Rio Grande
The Oh Hellos Lyrics
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There's a woman with an armload of grass
Weaving a basket
That'll float the Rio Grande
She'll send her baby on it
The river running wild and fast
To curry the favor
Of whatever pharaoh owns the land
A seed of an idea
Like mustard greens
Like newborn fingers
Curled and half asleep
Awake
From her mouth, a vineyard
Of swears and hallelujahs entwined
A new wine is vinted
A blend of sweet commandment
Oh, to hell with the semantics
The camel and the cable confide
The eye of a needle
Is tall enough to stand inside
A seed of an idea
Like mustard greens
Like newborn fingers
Curled and half asleep
Awake with a thunder from underneath
Stretch up and reach through
The hardest part of me
May all our tinfoil idols
Lay crumpled on the ground
And our prefab Olympus
Divided by the thousand
Oh, maybe I'm naive for thinking
That a mountain so stubborn can move
But if I'm a mountain moving
I think maybe you can be, too
The Oh Hellos's song "Rio Grande" tells the story of a South American woman who weaves a basket made of grass to send her baby down the Rio Grande, a wild and fast river, to curry the favor of a pharaoh who owns the land. The woman's determination and resilience are evident through the lyrics, as she weaves a basket that can resist the rapid flow of the river to send her child away. The lyrics also touch upon the power of language and how, through words and swears, the woman crafts a new wine that blends commandments and themes of faith.
The song also addresses the idea of breaking away from tinfoil idols and prefab Olympus, which could refer to religious or societal constructs that limit individuals' abilities to grow and seek the truth. The chorus encourages listeners to awaken their inner selves, comparing this idea to the growth of mustard greens and newborn fingers that stretch and reach through the hardest parts of oneself. The final lines of the song suggest that mountains can be moved, encouraging listeners to believe in their strengths and ability to enact change.
Overall, "Rio Grande" is a song that celebrates the power of determination, resilience, and growth, encouraging people to break free from limiting constructs and discover their inner strengths.
Line by Line Meaning
Somewhere down South of here
There is a location unknown to us, located in the southern region of this area
There's a woman with an armload of grass
A lady is carrying a lot of grass
Weaving a basket
She is intertwining a basket
That'll float the Rio Grande
It is meant to sail through the Rio Grande river
She'll send her baby on it
She will entrust her child on it
The river running wild and fast
The river is raging and moving quickly
To curry the favor
To earn the approval of
Of whatever pharaoh owns the land
The landowner who owns everything
A seed of an idea
A small concept or thought
Like mustard greens
Like a bitter, leafy green
Like newborn fingers
Like the hands of a newborn infant
Curled and half asleep
Clenched and partly unaware
Awake
To begin functioning or coming to consciousness
From her mouth, a vineyard
A myriad of words and phrases are said
Of swears and hallelujahs entwined
Expressions of both vulgarity and worship are interlaced
A new wine is vinted
A fresh and novel idea is being created
A blend of sweet commandment
A combination of desirable rules or expectations
Oh, to hell with the semantics
Screw the petty details
The camel and the cable confide
Two differing things commiserate
The eye of a needle
A tiny opening
Is tall enough to stand inside
It is actually big enough to stand inside
Awake with a thunder from underneath
The feeling produced by a sudden realization
Stretch up and reach through
Extend your arms and break through
The hardest part of me
The most challenging obstacle
May all our tinfoil idols
Let all our false gods and beliefs crumple and fall
Lay crumpled on the ground
They must lie defeated
And our prefab Olympus
Our pre-made and insubstantial version of heaven
Divided by the thousand
Let thousands of differences render it to pieces
Oh, maybe I'm naive for thinking
I may seem inexperienced for believing
That a mountain so stubborn can move
That an obstinately entrenched hill can be shifted
But if I'm a mountain moving
Even if I'm the mountain that's shifting
I think maybe you can be, too
You can also move as well
Contributed by Caden K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@lukebalmer7109
Lyrics:
Somewhere down south of here
There's a woman with an armload of grass
Weaving a basket
That’ll float the Rio Grande
She'll send her baby on it
The river running wild and fast
To curry the favor
Of whatever Pharaoh owns the land
A seed of an idea, like mustard greens
Like newborn fingers
Curled and half asleep
Awake
From her mouth, a vineyard
Of swears and hallelujahs entwined
A new wine is vinted
A blend of sweet commandment
Oh, to hell with the semantics
The camel and the cable confide
The eye of a needle
Is tall enough to stand inside
A seed of an idea, like mustard greens
Like newborn fingers
Curled and half asleep
Awake with a thunder from underneath
Stretch up and reach through
The hardest part of me
May all our tinfoil idols
Lay crumpled on the ground
And our pre-fab Olympus
Divided by the thousand
Oh, maybe I'm naive for thinking
That a mountain so stubborn can move
But if I’m a mountain moving
I think maybe you can be, too
@emanuelhenriques9162
BRAZILIAN FANS HAVING A HEART ATTACK HERE
@ciccada3111
E EU AINDA SOU DO RIO GRANDE DO SUL VEI AAAA
@emanuelhenriques9162
@@ciccada3111 AAAAAAAA KKKKKKKKKKKKK
@raflyer
SIIIIM
@kayronomega4973
SIM MANO, EU OLHEI E FIQUEI ASSUSTADO KSKSKK
@mac18323
its actually about the Rio Grande that separates US (Texas) - Mexico bc of the lyrics, but it appears us humans have a lot of places named Río Grande lmao
@moonflame1170
UM HELLO I THOUGHT THIS WOULD BE RELEASED LATER WHAT IS HAPPENING
IT'S 1AM WHERE I LIVE BUT GUESS WE LISTENING TO ZEPHYRUS
@ryanm6004
I just got done with what was possibly the most homework I’ve ever done in one night so this was the best possible thing to possibly happen at this exact moment
@ButterQueen_
Same dude same lol
@calebtoussaint7136
Yo same I have to clean kitchen and instead I'm making a music video in my head.