River by Leon Bridges

Album: Coming Home (2015)

License This Song

lyrics

artistfacts

Songfacts®:

This song is about faith. Leon Bridges told Uncut: "I've noticed a lot of soul singers of the '50s and '60s used river metaphors. The river in my song is a metaphor for being born again."
The song was inspired by the traditional American spiritual "Down To The River To Pray," which was famously covered by Alison Krauss for the movie O Brother, Where Art Thou? Bridges heard the tune at one of his local open mics. "It just really amazed me," he told Spin. "And it helped me find God in my story."
Leon Bridges explained the background to the song:

"A river has historically been used in gospel music as symbolism for change and redemption. My goal was to write a song about my personal spiritual experience. It was written during a time of real depression in my life and I recall sitting in my garage trying to write a song which reflected this struggle. I felt stuck working multiple jobs to support myself and my mother. I had little hope and couldn't see a road out of my reality. The only thing I could cling to in the midst of all that was my faith in God and my only path towards baptism was by way of the river."
The Miles Jay-directed video was filmed on location in Baltimore. It shows footage from the 2015 Baltimore protests playing in Bridges' motel room. Bridges said:

"When thinking about how to best visually represent this universal battle, I reflected on the depiction of black communities in our media and particular experiences within my own life. This video showcases the unique struggle many black men and women face across this country. However, unlike the captured images which tend to represent only part of the story, I wanted to showcase that through all the injustice, there's real hope in the world.

I want this video to be a message of light. I believe it has the power to change and heal those that are hurting."
When this was used in the February 26, 2017 episode of HBO's Big Little Lies, sufficient interest was generated in the song to return Coming Home to the top 100 of the US album chart.
This was also used on the TV shows Lucifer ("Super Bad Boyfriend" - 2019) and Suits ("Faith" - 2015), as well as the movie Crown Heights (2017).
Bridges sang this, along with "Smooth Sailin'," during his debut appearance on Saturday Night Live on December 5, 2015.

Comments: 1

Xander from Foley, AlabamaI recognize this song is about Leon's faith, but as a non-religuous person I see it more as a song about washing away your mistakes. To me, the song is about accepting your past and brushing past your regrets. The river in the song represents a way to wash away your mistakes. The river will carry away your past and erode it as well. The river is a sign of hope for people who are seeking redemption from their actions. A way of finding love and acceptance for yourself. A beacon of hope for the lost. The song reflects this as well. The line "Take me to your river, I wanna go" takes the place of the chorus. A repeated and continuous reminder that acceptance is possible if you listen for it.
This song is musically and lyrically beautiful. The comforting and warm feeling of the sounds Leon produces is a one in a kind experience. If this is the kind of music that prevails in his career, Leon can expect a life-long listener.

see more comments

More Songfacts:

Beverly HillsWeezer

Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo wrote "Beverly Hills" after seeing a photo of the group Wilson Phillips and imagining what it would be like to marry someone famous.

TeardropMassive Attack

"Teardrop" by Massive Attack has vocals by Elizabeth Fraser of The Cocteau Twins, who wrote the lyric after learning that Jeff Buckley had died.

Last NiteThe Strokes

The Strokes admitted to purloining Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers' "American Girl" for their hit "Last Nite."

John Lennon's lead guitar work on Yoko Ono's "Walking On Thin Ice" proved to be his final creative act. It was upon their return home after completing laying down the track that Lennon was murdered by Mark David Chapman.

Everybody Have Fun TonightWang Chung

"Everybody Have Fun Tonight" is a rare hit with the band's name used as a verb: "Everybody Wang Chung tonight." The band says it can mean whatever you'd like it to.

At This MomentBilly Vera & the Beaters

"At This Moment" was first released by Billy Vera & the Beaters in 1981, and hit #79. After it was used in two episodes of Family Ties in 1985-1986, it went to #1.