Like a great poem, a great song can take a series of connected ideas, perhaps as complex as a life, and distill it to its essence. In “The River,” we have lives that were full of dreams, interrupted by the realities of life. The turning point occurs early on with “Then I got Mary Pregnant/and man that was all she wrote.” Wistful looks back don’t provide a lot of relief to what follows.
The sadness that “The River” is built on is emphasized by that forlorn harmonica line that introduces the song. It’s just that kind of juxtaposition that makes the tune so great: a short, beautiful piece of music that infuses such a melancholy story.
Next Up: Point Blank
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