River Stay 'Way from My Door
The Rat Pack Lyrics


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You keep goin' your way - I'll keep goin' my way (I'll keep goin' my way, you keep rollin' your way)
River, stay 'way from the door
I just got (me) a cabin - you don't need my (you'll never need that) cabin
River, stay 'way from the door

Don't (you) come up any higher - I'm so all alone
Leave the bed and the fire - that is all I own (- and you can have that phone)
I ain't breakin' your heart - don't (you) start breakin' my heart
River, stay 'way from the door

(Stay 'way, get 'way, roll 'way, stay 'way)




(You dirty, old, muddy river, you)
(River, stay 'way from the door)

Overall Meaning

The Rat Pack's song "River Stay 'Way From My Door" is a plea to the river to stay away from the singer's door and leave him in his solitude. The first verse says that the singer and the river have different paths to follow, and they should not interfere with each other's journey. The river is free to flow wherever it wants, but the singer wants to keep his cabin safe from its potential damage. He got a cabin, and he wants to keep it to himself, but the river may flood it, making him lose his only possession. Hence, he pleads the river to stay away from the door of his cabin and not interfere with his life.


In the second verse, he explains his loneliness and says that he does not want the river to come near him because he is all alone. The only things he possesses are the bed and the fire, and he wants to keep them to himself, excluding the river from any part of his life. He reassures the river that he is not breaking its heart, and he does not want the river to start breaking his heart by coming near his door. The chorus repeats the plea of the singer to the river to stay away from his door, and he refers to the river as a "dirty, old, muddy river."


Line by Line Meaning

You keep goin' your way - I'll keep goin' my way
I'll continue on my path, while you continue on yours


River, stay 'way from the door
Please do not flood and come close to my home


I just got (me) a cabin - you don't need my (you'll never need that) cabin
I recently acquired a cabin, but you will never have any use for it


Don't (you) come up any higher - I'm so all alone
Please do not rise any higher, as I am alone and cannot handle any more trouble


Leave the bed and the fire - that is all I own (- and you can have that phone)
All I have in this cabin is a bed and a fireplace, and you can even take the phone


I ain't breakin' your heart - don't (you) start breakin' my heart
I have not hurt you, please do not hurt me in return


River, stay 'way from the door
Once again, please do not flood and come close to my home


(Stay 'way, get 'way, roll 'way, stay 'way)
Repeated variations of stay away, go away, and roll away


(You dirty, old, muddy river, you)
The artist insults the river, calling it dirty and muddy


(River, stay 'way from the door)
The artist continues to plead for the river to stay away from their home




Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC, SHAPIRO BERNSTEIN & CO. INC.
Written by: HARRY WOODS, MORT DIXON

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

cscmonkeefan

This is one of my all time favorite songs from Sinatra. I've got a Sinatra record with this song on it. Thanks for sharing.

jimi shawcross

16 yrs ago today we lost Frank.....But I heard he's doing 5 shows a night up in Heaven...SRO :-)

M.J. Leger

Love your photos!  I used to live by the ocean, now I live by a river, so I love your pics!  Also love the song, of course, by the greatest of all time, Sinatra!

saintcruzin

I guess it's easy to hear where Bobby Darin got his style from. Great performance by Sinatra!!!

noabrandi

Great song! Love Fiona's cover too

Jeff Wessman

Sammy does a very nice cover of this version, almost identical in fact. Search Sammy Davis Coconut Grove 1963.

harveypotato

@harveypotato - It goes "Oh Lord, ain't I been grateful? And ain't I worked and toiled in the sweat and sun? Oh Lord, didn't I pray to you and thank you for all you've done? Oh Lord, you made the river, but won't you try to remember that you made me too? Oh Lord, hear me pray to you, and make the river hear my plea.." (then it continues) "Oh, you keep going your way, I'll keep going my way. Oh, river, stay away from my door"...

harveypotato

I wonder why he repeats the first verse instead of singing the 2nd verse... it's my favorite verse and I love Frank, so it has always made me sad that he neglects that verse!

Stunatra

Why isn't this great recording remastered to perfection?

guaranic

Put some Grand Canyon tags for the video and it'll get a a lot more views

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