Leon Bridges is the stage name of an American soul singer, Todd Michael. He shot to popularity on the music streaming platform Spotify with his “Coming Home” album. “River” is another one of his songs that is quite popular among his fanbase. His voice is quite soothing, according to those who follow him, and brings a certain peace to the soul. After all, that is the quality of all the artists who sing soul songs. The song might have some religious undertones, however, the voice of his makes any listener hooked on the song. The theme of the lyrics are not overtly religious. Thus, a majority of listeners, religious as well as non-religious can relate with this song. This is especially true at this time when our society is going through an internal battle as a whole.
What does the Title mean?
The title of the song refers to the river Jordan that is of religious significance in Christianity as well as Judaism. The most important thing about this river is that according to the Bible, Jesus of Nazareth was baptized by John the Baptist in the same. The whole song revolves around the longing for the Lord as well as the abstract concept of love. This theme is tied by this river Jordan. Another interesting mythological fact about the Jordan River is that it symbolizes freedom according to the Jewish tradition. The Israelites crossed this river in difficult conditions to escape slavery that was prevalent in Egypt at the time. They were then able to settle down in the Promised Land. Thus, the aspect of freedom can also be taken into account while interpreting this song.
Verse 1 – What does it mean?
“Been travelling these wide roads
For so long
My heart’s been far from you
Ten thousand miles gone”
‘River’ is a song that is filled with deep-seated emotions about longing for love. How this ‘love’ is interpreted depends upon the listener. The first two lines hint at the fact that the singer is tired and weary of travelling on wide roads. Travelling the wide roads is perhaps a metaphor for going through life. Another implication of the word ‘wide’ is that the traveler feels lonely. In other words, the roads are wide and the singer needs someone or something to accompany them, so the road of life doesn’t feel so wide. The last two lines confirm the fact that the singer is longing for accompaniment. Often times, we feel alone and long for that one person. A particular person who visits our minds often and we think of them whenever we are by ourselves. The hyperbolic or exaggerated language used in the lyrics intensify the emotions that the singer is experiencing. After all, our subjective experiences cannot be contained in objective symbols such as numbers. Thus, figures of speech such as metaphors and hyperboles are become important when it comes to poetry, songs, or fiction.
Another interpretation that will be better backed by the upcoming lyrics is perhaps more religious in nature. As Leon Bridges is a soul singer, this interpretation might be closer to what he was trying to say in this song. The longing felt by him and its expression of the same could be for a divine power. It doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s a religious Christian song, or anything as such. A person can hold any concept, person, or feeling divine. For instance, many people find divinity in love. This longing is perhaps for that idea and feeling of love that we all feel. The feeling that makes us do irrational things and gets us through hard times. The feeling that helps us travel the wide roads of life.
As mentioned before, the river Jordan symbolizes freedom. Thus, the narrator can also be longing for a type of freedom that comes along with love, especially spiritual love.
Refrain – What does it mean?
“Oh, I wanna come near and give
Every part of me
But there’s blood on my hands
And my lips are unclean”
The refrain, once again, emphasizes upon Leon’s willingness to surrender his every part of the body to his love. For love, most people tread through difficulties and are willing to make sacrifices that may seem irrational on the surface. This is a theme that repeats often in quite a few critically acclaimed as well as mainstream pop songs. It’s the expression of this feeling in the song that defines how intense it is. The guitar riffs coupled with Leon’s soothing voice puts us in an introspective mood where we reflect on the element of love in our own life. If one considers the official music video, the song is all about exploring this feeling of loneliness and a longing for another. If we stretch this interpretation further, we can also connect it with how our society is structured and the lack of human interaction. The music video touches on these very themes.
The final two lines, once again, give the song religious undertones. One assumption of the Christianity is that human beings are born sinners. We may either feel in our mind that we are unclean or we have blood on our hands, due to the fact that we live in a world where people suffer. It’s a feeling that none of us can escape. In a world full of exploitation, suffering, and death, at times, we may feel that we are a part of the cause as we exist in such as world.
Verse 2 – What does it mean?
“In my darkness I remember
Momma’s words reoccur to me
“Surrender to the good Lord
And he’ll wipe your slate clean””
In the second verse, Leon reminisces about his childhood and what his mother used to say whenever the dark times came. She used to say that it was better to surrender yourself to the love of God, and he’ll take care of things. Many people find solace in God. Many find solace in loved ones. Wiping the slate refers to letting go of sins with the help of the Lord.
That’s where the next verse and Leon’s request to either God or an unknown entity comes in.
Chorus – What does it mean?
“Take me to your river
I wanna go
Oh, go, take me to your river
I wanna know”
The chorus is all about being near the river of the Lord. It may refer to a place where a person may find peace and get strength to face whatever this world throws at you. Leon wants to know where that river is. It’s that river that will bring peace to Leon as well as everyone who is living in difficulties.
Verse 3 – What does it mean?
“Dip me in your smooth water
As I go in
As a man with many crimes, come up for air
As my sins flow down the Jordan”
The third verse is quite significant in the context of religious interpretation. The metaphor of the river continues in the third verse. In this verse, we come to know about the nature of the river that is being mentioned in the whole song. The river is Jordan which is of religious significance in Judaism as well Christianity. It is mentioned a lot in the Old Testament too.
Bridge – What does it mean?
“I wanna go, wanna go, wanna go
Wanna know, wanna know, wanna know
Wanna go, wanna go, wanna go
Wanna know, wanna know, wanna know
I wanna know, wanna know, wanna know
Wanna go, wanna go, wanna go (Hoo)
Wanna know, wanna know, wanna know
Wanna go, wanna go, wanna go (Oh, yeah)
Wanna know, wanna know, wanna know (Hoo)”
The bridge is all about Leon’s longing for being near the Jordan river, in the grace of God.
If you haven’t listened to Leon’s “River”, you should as soon as possible. This song can be categorized under the genre of gospel-blues. The album as a whole received a rating of 7.4/10 by AnyDecentMusic? Considering the waning popularity of music that has religious undertones, this was quite a good score. The album, on its debut, reached the number six spot on the US Billboard 200. It also made a significant impact on the popular culture of United Kingdom. Overall, this song is worth a listen. If one understands the meaning behind it properly, its interpretation is nothing short of a rabbit hole.
Conclusion
If you haven’t listened to Leon’s “River”, you should as soon as possible. This song can be categorized under the genre of gospel-blues. The album as a whole received a rating of 7.4/10 by AnyDecentMusic? Considering the waning popularity of music that has religious undertones, this was quite a good score. The album, on its debut, reached the number six spot on the US Billboard 200. It also made a significant impact on the popular culture of United Kingdom. Overall, this song is worth a listen. If one understands the meaning behind it properly, its interpretation is nothing short of a rabbit hole.
