And they came to the river
And they came from the road
And he wanted the sun
Just to call his own

And they walked on the dirt
And they walked from the road
'til they came up close
Throw your pain in the river
To be washed away slow

And we walked without words
And we walked with our lives
Two silent birds
Circled by

Like our pain in the river
And we followed the river
And we followed the road
And we walked through this land

And we called it a home
But he wanted the sun
And I wanted the whole
And the white light scatters

And the sun sets low
Like the pain in the river


Lyrics submitted by shut

The River Lyrics as written by Polly Jean Harvey

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

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The River song meanings
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    I don't agree as the birds actually being the vultures. That would make the two phrases an inversion and typically experienced song writers and poets stay away from inversions. Also, two birds who are silent suggests pain...silent birds, two innocent things who can't sing anymore. It's sad, not predatory. The circled by suggests they are circled by their own pain, their own loss of innocence. It seems like they followed the path to it's natural conclusion, and they are still following it. I agree that vultures are associated with death and the circling, but I just don't think those are the silent birds. There is the possibility of a double meaning though.

    fuzzyweaponon February 06, 2007   Link

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