Falling into digital code
To escape from the world
I used to know
Starving and struggling
Unhinged and unloved
We live through these devices
That entice us to numb
Choke on your breath
Look at the sky
Swallow your pride
Work 'til you die
System: Failure
Dystopian living
The machines are killing
Any semblance of being
No perfect persons
In an imperfect world
The users, the whores
Who programs these horrors?
In between the bricks
Watching, waiting, eyes are glued
Interrogate the city gates
The line's right in front of you
Escaping and erasing
Any sense of living loved
What we're chasing is fading
I refuse to give up
Choke on your breath
Look at the sky
Swallow your pride
Work 'til you die
System: Failure
Dystopian living
The machines are killing
Any semblance of being
No perfect persons
In an imperfect world
The users, the whores
Who programs these horrors?
Decipher the beauty
While the neon lights fade
The world has been dying
Hidden from our gaze
Black clouds of pollution
Leave you choking and dazed
There's no sense in hiding
Been digging our own grave
Tear down the smokestacks
And monuments made
The world keeps turning
But everything is burning
Tear down smokestacks
And monuments
Everything is burning


Lyrics submitted by finalpoet

Dave Matthews Band Chicago River Incident Lyrics as written by Billy Miller Ben Alfich

Lyrics © O/B/O DistroKid

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

The River song meanings
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10 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment

    this is a simple love song.i heard it the other day on alternative radio.its beautiful,but i kind of read through it like Lakini's juice (having sexual undertones..but i might be wrong)

    thecolorsblueon March 16, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I agrre with the colorsblue, I think it is a love song, with a bit of sex in it kinda.. anyway, I dont think its their best song ever, but the lyrics are nice. The music is a bit, too unoriginal, but they have changed so much from the "Throwing Copper" days

    Jafferon March 18, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    True...musically it's not too original, BUT I love this song anyways! I can hardly wait til the new album comes out....!

    Eyeconon March 24, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Anyone ever seen the movie Sin City? This song kind of reminds me of the relationship between Merv and Goldie. She just kind of showed up, and gave him love no questions asked, but she had other motives behind it. Don't ask me why I just always think of that. I agree that musically it's not the best, but on fansoflive.com there's a new version where the guitars have heavier distortion, it sounds 100 times better than the original. Almost sounds like something from the Distance to Here.

    finalpoeton April 03, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Anyone ever seen the movie Sin City? This song kind of reminds me of the relationship between Merv and Goldie. She just kind of showed up, and gave him love no questions asked, but she had other motives behind it. Don't ask me why I just always think of that. I agree that musically it's not the best, but on fansoflive.com there's a new version where the guitars have heavier distortion, it sounds 100 times better than the original. Almost sounds like something from the Distance to Here.

    finalpoeton April 03, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    love it! lyrics are beautiful, however it's too mellow to pass for hard-core live material. it was hard for me to believe it was a live song when i first heard it, if not for ed's vocals. love where he goes' oh baby..' and yeah id agree. there's definitely sexual undertones in the song.

    0horny0on April 03, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    But does this song end with just a "sex-meaning"? I mean, Dolphin's Cry was deeper than just "sex on a beach". Couldn't this song maybe also be about coming to God and giving up your burning skin for healing? I hear how it could be. I'm not saying that it is, but I do think that Ed tries to present double-meanings in a lot of his songs. You know, on the outside, there's something everyone can relate to. But deeper in the lyrics, he's talking about something that's very important to him...I don't know, just a thought...

    Eyeconon April 23, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I found this quoted by Ed.... "When I sit down to write a song, I always feel like I’m wading into a river where a nurturing female presence guides me and pushes me along when I need it.” Awww how sweet. :)

    sweet_peaon May 10, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Okay, so entertain this:

    We are all sinners and have been torn apart by this world. So God says, "Child, come here and I will restore you. I will cleanse you."

    Eh? Whatcha think? I'm thinking that THAT is the deeper meaning.

    Eyeconon June 13, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Well, I’m gonna take this post and make a meandering sort of left turn from everyone else’s take on this song. My take on this song is that it was written about the birth of one of his daughters.

    “It came without warning; A love like I aint never felt before; She's like my destiny calling; And she's lying there all naked on the floor” -- until you have kids you don’t truly understand the concept of ultimate and unconditional love; it’s a life changing experience and usually in ways you don’t expect. As far as the naked part - babies love to be naked and no parent can resist letting them enjoy that freedom while they can – but don’t try this at home if it’s a boy – they pee everywhere! Yes, that’s experience talking. LOL!

    “Oh baby, let my loving ease your pain; Bring your burning skin to my river once again; I'll give you life; Ooh baby let my loving ease your pain, tonight” -- there’s really no greater feeling than when your baby looks at you like you are their whole world. It is truly unconditional love because to them you are everything and perfect and wonderful and you can see that in their eyes and there’s nothing that will make you feel better and bring you complete and utter joy than the moment when you experience that look. There’s more to “loving” than just sex people. ;-)

    “She came without warning; Like an angel come from Heaven in the night; Her kiss makes me tremble; So she pulls me close and she holds me oh so tight” -- babies are notorious for being born when you either least expect it or at a minimum when you’ve had no damn sleep the night before. Babies kisses and hugs rank right up there with all the best things in life. They can make you feel so good you could cry. They say a mother’s kiss can make everything all better. But what they don’t tell you is that a hug or a kiss from a child can do the same. I don't care how sad you are a kiss and a hug from a baby/toddler/child WILL ease your pain.

    Sorry folks, the song is not about sex, it’s about babies. But . . . then again . . . if my husband would open his arms, shake his hips like Ed does in the video and sing to me “oh baby, let my loving ease your pain” – well, then it would be about sex – oh yeah, totally. Which leads to babies, so, see, it is about babies. LOL!

    On top of the great lyrics and the mesmerizing video (the desert, the sun, the water, those hips!); I also LOVE it musically. My musical taste has always been very diverse, so I can love the uplifting melody of this song equally as much as I do the raw energy found in I Alone. This song is one of the most uplifting I’ve heard in a really long time. It makes me feel so damn good when I hear it. It’s my favorite LIVE song and it’s my phone ringtone, too.

    cheryl3660on February 22, 2008   Link

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