River
Tigerman Woah! Lyrics
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Less the rain comes to wash them away
Breadcrumbs they float down the water
And the rivers gonna make me clean
Watch that muddy river risin'
Flood waters ain't gonna drain
Drownin' my trees and my berries
Water rise to take me away
It's so easy to dig in the mud
Old boxes been tied up with watch chains
Let the river rise to make me clean
Now I’ll take my sins to the river
No time to wait for the rain
Takin' my sins to the river, boy
Muddy water gonna wash off the stain
Well I’ll share the sins of my brother
I know he’d do the same for me
There’s no boats out on the river today
Just breadcrumbs floatin' down the stream
I’m gon' take my sins to the river
As much water as its pesticide
From farms up on past the levee
Clean them bones with the rising tide
Ain't no more bank to the river
Just flood as far as you can see
Dig out my shotgun and a box of 30-ought shells
Ain't gonna wait for what might be
'Cause I buried my sins by the river
Dug down 6 feet in the mud
I took my sins to the river
For the water to carry the crumbs
The lyrics of Tigerman Woah!'s "River" depict a theme that is common in blues and folk music. The singer is troubled by sins that have accumulated in his life, and he seeks redemption to cleanse himself. He plans to take his sins to the river, where the water will wash them away. The lyrics suggest that waiting for the rain to wash away the sins is not an option, and so the singer must take matters into his hands. He digs into the mud and buries boxes containing his sins, tied up with watch chains. The muddy water of the river will rise and cleanse the sins, symbolizing a baptism of sorts.
The rising waters of the river become a prevalent symbol throughout the lyrics. The singer watches as the muddy river keeps rising, drowning his trees and berries. With no boats on the river today, the only things floating downstream are breadcrumbs. The rising water is both a source of cleansing and of danger. The singer takes the sins of his brother as well, suggesting a bond of shared wrongdoing. The use of a shotgun and a box of shells in the final verse hints at a deeper message. Perhaps the singer feels that his redemption can only be achieved through violence or a reckoning with the past.
Line by Line Meaning
I’m gonna take my sins to the river, boy
I will confess my sins by the river
Less the rain comes to wash them away
Unless it rains, I will not be forgiven
Breadcrumbs they float down the water
The remnants of my sins will be carried away by the river
And the rivers gonna make me clean
I will be cleansed by the river
Watch that muddy river risin'
Observe the river swelling with water
Flood waters ain't gonna drain
The water level won't go down
Drownin' my trees and my berries
The river is flooding and damaging my crops
Water rise to take me away
The water level is so high that it may carry me away
I’m gonna bury my sins by the river
I will hide my sins by burying them in the mud
It's so easy to dig in the mud
Digging a hole to bury my sins is effortless
Old boxes been tied up with watch chains
My sins are hidden in old boxes tied with watch chains
Let the river rise to make me clean
I hope the river will carry away my sins when it floods
Now I’ll take my sins to the river
I'll go to the river and confess my sins
No time to wait for the rain
I can't wait any longer for forgiveness
Takin' my sins to the river, boy
I'm admitting my guilt to the river
Muddy water gonna wash off the stain
The river will wash away my sins
Well I’ll share the sins of my brother
I'll confess the sins I've committed with my brother
I know he’d do the same for me
I believe my brother would confess with me
There’s no boats out on the river today
The river is flooding and it's not safe to use boats
Just breadcrumbs floatin' down the stream
Only remnants of my sins are being carried away by the river
I’m gon' take my sins to the river
I'll go to the river to admit my wrongdoing
As much water as its pesticide
The river may be contaminated with pesticides
From farms up on past the levee
Farms beyond the levee are polluting the river
Clean them bones with the rising tide
The river will cleanse my sins as the tide rises
Ain't no more bank to the river
The river has flooded beyond its banks
Just flood as far as you can see
The flooding has spread as far as the eye can see
Dig out my shotgun and a box of 30-ought shells
I have retrieved my shotgun and ammunition
Ain't gonna wait for what might be
I won't take any chances with the flooding
'Cause I buried my sins by the river
I have hidden my sins along the riverbank
Dug down 6 feet in the mud
I buried my sins deep in the mud
I took my sins to the river
I admitted my guilt to the river
For the water to carry the crumbs
I hoped the river would carry away the remnants of my sins
Contributed by Liliana J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.