Find The River by R.E.M. Lyrics Meaning – Navigating the Currents of Existence
Lyrics
The read on the speed meter says
You have to go to task in the city
Where people drown and people serve
Don’t be shy
Your just deserve
Is only just light years to go
Me, my thoughts are flower strewn
Ocean storm, bayberry moon
I have got to leave to find my way
Watch the road and memorize
This life that pass before my eyes
Nothing is going my way
The ocean is the river’s goal
A need to leave the water knows
We’re closer now than light years to go
I have got to find the river
Bergamot and Vetiver
Run through my head and fall away
Leave the road and memorize
This life that pass before my eyes
Nothing is going my way
There’s no one left to take the lead
But I tell you and you can see
We’re closer now than light years to go
Pick up here and chase the ride
The river empties to the tide
Fall into the ocean
The river to the ocean goes
A fortune for the undertow
None of this is going my way
There is nothing left to throw
Of Ginger, lemon, indigo
Coriander stem and rose of hay
Strength and courage overrides
The privileged and weary eyes
Of river poet search naivete
Pick up here and chase the ride
The river empties to the tide
All of this is coming your way
Against the ebbing flow of 90s alternative rock, R.E.M.’s ‘Find The River’ offers a tranquil yet compelling introspection on life’s relentless passage. The final track of their seminal album ‘Automatic for the People’, released in 1992, it’s an ode to the journey of existence, where the river serves as a powerful metaphor for life’s path and its ultimate confluence with something greater.
The gentle melody accompanying Michael Stipe’s introspective lyricism is wrapped in a shroud of melancholy, yet also drips with the allure of resolution and peace. As the band navigates through this serene musical landscape, audiences are invited into a current of contemplation about life, memory, and the ever-persistent march towards our personal oceans.
A Stream of Consciousness: Unraveling The Song’s Lyrical Tapestry
The whispering opening lines of ‘Hey now, little speedy head’ immediately casts a spell, trapping us into the narrator’s introspective ride. Every verse, laced with vivid imagery like ‘flower strewn ocean storm,’ suggests a lush, internal world that’s in stark contrast with the external ‘city where people drown and people serve.’ This duality between inner and outward experiences is a thread that weaves through the song’s very fabric.
‘The ocean is the river’s goal’ points to an innate drive within us all, a desire for purpose and finality. Stipe implores us to watch the road, to memorize the life passing by, a poignant reminder to be present even when ‘nothing is going my way’. The narrative weaves a canvas of memory, personal struggle, and the relentless push towards an inevitable endpoint.
The Ebb and Flow: The Song’s Hidden Meaning
At its core, ‘Find The River’ deals with themes of direction, purpose, and the inexorable journey towards an end. But look beneath the surface, and the river becomes a metaphor for life with the ocean representing the ultimate culmination of our experiences. It’s not just about the destination, but also what we pick up along the way – the ‘Bergamot and Vetiver’, symbols of life’s fleeting, beautiful moments.
The ‘fortune for the undertow’ – a nod to the hidden currents that pull us beneath the surface, represents the unforeseen challenges we face. Struggles that come without warning, that disrupt our path, but ultimately contribute to the fullness of our life’s journey as they carry us ‘closer now than light years to go’. Every line pushes the notion of embracing the voyage, regardless of its inevitable hardships.
Indelible Impressions: The Song’s Most Memorable Lines
The verse ‘Strength and courage overrides the privileged and weary eyes’ captures the essence of endurance, striking a chord with anyone acquainted with life’s relentless grind. These words serve as a powerful reminder that the strength to continue comes from within, in the face of adversity.
‘Of river poet search naivete,’ paired with the song’s other myriad ingredients – from ‘Ginger, lemon, indigo’ to ‘Coriander stem and rose of hay’, paints a portrait of life rich in experience and unadulterated curiosity, suggesting a treasure trove of sensory memories that inform our personal poetry.
The Quest for Closure: The River’s Destination
The lyrical journey of ‘Find The River’ is underpinned by a longing for closure. The ‘river poet’ is a wanderer, a seeker of truth, looking for that ocean – the final truth or peace. By invoking nature and the flow from river to ocean, the song suggests an organic pathway towards resolution and understanding.
This idea that ‘All of this is coming your way’ ushers in a hopeful undertone, or perhaps inevitability, that every river will meet its ocean, every life will find its purpose, and every struggle will lead to enlightenment or tranquility in some form. Stipe’s lyrics coax us to face the tide, and embrace whatever it may bring.
The Harmonic Undertow: Musical Arrangement Meets Meaning
Musically, ‘Find The River’ aligns seamlessly with its lyrical intentions. The arrangement, marked by its melodic bass line and the simplicity of Bill Berry’s percussion, creates a soundscape that mirrors the tranquil yet persistent nature of a river’s journey. Mike Mills’ piano and backing vocals swirl around Stipe’s lead like water lapping at the banks.
The song builds like the increasing momentum of water moving towards an ocean, culminating in an understated yet emotionally resonant outro. As the instruments fade, the listener is left with echoes of the journey – a harmonious send-off into the silence that speaks as much as the song itself, reinforcing the idea that we’re all part of a larger symphony, participating in the ebbs and flows of the universal river that is life.
