This River is Wild Lyrics
Leaves are fallin' down on the beautiful ground
I heard a story from the man in red
He said, "The leaves are fallin' down, such a beautiful sound
Son, I think you'd better go ahead"
But you always hold your head up high
'Cause it's a long, long, long way down
This town was meant for passing through
Boy, it ain't nothin' new
Now go and show 'em that the world stayed round
But it's a long, long, long way down
[Pre-Chorus]
You better run for the hills before they burn
Listen to the sound of the world, don't watch it turn
I just want to show you what I know
And catch you when the current lets you go
[Chorus]
Or should I just get along with myself?
I never did get along with everybody else
I've been trying hard to do what's right
But you know I could stay here all night
And watch the clouds fall from the sky
Well, this river is wild
This river is wild
Run for the hills before they burn
Listen to the sound of the world, don't watch it turn
(I shake a little) Sometimes I'm nervous when I talk
(I shake a little) Sometimes I hate the line I walk
I just wanna to show you what I know
And catch you when the current lets you go
[Chorus]
Or should I just get along with myself?
I never did get along with everybody else
I've been trying hard to do what's right
But you know I could stay here all night
And watch the clouds fall from the sky
Because this river is wild, godspeed ya, boy
This river is wild
[Verse 2]
Now Adam's taking bombs and he's stuck on his mom
Because that bitch keeps trying to make him pray
He's with the hippie in the park, combing over the dark
Just trying to get some of that little-girl play
[Pre-Chorus]
You better run for the hills before they burn
Listen to the sound of the world, don't watch it turn
I just want to show you what I know
And catch you when the current lets you go
Or should I get along with myself?
I never did get along with everybody else
I've been trying hard to do what's right
But you know I could stay here all night
And watch the clouds fall from the sky
The pain is hell in me tonight
Because this river is wild, godspeed ya, boy
This river is wild
This river is wild, godspeed ya, boy
This river is wild
[Outro]
Now the cars are everywhere, raisin' dust at the fairground
I don't think I ever seen so many headlights
But there's something pulling me
The circus and the crew, well, they're just passing through
Making sure the merry still goes 'round
But it's a long, long, long way down
About
Debatable for many symbolic interpretations, the river has most commonly been interpreted as representing life – This life is wild; this life is mysterious. The protagonist suffers from his fear of how he’ll be perceived if he chooses to express himself. The timeline of a human is short; in addition, life has constantly proved to be mysterious. With these two in mind, the risk of embracing and expressing passion is worth taking because at the end of the day, as the common phrase goes, “you never know unless you try”.
Run for the hills before they burn
Listen to the sound of the world
Don’t watch it turn
Just like how the song hits on an abstract, historical and personal level (some lines reflect Brandon Flower’s personal struggles), the song is also seen through many different perspectives, which results in many diverse interpretations because coincidentally, this song is wild.
Q&A
Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning
Brandon Flowers shared in a track-by-track album guide with NME:
It’s a strange one. Some people already hate it; some people like it, but the ones who love it are diehard. I love it! If ever there’s been a musical journey this is it. When I listen to it I don’t want it to end. Each chorus is different, that’s untypical of us, so it’s our shot at doing something different. This is also the most literal song here. I was born in Las Vegas but I grew up in a small town in Utah called Nephi, and the whole idea of escaping it and the excitement of that prospect is all captured on this.
- 1.Sam’s Town
- 2.Enterlude
- 6.Read My Mind
- 7.Uncle Jonny
- 8.Bones
- 9.My List
- 10.This River is Wild
- 12.Exitlude
