The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
Find me in the river
Find me on my knees
I've walked against the water
Now I'm waiting if you please
We've longed to see the roses
But never felt the thorns
And bought our pretty crowns
But never paid the price
Find me in the river
Find me there
Find me on my knees with my soul laid bare
Even though you're gone and I'm cracked and dry
Find me in the river, I'm waiting here
Find me in the river
Find me on my knees
I've walked against the water
Now I'm waiting if you please
We didn't count on suffering
We didn't count on pain
But if the blessing's in the valley
Then in the river I will wait
Find me on my knees
I've walked against the water
Now I'm waiting if you please
We've longed to see the roses
But never felt the thorns
And bought our pretty crowns
But never paid the price
Find me in the river
Find me there
Find me on my knees with my soul laid bare
Even though you're gone and I'm cracked and dry
Find me in the river, I'm waiting here
Find me in the river
Find me on my knees
I've walked against the water
Now I'm waiting if you please
We didn't count on suffering
We didn't count on pain
But if the blessing's in the valley
Then in the river I will wait
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Light Up The Sky
Van Halen
Van Halen
Dreamwalker
Silent Planet
Silent Planet
I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
When We Were Young
Blink-182
Blink-182
This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
Magical
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
I think this song is so meaningful and I'm surprised there's no comments before mine. This song means a lot to me so I've decided to do a sort of line by line analysis. Thats how sad I am!
Find me in the river (I'm here waiting for you) Find me on my knees (I'm submitting myself) I've walked against the water (I've been trying to walk the opposite way) Now I'm waiting if you please (Now I've stopped and am waiting for you)
We've longed to see the roses (We wanted all the beauty of Christian life) But never felt the thorns (But never realised the suffering that may be involved) And bought our pretty crowns (We made ourselves seem better than others) But never paid the price (But there is a price for that)
Find me in the river (So come find me here) Find me there (obvious) Find me on my knees with my soul laid bare (I'm laying it all down, there is nothing I can hide from you) Even though you're gone and I'm cracked and dry (I've felt like you're gone and its made me dry) Find me in the river, I'm waiting here (obvious)
Find me in the river (I've said) Find me on my knees (I've said) I've walked against the water (I've said too) Now I'm waiting if you please (...)
We didn't count on suffering (We didn't realise it would be this hard) We didn't count on pain (We didn't realise it would hurt) But if the blessing's in the valley (But if good times are to come) Then in the river I will wait (I will wait until the river (hard times) has worn away the land and created a beautiful valley)
Lottie- This IS a beautiful song... and your analogy is on the mark. Awesome job!
This is indeed a great song, but a few parts of it have made me less certain about the meaning. So the comments above were good to see. I've just a couple of things to add: -<br /> <br /> And bought our pretty crowns (reference to the crown of thorns? - meaning, we longed to wear the crown: be heirs with Christ. The earlier lines about roses and thorns seem to echo this thought too.)<br /> <br /> Even though you're gone and I'm cracked and dry (This is the bit that confuses me: God has never 'gone'! But perhaps the interpretation above is right.)<br /> <br /> Great song though.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />
@LottieLovesLife This is a pretty good interpretation, but I've always imagined that "walking against the water, now I'm waiting if you please" to mean that we have tried to bare the weight of our own suffering for too long that we have grown tired and weary and now we need to rest on the shoulder of Jesus. Find me here, I can't do this life on my own. It's too hard. Now I realize just how much I need you.<br /> <br /> Perhaps we are talking about the same thing.
@LottieLovesLife <br /> <br /> I also love this song. There’s a lot of biblical imagery within it. ‘Buying’ crowns is from Revelation and it relates to becoming children of God. See also 1 Peter 5:4 and James 1:12. The fact we have bought them but never paid the price relates to the gospel that Jesus paid for us to enter into heaven. <br /> <br /> The river imagery relates to Ezekiel 47 and Revelation 22 about being in the presence of God. Walking against the water relates to walking against the flow of God. Jonah realised what it was like to walk against God. And so the song is showing a person making mistakes and growing in maturity. <br /> <br /> That theme is carried through with the lyrics ‘we didn’t count on suffering, we didn’t count on pain’ - when you first become a believer there is a lot of excitement and a ‘honeymoon’ period. But Jesus clearly said that anyone who wishes to live a holy life will face opposition.<br /> <br /> This is why Martin Smith sings about ‘even though you are gone’. He is using poetic license here. God is never ‘gone’ but it can feel that way at times. Being ‘cracked and dry’ is referring to spiritual low points that is often part of a person’s path to maturity (see The Dark Night of the Soul). Biblically, valleys represent spiritual low points. But there is great blessing to those people who experience these low points the right way. As CS Lewis famously said, ‘God whispers to us in our pleasures but shouts to us in our pain’. Martin Smith’s determination to stay in the river (the presence of God) during the hard times shows the heart of a mature Christian and it’s what we all want to aim for. <br /> <br /> Remaining in the river means to pursue God. To purposely go where He is and be washed by Him.