When Naomi Judd found herself pregnant, she quickly got married but not to the father of her first child, daughter Christina Ciminella. Christina, born May 30, 1964, became known as Wynonna Judd when the mother-daughter duo stormed the country charts in the 1980s.
After Naomi Judd divorced, she moved from Hollywood, back to Morrill, Ky., with Wynonna and another daughter Ashley. There, she worked as a nurse in a local infirmary. Outside working and school hours, she and the children would sing anything from bluegrass to showbiz standards for their own amusement. However, when Wynonna nurtured aspirations to be a professional entertainer, her mother lent her encouragement, to the extent of moving the family to Nashville in 1979. Naomi's contralto subtly underlined Wynonna's tuneful drawl.
In addition to many performances on Ralph Emery's morning television show, Naomi elicited an audition for RCA Records while tending a hospitalized relation of label producer Brent Maher. With a past that read like a Judith Krantz novel, the Judds -- so the executives considered -- would have more than an even chance in the country market. An exploratory mini-album, which contained proved the executives correct. The single "Had a Dream (From the Heart)" peaked at No. 17 in 1984. Later that year, the Judds scored their first of 14 No. 1 hits with "Mama He's Crazy."
Self-composed songs included Naomi's 1989 composition "Change of Heart," dedicated to her future second husband (and former Elvis Presley backing vocalist) Larry Strickland. Meanwhile, Maher co-wrote hits such as 1985's Grammy-winning "Why Not Me," "Turn It Loose," "Girls Night Out," "Grandpa (Tell Me 'Bout The Good Ol' Days)" and "Rockin' With the Rhythm of the Rain."
Most Judds records exhibited an acoustic bias and a penchant for star guests that included the Jordanaires on "Don't Be Cruel," Emmylou Harris on "The Sweetest Gift," Mark Knopfler on his "Water of Love" and Bonnie Raitt playing slide guitar on the album Love Can Build a Bridge. In 1988, the pair became the first female country act to found their own booking agency (Pro-Tours), but a chronic hepatitis infection forced Naomi to retire from the concert stage two years later.
The Judds toured America in a series of farewell concerts before Wynonna began her solo career. Wynonna got off to a strong start, as her first two singles both went to #1. Her 1994 single "Girls With Guitars" featured Naomi (as well as Lyle Lovett) on backup vocals.
In 1998, The Judds appeared in a commercial for the retail chain Kmart, singing Wynonna's single "Woman To Woman".
In 1999, Wynonna reunited with her mother for a New Year's Eve concert in Phoenix. The following year, the duo recorded four new tracks for a bonus disc issued with Wynonna's album New Day Dawning, and undertook a multi-city tour. The results were issued as the album Reunion Live. A 2004 single, "Flies On The Butter (You Can't Go Home Again)" was recorded with Naomi; however, the single was credited as "Wynonna with Naomi Judd" instead of "The Judds".
River Roll On
The Judds Lyrics
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Wish I could be like you
No looking back
And no heart that breaks in two
You'll never now
What a goodbye can do
Oh, I wish I were you
River roll on
Free as the winds that blow
Feelin' no pain
We just roll 'em with the flow
No tears to cry
No songs to make you blue
Oh, I wish I were you
River roll on
Oh, I never thought that
I could ever feel so all alone
But I'm learnin'
The world keeps on a turnin'
Even though he's gone
River roll on
Keep rollin' endlessly
Down to the arms
Of the ever waiting sea
I wish that I had someone waitin' too
Oh, I wish I were you
River roll on
I wish that I had someone waitin' too
Oh, I wish I were you
River roll on
Oh, I wish I were you
River roll on
River roll on
River roll on
River roll on
The Judds' song "River Roll On" is about the singer's wish to be like the river. The lyrics express the singer's longing to have the ability to roll on without looking back or feeling heartbreak. The river is seen as free and in constant motion, with no worries or cares. The singer envies this type of freedom and wishes to be like the river, able to flow forward without being held back by the past.
The song expresses the singer's sadness and loneliness after someone has left their life. The lyrics show the singer's realization that life goes on even after loss, and that she has to keep moving forward. Through the use of the river as a metaphor for life, the song encourages listeners to keep going and not to give up hope, even during difficult times. It reminds us that life is full of change and we must learn to go with the flow.
Line by Line Meaning
River roll on
The Judds express admiration for the river's resilience in the face of change and its ability to keep moving forward.
Wish I could be like you
The Judds wish they could be as unfeeling and unstoppable as the river so that they wouldn't have to feel pain or deal with heartbreak.
No looking back
The river doesn't dwell on the past and neither should the Judds, they should focus on moving forward like the river.
And no heart that breaks in two
Unlike humans, a river doesn't have a heart that can break, hence it doesn't have to deal with emotional pain.
You'll never know
The line signifies that one can never know what it truly feels like to be a river, it's just an ideal to believe in.
What a goodbye can do
Goodbyes can be intense and profound, sometimes hard to come out from as the pain seems infinite. It's one of the many things the river doesn't have to worry about.
Free as the winds that blow
The Judds perceive the river as a symbol of freedom and the winds as something that is free to flow like the river, without burdens and pains that cling on.
Feelin' no pain
Just like the river, the winds bear no pain, painless existence.
We just roll 'em with the flow
The Judds want to accept life as it comes, just like the river which takes the path of least resistance and flows freely.
No tears to cry
The river symbolizes the ideal of not having anything to shed tears over or having no pain to cry about.
No songs to make you blue
Songs are sometimes used as a medium of expressing pain and issues that one faces. The river doesn't have any such stories or songs to tell, it's just a free-flowing body of water.
Oh, I wish I were you
The Judds express a desire for the river's unfeeling nature and its constancy.
Oh, I never thought that
The Judds didn't expect to feel alone and be in pain after a goodbye as they did not anticipate the profundity of their emotions.
I could ever feel so all alone
The Judds explore the feelings of loneliness felt after someone has left, leading to a profound sense of emptiness.
But I'm learnin'
The Judds want to learn from the river's ability to move on and let go of the past.
The world keeps on a turnin'
Changes are inevitable and the world keeps moving regardless of the pain one deals with, and the Judds are beginning to realize this.
Even though he's gone
The Judds accept that the person they loved is gone, and it's time for them to accept this and move on too.
Keep rollin' endlessly
The river is endless and continues to flow, a symbol of the continuity of life and how nothing is permanent.
Down to the arms
The river's path leads directly to the ocean, its destination which symbolizes the end journey of life and a greater unknown and unexplored space.
Of the ever waiting sea
The sea symbolizes eternity, as the river flows down to her awaiting arms, a metaphor for the continuity of life.
I wish that I had someone waitin' too
The Judds envy the river's ability to flow down to the arms of the sea, a metaphor for eternal peace and desire to find everlasting love.
Oh, I wish I were you
The Judds continue to express a desire to be as painless and unfeeling as the river, echoing its continuity and complete freedom.
River roll on
The Judds reiterate the continuance of the river's flow, a metaphor for the continuity of life and what lies ahead.
River roll on
The Judds continue to admire the river's direction and lack of space, a symbol for the strength and resilience of nature.
River roll on
The Judds incessantly repeat the significance and inspiration derived from the roll of the river, as it continues to build hope for the future.
River roll on
The song concludes with the Judds repeating the importance of the river's continuity and ability to move forward, an inspiration for them to do the same.
Lyrics © DEMI MUSIC CORP. D/B/A LICHELLE MUSIC COMPANY, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: HOLYFIELD, MAHER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind