It has dual meaning depending upon the listener.
It has dual meaning depending upon the listener.
But let’s be clear, it’s not about Winona Ryder.
But let’s be clear, it’s not about Winona Ryder.
I think the meaning is quite obvious. Growing up in a small town and feeling trapped and needing to get out both physically and mentally. But what’s also obvious is his genius in the lyrics. I could write this song by simply writing Nothing happens here after the sun goes down the streets are empty and there is nothing to do. But Dylan writes Evening empire returns to sand(I believe a reference to the sandman) and ancient empty streets to dead for Dreaming. I could go on and analyze every line but I think I made my point. There is only one...
I think the meaning is quite obvious. Growing up in a small town and feeling trapped and needing to get out both physically and mentally. But what’s also obvious is his genius in the lyrics. I could write this song by simply writing Nothing happens here after the sun goes down the streets are empty and there is nothing to do. But Dylan writes Evening empire returns to sand(I believe a reference to the sandman) and ancient empty streets to dead for Dreaming. I could go on and analyze every line but I think I made my point. There is only one Bob Dylan. His lyrics are genius and Magic
So I really think this song about Jesus and has religious elements.
So I really think this song about Jesus and has religious elements.
I just wonder if she wrote it before or after she cheated on her husband with a married man.
I just wonder if she wrote it before or after she cheated on her husband with a married man.
This song is yet another reminder that the most religious people are the most morally corrupt.
This song is yet another reminder that the most religious people are the most morally corrupt.
Didn’t he improvise many of the lyrics when he recorded his vocals? It kinda feels that way
Didn’t he improvise many of the lyrics when he recorded his vocals? It kinda feels that way
This is a Jay Farrar song so there isn't much of a chance of ever figuring out what it "means". I love this song but I experience it like a poem. The lyrics evoke images and feelings but I can't pin them to a specific idea or point of view.
This is a Jay Farrar song so there isn't much of a chance of ever figuring out what it "means". I love this song but I experience it like a poem. The lyrics evoke images and feelings but I can't pin them to a specific idea or point of view.
According to wikipedia:
According to wikipedia:
Much of "River of Deceit", lyrically, was inspired by the 1923 book The Prophet by Khalil Gibran, which Staley read during the making of the album.
Much of "River of Deceit", lyrically, was inspired by the 1923 book The Prophet by Khalil Gibran, which Staley read during the making of the album.
Also stated is the fact that:
Also stated is the fact that:
The music for "River of Deceit" came out of rehearsals that the group had before vocalist Layne Staley joined the band.
The music for "River of Deceit" came out of rehearsals that the group had before vocalist Layne Staley joined the band.
That says "music" not "lyrics" but it's not clear who actually wrote these lyrics.
That says "music" not "lyrics" but it's not clear who actually wrote these lyrics.
I cannot believe that I finally heard this song for the first time on March 31, 2026, 13 years after it came out....
I cannot believe that I finally heard this song for the first time on March 31, 2026, 13 years after it came out. And I thought I was a major Alice In Chains fan. One thing is for sure though, that hearing this song makes me miss Layne even more.
It is really funny people think it's about sneaking around with a girl but he never makes mention of a girl anywhere. This song is actually about sneaking around to smoke Marijuana and the person he is calling in tge song is his dealer. Kids in the 70s and 80s would sneak out behind the bushes during school to smoke a joint. He never says basement, he says cellar which usually had an outside door and not one in the house. And we never went to the dive in to have sex. We went there to...
It is really funny people think it's about sneaking around with a girl but he never makes mention of a girl anywhere. This song is actually about sneaking around to smoke Marijuana and the person he is calling in tge song is his dealer. Kids in the 70s and 80s would sneak out behind the bushes during school to smoke a joint. He never says basement, he says cellar which usually had an outside door and not one in the house. And we never went to the dive in to have sex. We went there to meet up with friends and smoke pot. Look at the words closely.
I'd say that the song is kind of a giant lord of the flies reference in the sense of society and manipulation. I belive that the line "he never had a chance and no one even knew it was really only you" is a reference to the scene where a boy is brutally stabbed to death because the boys thought that he was the beast and most of them didnt show any remorse and one of the boys influenced their belief of the beast more than the others therefore the line can be interperted that way.
I'd say that the song is kind of a giant lord of the flies reference in the sense of society and manipulation. I belive that the line "he never had a chance and no one even knew it was really only you" is a reference to the scene where a boy is brutally stabbed to death because the boys thought that he was the beast and most of them didnt show any remorse and one of the boys influenced their belief of the beast more than the others therefore the line can be interperted that way.
I do understand why people would think it’s about a gay couple but I also interpret it to be about somebody who’s feeling left behind whilst in active addiction. When the song is referencing the lions living inside the frames of his friends wiry broke down bodies it then states “when the flood water clears it ain’t gonna be clear it’s gonna look like mud”. I took this is hes essentially feeling like his now clean and sober friends think they are better than addiction but when it comes down to it they call came from the same place and...
I do understand why people would think it’s about a gay couple but I also interpret it to be about somebody who’s feeling left behind whilst in active addiction. When the song is referencing the lions living inside the frames of his friends wiry broke down bodies it then states “when the flood water clears it ain’t gonna be clear it’s gonna look like mud”. I took this is hes essentially feeling like his now clean and sober friends think they are better than addiction but when it comes down to it they call came from the same place and they aren’t perfect. And that the truth would come to light when asked about it. I think in the second verse he’s singing about a friend that was a lot closer that must’ve been physically dragged out of addiction by his parents and sent to somewhere like military school or rehab. I think he often reminisces about when he had all his friends with him, possibly as a teenager or a long time ago. The last verse is really sad and the “she” he references could be an old gf or a family member or a friend. He basically is stuck in this addiction whilst everybody else has moved on and begun their lives- and he feels bitter about it
It’s funny how sometimes you have to go through something and then when you hear a song again the lyrics take on new meaning. Not saying this is what the song actually means, but how I’ve been taking it lately is as if my late friend would want me to keep their memory vague so that my grief over them isn’t as painful and so I can move on with my life and find happiness. I’ve been struggling with the loss, and I’m sure they wouldn’t want to see me in pain over them. I also like the interpretation of...
It’s funny how sometimes you have to go through something and then when you hear a song again the lyrics take on new meaning. Not saying this is what the song actually means, but how I’ve been taking it lately is as if my late friend would want me to keep their memory vague so that my grief over them isn’t as painful and so I can move on with my life and find happiness. I’ve been struggling with the loss, and I’m sure they wouldn’t want to see me in pain over them. I also like the interpretation of a mature break up - when you truly love someone, sometimes that’s not enough and circumstance comes between you, but with that true love you would subtract yourself from the other person’s life if it meant they would be better off. And death is certainly a circumstance that can get between you - with no way to be together in life, it's like keeping his memory vague is the way to alleviate pain, but it's a catch 22 because I don't want to let him go. Kind of a heartbreaking song.