The River's Too Wide
Sammy Davis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The water rushed too loud for talkin'
We never built bridges for walkin'
Now the river's too wide
A gentle stream once flowed between us
But love could cross it easily
Till stormy skies brought bitter teardrops
Come between you and me
The river's too wide now for crossin'
The water rushed too loud for talkin'
We never built bridges for walkin'
There's no getting' to the other side
The river's too wide for crossin'
The hurtin' goes too deep for mendin'
It looks like an unhappy endin'
`Cos the river's too wide
Good lessons learned are not forgotten
We gave up love to save our pride
Next time I'm faced with risin' water
I'll build a bridge of love and kindness
Reachin' to the other side
And the river's too wide now for crossin'
The water rushed too loud for talkin'
We never built bridges for walkin'
There's no getting' to the other side
The river's too wide for crossin'
The hurtin' goes too deep for mendin'
It looks like an unhappy endin'
`Cos the river's too wide
The lyrics of Sammy Davis Jr.'s "The River's Too Wide" describe a relationship that has reached a point of no return. The metaphor of a river that has become too wide to cross represents the emotional distance and bitterness that has grown between the two people. The gentle stream that once flowed between them was a symbol of their love, but that love was not strong enough to weather the storms that they faced. Like a river that swells during a storm, their emotions also became more intense and overwhelming, making it impossible to find common ground.
The lyrics suggest that the couple never built bridges for walking, meaning that they did not work on communication and forgiveness when problems arose. Their inability to address their issues and build stronger emotional bonds led to a river that continued to widen until it became too late to cross. The last two stanzas bring a sense of hope and learning from the experience. The singer acknowledges that good lessons learned are not forgotten and they will build a bridge of love and kindness to reach the other side if faced with a similar situation again.
Overall, the message of the song is about the importance of working on a relationship, communicating effectively, and finding ways to bridge differences during difficult times. It is a poignant reminder of the consequences of neglecting those responsibilities.
Line by Line Meaning
The river's too wide now for crossin'
The distance between us has grown too great to overcome.
The water rushed too loud for talkin'
Emotions are too high, making communication difficult.
We never built bridges for walkin'
We did not prioritize building a connection between us.
Now the river's too wide
Our separation is now beyond repair.
A gentle stream once flowed between us
Our love was once easy to navigate.
But love could cross it easily
Our love was strong and could overcome any obstacles.
Till stormy skies brought bitter teardrops
Difficulties arose and caused us to start drifting apart.
And made that stream a ragin' river
The difficulties turned into insurmountable obstacles.
Come between you and me
Our connection was destroyed by the obstacles we faced.
There's no getting' to the other side
We cannot repair the damage that has been done to our relationship.
The hurtin' goes too deep for mendin'
The pain we caused each other cannot be healed.
It looks like an unhappy endin'
Our relationship has reached its breaking point.
Good lessons learned are not forgotten
We have learned valuable lessons from our failed relationship.
We gave up love to save our pride
Our egos got in the way and we sacrificed our love for our own self-importance.
Next time I'm faced with risin' water
In the future, when I face obstacles in a relationship,
I'll build a bridge of love and kindness
I will prioritize building a strong connection based on love and kindness.
Reachin' to the other side
In order to overcome any obstacles that may arise and maintain a strong relationship.
'Cos the river's too wide
Unfortunately, in this case, our separation was too great to overcome.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BOB MORRISON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind