The River - Bruce Springsteen: Song Lyrics, Music Videos & Concerts

Bruce Springsteen

The River

1,284,976

Rock

The River was released on October 17, 1980 by Columbia as a part of the album The River

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Song Details

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The River was discovered most frequently in the first few seconds of the song during the past week

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OVERVIEW

LYRICS

Music Video

Music Video

Credits

PERFORMING ARTISTS

Bruce Springsteen

Bruce Springsteen

Lead Vocals

Roy Bittan

Piano

Clarence Clemons

Clarence Clemons

Percussion

Danny Federici

Organ

Garry Tallent

Bass Guitar

Max Weinberg

Drums

Steven Van Zandt

Steven Van Zandt

Acoustic Guitar

COMPOSITION & LYRICS

Bruce Springsteen

Bruce Springsteen

Songwriter

PRODUCTION & ENGINEERING

Bruce Springsteen

Bruce Springsteen

Producer

Jon Landau

Producer

Neil Dorfsman

Recording Engineer

Chuck Plotkin

Mixing Engineer

Toby Scott

Mixing Engineer

Steven Van Zandt

Steven Van Zandt

Producer

Bob Ludwig

Mastering Engineer

Dana Bisbee

Assistant Engineer

Garry Rindfuss

Assistant Engineer

James Farber

Assistant Engineer

Jeff Hendrickson

Jeff Hendrickson

Assistant Engineer

Raymond Willhard

Raymond Willhard

Assistant Engineer

Lyrics

[Verse 1]

I come from down in the valley

Where, mister, when you're young

They bring you up to do

Like your daddy done

Me and Mary, we met in high school

When she was just seventeen

We'd ride out of this valley

Down to where the fields were green

[Chorus]

We'd go down to the river

And into the river we'd dive

Oh, down to the river we'd ride

[Verse 2]

Then I got Mary pregnant

And, man, that was all she wrote

And for my nineteenth birthday

I got a union card and a wedding coat

We went down to the courthouse

And the judge put it all to rest

No wedding day smiles, no walk down the aisle

No flowers, no wedding dress

[Chorus]

That night we went down to the river

And into the river we'd dive

Oh, down to the river we did ride

Yeah, yeah

[Verse 3]

I got a job working construction

For the Johnstown Company

But lately there ain't been much work

On account of the economy

Now all them things that seemed so important

Well, mister, they vanished right into the air

Now I just act like I don't remember

Mary acts like she don't care

[Bridge]

But I remember us riding in my brother's car

Her body tan and wet down at the reservoir

At night on them banks, I'd lie awake

And pull her close just to feel each breath she'd take

Now those memories come back to haunt me

They haunt me like a curse

Is a dream a lie if it don't come true

Or is it something worse?

[Chorus]

That sends me down to the river

Though I know the river is dry

That sends me down to the river tonight

Down to the river

My baby and I

Oh, down to the river we ride

Written by: Bruce Springsteen

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