History
The group's music and unusual costuming (large Afros and white makeup) typified the then-popular trend of "psychedelic soul". A number of their singles became minor hits, and many of them were also songs for Whitfield's main act The Temptations, among them "You Make Your Own Heaven and Hell Right Here on Earth" and "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone". Their single Top 40 hit in the United States was the ominous "Smiling Faces Sometimes", also originally recorded by The Temptations, which hit #3 on the US pop charts in 1971.
The Undisputed Truth, along with Rose Royce and Willie Hutch, followed Whitfield during his exodus from Motown to set up Whitfield Records in 1975. At this time, Calvin and Joyce left the group, and Harris was joined by new members Taka Boom, Tyrone "Lil Ty" Barkley, and Calvin "Dhaak" Stephenson. The group's costuming and style changed as well, becoming even more unusual and Funkadelic-influenced. However, the group had little success at the new label, and faded into obscurity after two more albums, although they charted in the UK in 1977 (#43) with the disco single "You + Me = Love" from the album Method to the Madness.
(from the Wikipedia Page)
Down By The River
The Undisputed Truth Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There is no reason for you to hide
It's so hard for me staying here all alone
When you could be taking me for a ride.
Yeah, she could drag me over the rainbow, send me away
Down by the river I shot my baby
Down by the river,
You take my hand, I'll take your hand
Together we may get away
This much madness is too much sorrow
It's impossible to make it today.
Yeah, she could drag me over the rainbow, send me away
Down by the river I shot my baby
Down by the river,
Dead, oh, shot her dead.
Be on my side, I'll be on your side,
There is no reason for you to hide
It's so hard for me staying here all alone
When you could be taking me for a ride.
Yeah, she could drag me over the rainbow, send me away
Down by the river I shot my baby
Down by the river,
Dead, oh, shot her dead.
The Undisputed Truth's "Down by the River" is a hauntingly beautiful song that captures the complex emotions that arise out of tragic and traumatic events. The song is about a man who is consumed with remorse for having killed his girlfriend down by the river. He is desperately clinging to the memory of their romance and the hope that they could have been happy together. The song speaks to the guilt, despair, and powerlessness that arise when a person is confronted with the consequences of their actions, and it is an expression of the profound sadness and heartbreak that can follow such a traumatic event.
The lyrics of "Down by the River" capture the ambivalence of the singer's emotions. On the one hand, he is remorseful and heartbroken at having killed his girlfriend. On the other hand, he is still in love with her and unable to come to terms with what he has done. The line, "she could drag me over the rainbow, send me away" captures the tension between the singer's desire to escape the guilt and pain of his actions, and his inability to let go of the past. By the end of the song, it is clear that the singer is consumed by his guilt and the memory of the woman he loved.
Line by Line Meaning
Be on my side, I'll be on your side, baby
Let's have each other's back and stick together through thick and thin.
There is no reason for you to hide
You shouldn't feel the need to conceal anything from me or keep secrets.
It's so hard for me staying here all alone
I feel lonely and isolated without you around.
When you could be taking me for a ride.
Instead, you have the opportunity to take me on an exciting adventure.
Yeah, she could drag me over the rainbow, send me away
I'm willing to be whisked away to an enchanted place by this mysterious woman.
Down by the river I shot my baby
I tragically killed my lover by the river.
Down by the river,
The scene of my lover's untimely death.
Dead, oh, shot her dead.
I am guilt-ridden and remorseful for taking my lover's life.
You take my hand, I'll take your hand
We can work together and help each other out.
Together we may get away
If we team up, we can escape our problems and start anew.
This much madness is too much sorrow
We've been through too much chaos and pain to handle more.
It's impossible to make it today.
Things are too difficult to manage right now.
Contributed by Layla W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.