We're coming to the edge
Running on the water
Coming through the fog
Your sons and daughters

Let the river run
Let all the dreamers
Wake the nation
Come, the New Jerusalem

Silver cities rise
The morning lights
The streets that meet them
And sirens call them on
With a song

It's asking for the taking
Trembling, shaking
Oh, my heart is aching

We're coming to the edge
Running on the water
Coming through the fog
Your sons and daughters

We the great and small
Stand on a star
And blaze a trail of desire
Through the dark'ning dawn

It's asking for the taking
Come run with me now
The sky is the color of blue
You've never even seen
In the eyes of your lover

Oh, my heart is aching
We're coming to the edge
Running on the water
Coming through the fog
Your sons and daughters

It's asking for the taking
Trembling, shaking
Oh, my heart is aching
We're coming to the edge
Running on the water
Coming through the fog
Your sons and daughters

Let the river run (let the river run)
Let all the dreamers (let all the dreamers)
Wake the nation (wake the nation)
Come, the New Jerusalem


Lyrics submitted by pablo

Let The River Run Lyrics as written by Carly Simon

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

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Let The River Run song meanings
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  • +1
    My Interpretation

    This is a paean of hope for the future of the world. It is about a new era of humankind, ushered in by a new generation (sort of the perfect counter to Nick Cave's "O' Children".)

    The river runs, it is not dammed up, washing away the old, and bringing the new. The new Jerusalem is a figure of speech in English not confined to any religion; Jerusalem was founded by the Canaanite Pagans and later conquered by the Jews, the Romans, and many other peoples. The New Jerusalem is a fresh start for teaching peace (Semitic Jeru- "to teach", -salem "peace" cognate to the Arabic Salaam and the Hebraic Shalom.)

    The silver cities rising brings back an often forgotten verse of America the Beautiful also looking to the future:

    "O beautiful for patriot dream, That sees beyond the years; Thine alabaster cities gleam Undimmed by human tears!"

    The sirens can be taken two ways; sirens as used on emergency vehicles - or a siren (creature of water, of the rivers) song to the future, asking for the taking.

    All peoples are included, the great and small, meteoric desires in the night bringing on the dawn; a blue sky dawning, vivid beyond imagining.

    steward39on March 23, 2014   Link

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