end of this river is not the one that a tired soldier had hoped for, but rather, it is just another misery to endure - a lonely smell of sickness and slow death.


The lyrics of "The River Eternal" tell us that the soldiers have failed in their pursuit of paradise, in the form of a calm river. The soldiers' attempt to turn the raging stream into a Paradise was futile, and even the bombs, the symbol of destruction and terror, have stopped crying out in their defense. The soldiers fight a war within themselves as they travel through the darkest hour of their life, sleeping and dreaming in the river that never ends. They wish that this journey was just madness, but the nightmare of war has become their reality, and they are lost in its depth. The song is an insightful, deep, and introspective representation of the brutal reality of war, the destruction it creates, and the scars it leaves behind.


Line by Line Meaning

Into the glowing darkness,
We venture into the unknown, guided only by the eerie illumination of this unfamiliar path.


We travel the shining black serpent
We navigate through the treacherous waters using the black serpent as a guide, its hypnotic gleam leading the way.


That plugs us straight into the heart of this nightmare.
Our journey takes us directly into the thick of this nightmare, a place where danger lurks around every corner.


At the end of this river, is the end of this war.
We hold onto hope that the conclusion of this harrowing journey signifies the end of the ongoing conflict.


Its banks keep hold of the dreams of men.
The river's edges manage to preserve the dreams and aspirations of humans, even in the midst of destruction and chaos.


Now, penetrating the stillness, throwing seeds into the wounds of the ruined land,
We disrupt the stagnant silence of this land, planting the seeds of change and growth amongst the barren ruins.


Watching the jungle slide by,
As we progress, the dense jungle scenery gradually passes us by, recalling to mind past memories and emotions.


Passing the thundering smoke of the faults.
We boldly pass through the ominous clouds of smoke emanating from the flaws and imperfections of both the river and ourselves.


At the end of this river, a lonely smell of sickness and slow death.
As we draw nearer to our final destination, a sense of hopelessness pervades the air, accompanied by the pungent smell of decay and illness.


We were wrong; beyond wrong to try to create a paradise - a calm - on this raging stream.
We come to the realization that our attempts to find peace and tranquility amidst this tumultuous journey were foolish and misguided.


Everything's gone now.
The all-consuming destruction of this war has left nothing behind; everything that once was is now gone forever.


Even the bombs bawl out of terror. [?]
Even inanimate objects such as bombs seem to tremble in fear at the horrors of this ongoing conflict.


Even within this darkest of hours
Even when we find ourselves amidst the bleakest of situations


Upon this sleepless river.
On this river that knows no rest, causing us to remain awake, alert, and vigilant at all times.


If only this were just madness.
If only our traumatic experiences could be explained away as a mere figment of our collective imaginations, rather than the brutal reality they are.


If only...
We cling to this desperate hope of something - anything - that could allow us to escape the harsh truth of our present situation.




Contributed by Natalie E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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