Rivers Of Babylon
Steve Earle Lyrics
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Where he sat down
And there he wept
When he remember Zion
It was the wicked
They carry us away captivity
How can we sing King Alfa's song
In a strange land
Shout it out my brother
Sing your song of freedom
Sing it out sister
By the rivers of Babylon
Where he sat down
And there he wept
When he remember Zion
It was the wicked
They carry us away captivity
Require from us a song
How can we sing King Alfa's song
In a strange land
Shout it out my brother
By the rivers of Babylon
Where he sat down
And there he wept
When he remember Zion
By the rivers of Babylon
Where he sat down
And there he wept
When he remember Zion
By the rivers of Babylon
Where he sat down
And there he wept
When he remember Zion
The lyrics to Steve Earle's "Rivers of Babylon" are a version of the biblical Psalm 137. The song speaks of the capture and exile of the Israelites by the Babylonians, and their deep longing for their homeland. The opening lines, "By the rivers of Babylon, where he sat down, and there he wept, when he remembered Zion," set the tone for the song. The "he" in this line is likely King David, the writer of Psalm 137, who is described as sitting by the river and weeping for his homeland.
The second verse speaks of the Israelites being taken captive by the wicked Babylonians and being forced to sing a song. However, they cannot sing their holy King Alfa's song in a foreign land, as they long for their homeland. The chorus urges people to sing out, to shout out their songs of freedom. The repetition of the lines "By the rivers of Babylon, where he sat down, and there he wept, when he remembered Zion" reinforces the deep longing and sadness felt by the exiled Israelites.
Line by Line Meaning
By the rivers of Babylon
He was in a foreign land, near the rivers of Babylon.
Where he sat down
He sat down by the rivers of Babylon.
And there he wept
He cried at the thought of his home, Zion.
When he remember Zion
He remembered his homeland Zion, and it made him sad.
It was the wicked
It was the wicked who took him captive.
They carry us away captivity
They took him away from his homeland, and made him a captive.
Require from us a song
They demanded him to sing a song for their own entertainment.
How can we sing King Alfa's song
He wondered how he could sing the song of his king, King Alfa, in a place that was not his homeland.
In a strange land
He was in a land that was not his own, and it felt strange to him.
Shout it out my brother
He was encouraging his brother to shout out and make his voice heard.
Sing your song of freedom
He wanted his brother to sing a song that would express their desire for freedom.
Sing it out sister
He also encouraged his sister to sing and express herself through song.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Royalty Network, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Sentric Music, Downtown Music Publishing, Songtrust Ave, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: James Agustus Mcnaughton, Frank Farian, George Reyam, Brent Gayford Dowe
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind