After graduating from UCLA in 2002, Bareilles performed at local bars and clubs. She issued two demos of mostly live tracks in 2003: The First One in April and The Summer Sessions in October.
In January 2004, Bareilles released her first studio album, Careful Confessions. She signed a contract with Epic Records' A&R executive Pete Giberga on April 15, 2005. The remainder of the year and early 2006 was spent writing and reworking songs for her upcoming album.
Her debut major-label album Little Voice came out on July 17, 2007.
River
Sara Bareilles Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They're cutting down trees
They're putting up reindeer
And singing songs of joy and peace
I wish I had a river
I could skate away on
It don't snow here
I'm gonna make a lot of money
Then I'm gonna quit this crazy scene
I wish I had a river
I could skate away on
I wish I had river so long
I would teach my feet to fly
Oh, I wish I had a river
I could skate away on
I made my baby cry
He tried hard to help me
You know he put me at ease
And he loved me so naughty
Made me weak in the knees
I wish I had a river
I could skate away on
I'm so hard to handle
I'm selfish and I'm sad
Now I've gone and lost the best baby
That I ever had
I wish I had a river
I could skate away on
I wish I had a river so long
I would teach my feet to fly
Oh, I wish I had a river
I could skate away on
I made my baby say goodbye
It's coming on Christmas
They're cutting down trees
They're putting up reindeer
And singing songs of joy and peace
I wish I had a river
I could skate away on
Sara Bareilles's song River is a melancholic ode to loneliness and heartbreak during the holiday season. The opening lines, "It's coming on Christmas, they're cutting down trees, they're putting up reindeer, and singing songs of joy and peace" set the scene of the festive period. However, the singer's mood is far from merry as she wishes she had a river that she could "skate away on". The theme of escape is present throughout the song as the songwriter talks about her desire to leave her current situation, "I'm gonna make a lot of money, then I'm gonna quit this crazy scene".
The lyrics suggest that the singer feels isolated and alone, with no one to turn to for comfort, "I made my baby cry, I'm so hard to handle, I'm selfish and I'm sad". She refers to losing the "best baby" she ever had, which could be a reference to a past relationship or a metaphor for something else in her life that brought her purpose and happiness. The song ends on a wistful note, with the singer repeating her desire for a river that she could "skate away on".
Overall, River is a deeply emotional song that explores themes of loneliness, heartbreak, and the desire for change. The melancholic melody and lyrics capture the mood of the holiday season for those who are struggling to find joy in the midst of loneliness and sadness.
Line by Line Meaning
It's coming on Christmas
The holiday season is approaching
They're cutting down trees
People are preparing for Christmas by chopping down trees for decoration purposes
They're putting up reindeer
The streets are being decorated with various Christmas symbols, like reindeer decorations
And singing songs of joy and peace
People are enjoying the festive season by singing songs that reflect happiness and peace
I wish I had a river
The artist is feeling hopeless and wishes to escape from the world around them
I could skate away on
The singer wants to escape and leave their troubles behind
It don't snow here
The singer is expressing the fact that their current surroundings do not match the typical Christmas weather
It stays pretty green
The artist's location is not experiencing winter and remains green even during the holiday season
I'm gonna make a lot of money
The artist has plans to earn a large sum of money
Then I'm gonna quit this crazy scene
The artist plans to leave their current situation behind once they have achieved financial success
I wish I had river so long
The singer is imagining a long, endless river where they can skate away from their problems
I would teach my feet to fly
The artist would be able to move freely in this imagined world
I made my baby cry
The singer's actions caused their loved one to become upset
He tried hard to help me
The singer's partner made an effort to support and assist them
You know he put me at ease
The partner was successful in easing the singer's worries for a while
And he loved me so naughty
The partner expressed love for the artist in unconventional, perhaps even mischievous, ways
Made me weak in the knees
The partner's love for the artist made them feel emotional and uneasy
I'm so hard to handle
The singer admits to being difficult to deal with
I'm selfish and I'm sad
The singer describes themselves as both selfish and sad
Now I've gone and lost the best baby
The artist has lost their partner, whom they believe was the best they ever had
That I ever had
The artist feels they have lost someone irreplaceable
I made my baby say goodbye
The artist's actions led to the end of the relationship
Contributed by Maya T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Igor Irianto
I'm a Alternative / Hardcore person, but I must confess, there's something about her that mysteriously intrigues me. I just can't stop listening to many of her songs. They make me reminisce, as if I've heard it somewhere, in a distant. ;D Love this single very much.
allie mihok
She does a really good job with this. I love her voice for it!
Kayleigh Winn
It sounds like a Christmas song but I can't stop listening to it all year round.
David Hartman
You should listen to Joni Mitchell`s recording of this. Joni wrote the song. It`s really a Christmas song.
Katelyn Gillum
sara is so amazing...and sounds better live than on cd.
Sarah Anwar
she has awsm voice!!
Fallon BlueGem
a wonderful rendition of Joni's Mitchell's classic and one of my favorites!!!
Heidi Bjornholm
This song of Joni Mitchell's brings tears to my eyes. Ms. Bareilles you rock on too!
Dani
This song is beautiful...=D Sara is beyond awesome....
Catherine Rouquine
so perfect... I love this song !!! I love this cover more than the original !