Get Down River
The Bottle Rockets Lyrics
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it's [D]high on the side and it [C]sinks in the [G]middle.
When the [G]rain comes down, the river rolls up,
[D]fills all the low spots, [C]all over [G]town
{chorus}
get [C]down river, [G]river get down, won't you
[D]get down river, [C]river get [G]down
[C]get down [D]river, get
{intro}
down
{verse}
To the far side of town's where I want to go,
To see my honey, but I don't know
Looks like I'll have to row,
It's like the gulf of mexico, down by the Texaco
{chorus}
{break}
[G] [Em] [C] [G]
[D] [C] [G]
[Em] [C] [G]
[C] [D]
{intro}
{verse}
you can drown down-town when the water is high
It's been happenin' here since I was a child
There ain't nothing you can do to stop it
Just hope for the best and mop up the rest
The Bottle Rockets' song "Get Down River" starts with a description of a river town which is "pretty little", high on sides and with a sinking middle. When rain comes down, the river rolls up and fills all the low spots in town. This paints a picture of a town which is susceptible to flooding due to its proximity to the river. The lyrics talk about the frustration that the singer feels due to the damage caused by the rising river, and his desire for the river to move farther away from the town.
In the chorus, the singer asks the river to "get down" several times. He suggests that the river has once again messed up the town, and asks it to move somewhere else. At the end of the verse, he talks about going to the far side of town to see his lover, but due to the flooding caused by the river, he has to row like he would in the Gulf of Mexico. The chorus is repeated throughout the song and sums up the singer's frustrations with the river.
The song ends with the realization that there is nothing much that can be done to stop the river from flooding the town. The best that can be done is to hope for the best and mop up the rest. This song is a reflection of the power of nature, and the helplessness and frustration that people feel when they are in the path of its destructive forces.
Line by Line Meaning
river town, it's pretty little,
The town is situated in a picturesque place.
it's high on the side and it sinks in the middle.
The town is built on an elevated area, but its central parts experience flooding.
When the rain comes down, the river rolls up,
Rain causes the river to swell.
fills all the low spots, all over town
The river overflows and covers low-lying areas of the town.
get down river, river get down, won't you
The singer asks the river waters to recede.
get down river, river get down
The singer repeats his plea for the water to go down.
once again you have messed up this old town
The singer is frustrated with the recurring flooding problem that causes damage to the town.
get down river, get
The singer's final plea for the river to recede.
To the far side of town's where I want to go,
The singer wants to visit someone on the other end of the town.
To see my honey, but I don't know
The singer is uncertain if he will be able to due to the flooding.
Looks like I'll have to row,
The singer may need to use a rowboat to cross the flooded streets and reach his destination.
It's like the gulf of mexico, down by the Texaco
The flooded streets resemble a canal in the Gulf of Mexico, perhaps with local landmarks like the gas station 'Texaco.'
you can drown downtown when the water is high
The downtown area is particularly susceptible to flooding.
It's been happenin' here since I was a child
The flooding is a long-standing problem in the area.
There ain't nothing you can do to stop it
The singer laments that they cannot prevent the flooding from happening.
Just hope for the best and mop up the rest
The only solution is to prepare for the flooding and try to mitigate the damage after it occurs.
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: BRIAN HENNEMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Dynomite Jones
I got turned onto these guys when they moved to Brooklyn in the 90's and released "On the Brooklyn Side" and I've followed them ever since.Rock n' Roll lives with good old fashioned "roots rock." I also love the Drive-by Truckers.
jacquesmees
Fantastic band I love it 5 stars
Chris Irving
Big. Venues. Small venues ⚓️💕💕💕💕🍁🍁
Georgie Thumbs
BINGO! First time I ever heard this band, this is the first song I am hearing and BINGO I immediately know they are great.
Garren Thurau
Love theses guys. Real music by real people for real fans.
MythicFool
This spring season has seen the Mississippi, Ohio and all other contributing rivers reaching severely high levels. Two days ago, Louisville, KY had water coming over the landing below Joe's Crab Shack. In mid-March, Natchez, MS saw it's third highest river stage. That same week, Vicksburg, MS had water climbing six feet up the levee wall. In Saint Francisville, White Castle, New Roads and Vacherie, LA all had water only a few feet from cresting over the levees. In Baton Rouge, the USS Kidd was floating near the top of her mooring towers and the city 'Paper clip' dock was only three feet from being underwater.
GunHippie
Festus is a Missouri River town - hit by the occational flood - like the great flood of 1993. Great song
greatngood
I'm Scottish, working class but can relate to this music entirely. It hits the spot. Please reform Uncle Tupelo!
Donna Richardson
Fabulous!!!
Hasan-Woody Guthrie
Wonderful Band from Missouri