River
Tim Buckley Lyrics


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I live by the river
And I hide my house away
Then just like the river
I can change my ways
Oh, if you come to love me
You would stay forever
Inside my heart
Inside my dreams
And time will fade
In time we'll love

In the street we walk as beggars
In the alley faithless kings
Ah, but it's the truth of life
That chains us in between
Those lost moments we steal
To keep our love alive
And our prize so tired after all the pain




And time will fade
In time we'll love

Overall Meaning

In Tim Buckley's song "The River", the singer talks about living by the river and hiding his house away. He compares himself to the river, saying that just like the river, he can change his ways. He speaks to a lover, saying that if they come to love him, they will stay forever inside his heart and his dreams. The lyrics suggest that time will fade but their love will endure.


The next part of the song talks about how they are "beggars in the street" and "faithless kings in the alley". They are caught in between the truth of life, unaware of what's coming next. The lost moments they steal to keep their love alive, proves to be their only reward after all the pain. In the end, time will fade, but their love will endure.


The song seems to be about life and its unpredictability. The river represents the constant flow of life, and the singer's ability to change is his way of adapting to life's changes. The lyrics also suggest that love is their only hope. They take what they can to keep their love alive, proving that love can provide a sense of permanence in life's uncertainty.


Line by Line Meaning

I live by the river
My dwelling is close to the flowing water


And I hide my house away
My abode is obscurely concealed


Then just like the river
Similar to the river


I can change my ways
I can transform my actions


Oh, if you come to love me
Suppose you fall for me


You would stay forever
You would remain eternally


Inside my heart
Within my innermost being


Inside my dreams
In my subconscious thoughts


And time will fade
With the passage of time


In time we'll love
Eventually we will love each other


In the street we walk as beggars
We saunter down the avenues as impoverished individuals


In the alley faithless kings
In the backstreets, we are untrustworthy monarchs


Ah, but it's the truth of life
However, it is the fact of existence


That chains us in between
That enslaves us in the middle


Those lost moments we steal
Those missed instants we take


To keep our love alive
To maintain our affection living


And our prize so tired after all the pain
And our reward is so exhausted following all the suffering


And time will fade
And time will elapse


In time we'll love
Eventually we will love each other




Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BENJI MADDEN, DON GILMORE, JOEL MADDEN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

Tomas Horn

I live by the river and I hide my house away
Then just like the river, I can change my ways
Oh, if you come to love me, you'll stay forever
Inside my heart, inside my dreams
And time will fade, in time we'll love

In the street we walk as beggars, in the alley, faithless kings
Ah, but it's the truth of life that chains us in between
Those lost moments we steal to keep our love alive
And our prize, so tired after all the pain
And time will fade, in time we'll love

I live by the river and I hide my house away
Then just like the river, I can change my ways
Oh, if you come to love me, you'll stay forever
Inside my heart, inside my dreams
And time will fade, in time we'll love



All comments from YouTube:

decimal point

Tim Buckley is a hidden gem of the past. I’ve listened to several songs and I’m hooked.

Burt472

Not past anymore everytime we listen to him...A greeting from Italy

Martha Diaz

The lyrics to this song are astoundingly beautiful, not to mention profound. I feel like Tim Buckley had this purity that 99.999 of musicians of the last century didn't have. It's like he's in a category of his own. I feel like he embodied the life behind his songs, that his singing was actually a pouring out of something real in his life. Most singers sing because they can, or because they want to, or because they want the glory. But with Tim (and Jeff), that was their ontology, so they did it.

LadyStonecut

Have to say both Father and Son stand on there own in their own talent! Both very passionate and gifted.

Art Redoubt

This song and the entire album has brought me back from the brink on a number of occasions.

Warren Wilson

This song is so powerful. The depth of Tims voice and the musicians backing create an awesome production. If you cant be moved by this you are not alive. :)

Missy Ondine

The painting by Lawson and this Buckley song form a perfect impressionistic unity, Tim's urgent vocals and the mysterious sounds of the vibraphone make you almost want to go into the painting.

Keith Turner

I saw him in london back in the day, the greatest singer ever, pure beautiful genius, no one has ever come near him, no one.

Jeff Sartain

You are lucky to have seen him in person.

JerseyGirl

Idea Engine I would say so too‼️ Love Jeff❣️

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