Moving The River Lyrics
But you're only good as
The last great thing you did
And where've you been since then
Did the schedule get you down
I hear you've got a new girlfriend
How's the wife taking it ?
And I know that you are proud of everything I've done
But it's the wonders I perform,
Pulling rabbits out of hats
When sometimes I'd prefer
Simply to wear them
My back is broad enough sir to take the strain and it's
But I'm turkey hungry, I'm chicken free, and I can't breakdance on your knee
But it's "stay right there son, baby do", while I is itchin' for something new
So watch me hawkeye and understand the force of will, the sleight of hand
Movin' the river, I'm turkey hungry, I'm chicken free and I can't breakdance on your knee
Movin' the river, bucket by spoon, and do you think that they'll like me when they learn what I o
One of the tasks Hercules accomplished was moving a river to clean a supposedly uncleanable stable.
To me as a high school student, this song was always a voice for my anxiety about being able to keep up the pace of accomplishment I had set. "You're only as good as the last great thing you did, and where've you been since then?"
As an adult, it's hard to hear the song without that wash of earlier interpretation, but now I think it's about a guy in a mid-life crisis looking to break out of his rut.
As with most tracks on the Steve McQueen LP, and several on ' From Langley Park To Memphis', this song has a very deep personal association for me in terms of life experience. The main message I believe is about living under the weight of expectation, and seeking approval., which has its' roots in childhood with overcritical ( father ) and overprotective ( mother ) parents, and then reflects in later life with references to moving forward - (new girlfriend, how's the wife taking it ) , and achieving success ( moving the river bucket by spoon - but do you think they'll like me.. ) The interlaced message is one of a frustrated individual yearning to prove his worth and having to do it by stealth against others' wishes - ( the force of will, sleight of hand ) and holding resentment against childhood learning ( I can't breakdance on your knee ). Also acknowledging it is a simple thing to go on pleasing everyone by being the same, but it's not really what he wants to be ( money for jam....) Yet another example of McAloon's superb use of metaphor to describe the inner frustrations of life. As I have said before, this bloke is an out and out genius.
The key line is 'it takes such an effort to stay where I am' how true
I certainly relate to this song quite a bit, and I think a lot of people can. I think out of all the cryptic and often hard to interpret lyrics that Paddy has written over the years, this is one of his most universally relatable lyrics. I think if you take this very literally then it is mainly about pressure put upon kids by parents and other adults in their life; however, I think in a broader interpretation of this song, it's mostly just about pressure in general. Right from the get go, with the line "You surely are a truly gifted kid but you're only good as the last great thing you did" It sums up the modern day societal mentality that has dominated for the past several centuries, and especially the most recent two: That we must keep moving and that we must never be happy. No one these day seems to be truly happy with where they are in their life. Everyone needs to keep moving. They're "only as good as the last great thing they did". My interpretation is simply that this song is an expression of trying to keep up in life. This song is about "Moving the river bucket by spoon". It's about the effort it takes to "stay where I am". I admire how well this song is written and how tastefully it explores such a simple, yet pressing topic that is universally relatable.
I agree with all of the thoughts above, but another interesting way to look at it could be that the narrator is self-aggrandizing the things he does, despite the fact that they would happen whether he were doing them or not. A cog in the machine can be easily replaced; a river flows whether we're there to assist it or not.