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The River (Bruce Springsteen song)

December 02, 2023

"The River" is a song written and recorded by Bruce Springsteen, accompanied by the E Street Band, in 1979. The title track of his fifth album, it was a hit single in parts of Europe in 1981; reaching No.24 in Ireland, No. 25 in the Netherlands, and the top 10 in both Sweden and Norway.[6] Its B-side was either "Independence Day" or "Ramrod", depending on the country of release.[6]

"The River"
European single picture sleeve
Single by Bruce Springsteen
from the album The River
B-side
ReleasedMay 1981 (1981-05)
RecordedAugust 26 & 29, 1979[1]
StudioThe Power Station, New York City
Genre
Length4:59
LabelColumbia
Songwriter(s)Bruce Springsteen
Producer(s)
Bruce Springsteen UK singles chronology
"Sherry Darling"
(1980) 		"The River"
(1981) 		"Cadillac Ranch"
(1981)

Composition edit

"The River" was originally intended to be included on an earlier, one-record version of The River, tentatively called The Ties That Bind.[7][8] The song itself was recorded at The Power Station in New York City on August 26 and 29, 1979.[9] In the first live performance of the song in 1979, Springsteen cited the inspiration as "my brother-in-law and my sister".[10] The 2012 biography Bruce by Peter Ames Carlin includes an interview with Springsteen's sister Ginny, in which she plainly states that the song is a precise description of her early life with her husband Mickey, to whom she is still married.[11] In his 2016 autobiography Springsteen confirmed that he wrote the song as a tribute to his sister and his brother-in-law.[12]

"The River" makes use of a haunting harmonica part, and in some ways is a foreshadowing of the style of his next album, Nebraska. The imagery of the chorus and the end of the song were inspired by lines from Hank Williams' 1950 hit "Long Gone Lonesome Blues".[13] The song's depiction of how economic difficulties are interlaced with local culture also presaged the 1980s popularity of heartland rock:

I come from down in the valley,
Where mister when you're young –
They bring you up to do, like your daddy done

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

Writer Robert Hilburn described the song as "a classic outline of someone who has to re-adjust his dreams quickly [, facing] life as it is, not a world of his imagination."[14]

Throughout the song the river is viewed as a symbol for the dreams of the future. The narrator keeps his hopes alive even as they realistically begin to fail.

That sends me down to the river,
Though I know, the river is dry.
It sends me down to the river, tonight

In 2015, Springsteen stated that he regards "The River", "Point Blank", "Independence Day" and "Stolen Car" as being "the heart and soul" of The River album.[15] "The River", and a few other songs on the album such as "Wreck on the Highway" and "Stolen Car", are said to mark a new direction in his songwriting: these ballads imbued with a sense of hopelessness anticipate his next album, Nebraska.[16] Springsteen himself has noted that "Wreck on the Highway" is one of the songs reflecting a shift in his songwriting style, linking The River to Nebraska.[17]

Release and reception edit

"The River" was not released as a single in the U.S., but it was released as a single in May 1981 in several countries in western Europe.[18] It placed number 35 on the UK Singles Chart. It also reached number 24 on the Irish Singles Chart, number 10 in Sweden's singles chart, number 6 in the Danish Top 20 and had its best showing with a number 5 placement on Norway's singles chart. In the U.S., it gained considerable album-oriented rock airplay and became one of Springsteen's best-known songs. It was included on both his 1995 Greatest Hits and 2003 The Essential Bruce Springsteen compilations. The song was also incorporated in the European edition of the 2009 Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band Greatest Hits.

In 2018, Rolling Stone ranked the song number five on their list of the 100 greatest Bruce Springsteen songs.[19]

Later on, the song reached #1 in Israel,[20] and the live version from No Nukes reached #3 in Portugal.[21]

Live performance history edit

The song was first performed in public at the Musicians United for Safe Energy concerts at Madison Square Garden in September 1979, and was featured in the subsequent 1980 film No Nukes three months before The River's release. During the River Tour of 1980–81, the song was frequently preceded by a piano rendition of the theme from Once Upon a Time in the West, with a similar outro segueing into the following song.

"The River" became a centerpiece of shows on some Springsteen tours. During the 1984–85 Born in the U.S.A. Tour, it was often preceded by a long, intense story from Springsteen about his battles with his father growing up, that would sometimes conclude positively and sometimes not; the silence after the story would then be interrupted by the start of the harmonica part. One such story and performance, that also touched on the Vietnam War, was included on the 1986 Live/1975–85 set.

On later tours, especially in Europe, the song's outro was extended to great length, with audiences mass singing the wordless "oooh" parts at the end. On the 1999–2000 Reunion Tour, "The River" was cast in a different arrangement that featured a Clarence Clemons saxophone part; one such rendition was included on the subsequent Live in New York City album and DVD. The song has been performed almost 700 times as of 2023; since June 16, it was included in the 2023 tour while initially absent from the setlist.[22]

Personnel edit

According to authors Philippe Margotin and Jean-Michel Guesdon:[23]

Certifications edit

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[24] Platinum 70,000‡
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[25] Gold 45,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[26] Silver 200,000‡
United States (RIAA)[27] Gold 500,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References edit

  1. ^ Heylin, Clinton (2012). Springsteen Song by Song A Critical Look. New York, NY: Penguin Group (USA) Inc. pp. 42–46. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  2. ^ Marsh, Dave (2004). Bruce Springsteen: Two Hearts, the Story. Routledge. p. 230. ISBN 978-1-135-88047-7.
  3. ^ https://www.thenationalnews.com/arts-culture/music/bruce-springsteen-the-collection-1973-84-1.519911
  4. ^ Bohlsen, Christopher (October 6, 2016). "Album Review: Bruce Springsteen - Chapter and Verse". Renowned for Sound. Retrieved December 26, 2018. The following tracks largely experiment with that formula, such as the pared back instrumentation of Badlands, or the sombre soft-rock of The River.
  5. ^ "The River by Bruce Springsteen". Classic Rock Review. January 7, 2015. Retrieved January 17, 2020.
  6. ^ a b "Bruce Springsteen: The River". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved November 6, 2011.
  7. ^ Marsh, D. (1981). Born to Run. Dell. p. 247. ISBN 0-440-10694-X.
  8. ^ Kirkpatrick, R. (2007). The Words and Music of Bruce Springsteen. Praeger. p. 71. ISBN 978-0-275-98938-5.
  9. ^ Brucebase, On The Tracks: The River
  10. ^ Video on YouTube
  11. ^ Carlin, Peter Ames (October 30, 2012). Bruce. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978-1471112331.
  12. ^ Springsteen, Bruce (2016). Born to Run. London, UK: Simon & Schuster. p. 32.
  13. ^ Marsh, Dave (1987). Glory Days: Bruce Springsteen in the 1980s. Pantheon Books. ISBN 0-394-54668-7. p. 30
  14. ^ Hilburn, Robert (1985). Springsteen. Rolling Stone Press. pp. 138, 153. ISBN 0-684-18456-7.
  15. ^ Zimny, Thom (2015). The Ties That Bind. HBO.
  16. ^ Ruhlmann, William. . AllMusic. Archived from the original on September 30, 2011. Retrieved January 17, 2020.
  17. ^ Graff, Gary (2005). The Ties That Bind: Bruce Springsteen A to E to Z. Visible Ink Press. ISBN 1-57859-157-0. p. 255
  18. ^ Killing floor Bruce Springsteen discography
  19. ^ "The 100 Greatest Bruce Springsteen Songs". Rolling Stone. December 11, 2018. Retrieved February 23, 2022.
  20. ^ "The River".
  21. ^ "The River (Live at Madison Square Garden, New York, NY - 09/22/79)".
  22. ^ "Bruce Springsteen Tour Statistics". Setlist.fm. Retrieved June 17, 2023.
  23. ^ Margotin, Philippe; Guesdon, Jean-Michel (2020). Bruce Springsteen All the Songs: The Story Behind Every Track. London: Cassell Illustrated. p. 166. ISBN 978-1-78472-649-2.
  24. ^ "Oct 2023 Single Accreds" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved November 23, 2023.
  25. ^ "Danish single certifications – Bruce Springsteen – The River". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
  26. ^ "British single certifications – Bruce Springsteen – The River". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved November 5, 2021.
  27. ^ "American single certifications – Bruce Springsteen – The River". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved May 25, 2022.

External links edit

  • Lyrics & Audio clips from Brucespringsteen.net

December 02, 2023
river, bruce, springsteen, song, river, song, written, recorded, bruce, springsteen, accompanied, street, band, 1979, title, track, fifth, album, single, parts, europe, 1981, reaching, ireland, netherlands, both, sweden, norway, side, either, independence, ram. The River is a song written and recorded by Bruce Springsteen accompanied by the E Street Band in 1979 The title track of his fifth album it was a hit single in parts of Europe in 1981 reaching No 24 in Ireland No 25 in the Netherlands and the top 10 in both Sweden and Norway 6 Its B side was either Independence Day or Ramrod depending on the country of release 6 The River European single picture sleeveSingle by Bruce Springsteenfrom the album The RiverB side Independence Day UK Ramrod France I m a Rocker AUS ReleasedMay 1981 1981 05 RecordedAugust 26 amp 29 1979 1 StudioThe Power Station New York CityGenreFolk rock 2 heartland rock 3 soft rock 4 Americana 5 Length4 59LabelColumbiaSongwriter s Bruce SpringsteenProducer s Jon Landau Bruce Springsteen Steven Van ZandtBruce Springsteen UK singles chronology Sherry Darling 1980 The River 1981 Cadillac Ranch 1981 Contents 1 Composition 2 Release and reception 3 Live performance history 4 Personnel 5 Certifications 6 References 7 External linksComposition edit The River was originally intended to be included on an earlier one record version of The River tentatively called The Ties That Bind 7 8 The song itself was recorded at The Power Station in New York City on August 26 and 29 1979 9 In the first live performance of the song in 1979 Springsteen cited the inspiration as my brother in law and my sister 10 The 2012 biography Bruce by Peter Ames Carlin includes an interview with Springsteen s sister Ginny in which she plainly states that the song is a precise description of her early life with her husband Mickey to whom she is still married 11 In his 2016 autobiography Springsteen confirmed that he wrote the song as a tribute to his sister and his brother in law 12 The River makes use of a haunting harmonica part and in some ways is a foreshadowing of the style of his next album Nebraska The imagery of the chorus and the end of the song were inspired by lines from Hank Williams 1950 hit Long Gone Lonesome Blues 13 The song s depiction of how economic difficulties are interlaced with local culture also presaged the 1980s popularity of heartland rock I come from down in the valley Where mister when you re young They bring you up to do like your daddy done 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 Writer Robert Hilburn described the song as a classic outline of someone who has to re adjust his dreams quickly facing life as it is not a world of his imagination 14 Throughout the song the river is viewed as a symbol for the dreams of the future The narrator keeps his hopes alive even as they realistically begin to fail That sends me down to the river Though I know the river is dry It sends me down to the river tonight In 2015 Springsteen stated that he regards The River Point Blank Independence Day and Stolen Car as being the heart and soul of The River album 15 The River and a few other songs on the album such as Wreck on the Highway and Stolen Car are said to mark a new direction in his songwriting these ballads imbued with a sense of hopelessness anticipate his next album Nebraska 16 Springsteen himself has noted that Wreck on the Highway is one of the songs reflecting a shift in his songwriting style linking The River to Nebraska 17 Release and reception edit The River was not released as a single in the U S but it was released as a single in May 1981 in several countries in western Europe 18 It placed number 35 on the UK Singles Chart It also reached number 24 on the Irish Singles Chart number 10 in Sweden s singles chart number 6 in the Danish Top 20 and had its best showing with a number 5 placement on Norway s singles chart In the U S it gained considerable album oriented rock airplay and became one of Springsteen s best known songs It was included on both his 1995 Greatest Hits and 2003 The Essential Bruce Springsteen compilations The song was also incorporated in the European edition of the 2009 Bruce Springsteen amp The E Street Band Greatest Hits In 2018 Rolling Stone ranked the song number five on their list of the 100 greatest Bruce Springsteen songs 19 Later on the song reached 1 in Israel 20 and the live version from No Nukes reached 3 in Portugal 21 Live performance history editThe song was first performed in public at the Musicians United for Safe Energy concerts at Madison Square Garden in September 1979 and was featured in the subsequent 1980 film No Nukes three months before The River s release During the River Tour of 1980 81 the song was frequently preceded by a piano rendition of the theme from Once Upon a Time in the West with a similar outro segueing into the following song The River became a centerpiece of shows on some Springsteen tours During the 1984 85 Born in the U S A Tour it was often preceded by a long intense story from Springsteen about his battles with his father growing up that would sometimes conclude positively and sometimes not the silence after the story would then be interrupted by the start of the harmonica part One such story and performance that also touched on the Vietnam War was included on the 1986 Live 1975 85 set On later tours especially in Europe the song s outro was extended to great length with audiences mass singing the wordless oooh parts at the end On the 1999 2000 Reunion Tour The River was cast in a different arrangement that featured a Clarence Clemons saxophone part one such rendition was included on the subsequent Live in New York City album and DVD The song has been performed almost 700 times as of 2023 since June 16 it was included in the 2023 tour while initially absent from the setlist 22 Personnel editAccording to authors Philippe Margotin and Jean Michel Guesdon 23 Bruce Springsteen vocals guitars harmonica Roy Bittan piano Clarence Clemons tambourine Danny Federici organ Garry Tallent bass Steven Van Zandt guitars vocal harmonies Max Weinberg drumsCertifications editRegion Certification Certified units salesAustralia ARIA 24 Platinum 70 000 Denmark IFPI Danmark 25 Gold 45 000 United Kingdom BPI 26 Silver 200 000 United States RIAA 27 Gold 500 000 Sales streaming figures based on certification alone References edit Heylin Clinton 2012 Springsteen Song by Song A Critical Look New York NY Penguin Group USA Inc pp 42 46 Retrieved 27 March 2020 Marsh Dave 2004 Bruce Springsteen Two Hearts the Story Routledge p 230 ISBN 978 1 135 88047 7 https www thenationalnews com arts culture music bruce springsteen the collection 1973 84 1 519911 Bohlsen Christopher October 6 2016 Album Review Bruce Springsteen Chapter and Verse Renowned for Sound Retrieved December 26 2018 The following tracks largely experiment with that formula such as the pared back instrumentation of Badlands or the sombre soft rock of The River The River by Bruce Springsteen Classic Rock Review January 7 2015 Retrieved January 17 2020 a b Bruce Springsteen The River dutchcharts nl Retrieved November 6 2011 Marsh D 1981 Born to Run Dell p 247 ISBN 0 440 10694 X Kirkpatrick R 2007 The Words and Music of Bruce Springsteen Praeger p 71 ISBN 978 0 275 98938 5 Brucebase On The Tracks The River Video on YouTube Carlin Peter Ames October 30 2012 Bruce Simon amp Schuster ISBN 978 1471112331 Springsteen Bruce 2016 Born to Run London UK Simon amp Schuster p 32 Marsh Dave 1987 Glory Days Bruce Springsteen in the 1980s Pantheon Books ISBN 0 394 54668 7 p 30 Hilburn Robert 1985 Springsteen Rolling Stone Press pp 138 153 ISBN 0 684 18456 7 Zimny Thom 2015 The Ties That Bind HBO Ruhlmann William The River Bruce Springsteen AllMusic Archived from the original on September 30 2011 Retrieved January 17 2020 Graff Gary 2005 The Ties That Bind Bruce Springsteen A to E to Z Visible Ink Press ISBN 1 57859 157 0 p 255 Killing floor Bruce Springsteen discography The 100 Greatest Bruce Springsteen Songs Rolling Stone December 11 2018 Retrieved February 23 2022 The River The River Live at Madison Square Garden New York NY 09 22 79 Bruce Springsteen Tour Statistics Setlist fm Retrieved June 17 2023 Margotin Philippe Guesdon Jean Michel 2020 Bruce Springsteen All the Songs The Story Behind Every Track London Cassell Illustrated p 166 ISBN 978 1 78472 649 2 Oct 2023 Single Accreds PDF Australian Recording Industry Association Retrieved November 23 2023 Danish single certifications Bruce Springsteen The River IFPI Danmark Retrieved August 23 2022 British single certifications Bruce Springsteen The River British Phonographic Industry Retrieved November 5 2021 American single certifications Bruce Springsteen The River Recording Industry Association of America Retrieved May 25 2022 External links editLyrics amp Audio clips from Brucespringsteen net Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title The River Bruce Springsteen song amp oldid 1186477903, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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