River Lyrics

Lyric discussion by stdesantis 

Cover art for River lyrics by Ellis Paul

I've always understood that this is a song written for River Phoenix.

It's really a heartbreaking ballad. I actually used this song for the credits of a short film based on "The Laramie Project" that I made for one of my classes.

"his death has made critics of us all" is such a chilling lyric. The blurred lines of truth and fiction are very unsettling in this song. Even the name "River" yields a certain ambiguity. Is it River himself running? Is it just a moving body of water? I think it's both.