This is the third song called River Song that I’ve written, and it is very different from the other two, which are very different from each other. I suppose the differences speak to the fluidity of rivers, both as bodies of water and as thematic structures. This one is a bit about dreams, a bit about romance, and a bit about finding a place to put all of your troubles (in this case, you can swim them to the bottom of the river and leave them there -- not really so different, come to think of it, from the sturdy old box in which I buried them way back in Week 20, which perpetually stands as a free download on my website, in case you’re interested). This song moves a lot. It is summery and lush, and I’m pretty glad I wrote it.
lyrics
Up on a roof
In the lower east side
The kind of thought
That doesn't cross your mind
That when the morning comes
You'll change your life
And simple
Simpler than it ever seems
That kind of moonlight's
Only in your dreams
The kind of dreams
You wake in disbelief
Swim, Swim them deep
To the bottom of the East River
Coming up together in the air
Down on the street
And now we're buzzing around
Got tunnel vision
And I don't hear a sound
Are we the only people
In this town?
And never
Never did I ever think
I'd live to see so many sorrows sink
Down to the murky bottom of the drink
Swim, Swim them deep
To the bottom of the East River
Coming up together in the air