Let The River Run by Carly Simon

Album: Working Girl Soundtrack (1988)

Charted: 49

License This Song

lyrics

artistfacts

Songfacts®:

Simon wrote this song for the movie Working Girl, starring Melanie Griffith, Harrison Ford and Sigourney Weaver, and directed by Mike Nichols of The Graduate fame. In 1989, it won both an Oscar and a Grammy for Best Song From A Movie. "Let The River Run" also tied with Phil Collins' "Two Hearts" for Best Original Song at the Golden Globe Awards. >>>
Suggestion credit:
Mike - Santa Barbara, CA
According to a FAQ on Carly Simon's website, she found inspiration for the lyrics by first reading the original Working Girl script, and then Walt Whitman's poetry. Musically, Simon has described the song as "a hymn to New York" and an "anthem with a jungle beat," contrasting those opposites in a compelling way.
"Let the River Run" was the first song created entirely by one artist to win an Oscar, a Golden Globe, and a Grammy. The second to achieve this distinction was "Streets Of Philadelphia" by Bruce Springsteen from Philadelphia.
This wasn't the first time Carly Simon worked on a Mike Nichols movie. She contributed "Coming Around Again" to his 1986 film Heartburn, starring Meryl Streep and Jack Nicholson.

Simon described Nichols, who died in 2014, as "kind of a muse" for the two songs. "Mike and I started not really dating but we started seeing each other before we started working together," she explained in the book Anthems We Love. "He was always going to give you something great every time you talked to him. And I wanted to do the same for him. I wanted to be the same persona for him."
In 2001 the United States Postal Service used a version of the song with slightly modified lyrics for a commercial that aired shortly after 9/11 and the 2001 anthrax attacks. The phrases "Silver Cities Rise" and "The New Jerusalem" took on a new meaning for many following these terrorist atrocities, though Simon denied writing any particular political and/or religious meanings.
"Let The River Run" was used during several key moments in the first episode of season 2 of the psychological horror anthology web television series Castle Rock, which premiered on October 23, 2019. It played during the same month behind the closing credits of season 31, episode 2 of The Simpsons.
The Working Girl soundtrack also contains a choral version of "Let The River Run" featuring The St. Thomas Choir of Men and Boys of New York City.

Comments: 7

Ruth from MinnesotaWho was the guy playing guitar in the video?
Scott Rowland from Cypress, TexasThe lyrics have a context separate from the context of the movie, if I am allowed to read into them my own thoughts, and then insert that interpretation into the film context, It should be fun, and, if you agree, accurate. "Coming out of a fog and to the edge..." returning of righteous to the bosom of Jehovah. "Coming to the edge..." approaching risk with a keen excited state of being in danger. Running on the water-- the messiah walked on water so the rightous are now in possesion of god like powers.
Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn March 29th 1989, at the 61st Academy Awards ceremonies "Let the River Run" won the Oscar for 'Best Original Song'*...
* The other two nominees were "Two Hearts" from the movie 'Buster' and "Calling You" from the film 'Bagdad Cafe'.
Camille from Toronto, OhThis was the first of only two songs to have won an Oscar, Golden Globe, and Grammy while being composed and written, as well as performed, entirely by a single artist (the other being "Streets of Philadelphia" by Bruce Springsteen from Philadelphia).
Camille from Toronto, OhThe song won the Academy Award for Best Original Song at the 61st Academy Awards in 1989.
Camille from Toronto, OhHey, how does Carly Simon manage to look so incredibly sexy dressed in a black coat that completely covers her up. You clearly see the Twin Towers behind on the New York lower Manhattan skyline.
Robin from Bolton, United KingdomOn Carly's website, it says that she found inspiration for the lyrics by first reading the original script, and then by the poems of Walt Whitman. Musically, she wanted to write a hymn to New York with a contemporary jungle beat under it, so as to juxtapose those opposites in a compelling way.

see more comments

More Songfacts:

She BangsRicky Martin

The Ricky Martin song "She Bangs" found new life when William Hung performed it so horribly on a 2004 episode of American Idol that it went viral.

Big Yellow TaxiJoni Mitchell

Joni Mitchell's "Big Yellow Taxi" is about the commercialization of Hawaii. On her first trip to the islands, she looked out of her hotel window and saw a parking lot as far as the eye could see.

Rock LobsterThe B-52s

Sea creatures mentioned in "Rock Lobster" by The B-52's include a jellyfish, piranha, bikini whale and narwhal.

PillowtalkZayn

Zayn's "Pillowtalk" reached #1 on the Hot 100, something his former One Direction bandmates never achieved.

I Kissed a GirlKaty Perry

Katy Perry's breakout hit, "I Kissed A Girl," was surprising to those familiar with her past: Her parents were pastors and she started off singing Christian music.

I'm A BelieverThe Monkees

Neil Diamond wrote "I'm A Believer" early in his career. It was a hit for The Monkees and revived by Smash Mouth in 2001 for the movie Shrek, helping make Diamond cool again.