River, A Different Take on Baptism, Leon Bridges
This song is about faith. In an interview with UnCut, Bridges reflects that he noticed a lot of soul singers of the '50s and '60s used river metaphors. “The river in my song is a metaphor for being born again."
The song was inspired by the traditional American spiritual "Down To The River To Pray," which was famously covered by Alison Krauss for the movie O Brother, Where Art Thou? Bridges heard the tune at one of his local open mics. "It just really amazed me," he told Spin. "And it helped me find God in my story."
Leon Bridges explained the background to the song:
"A river has historically been used in gospel music as symbolism for change and redemption. My goal was to write a song about my personal spiritual experience. It was written during a time of real depression in my life and I recall sitting in my garage trying to write a song which reflected this struggle. I felt stuck working multiple jobs to support myself and my mother. I had little hope and couldn't see a road out of my reality. The only thing I could cling to in the midst of all that was my faith in God and my only path towards baptism was by way of the river."
River, Leon Bridges
Been traveling these wide roads for so long
My heart's been far from you
Ten-thousand miles gone
Oh, I wanna come near and give ya
Every part of me
But there is blood on my hands
And my lips aren't clean
In my darkness I remember
Momma's words reoccur to me
"Surrender to the good Lord
And he'll wipe your slate clean"
Take me to your river
I wanna go
Oh, go on
Take me to your river
I wanna know
Tip me in your smooth waters
I go in
As a man with many crimes
Come up for air
As my sins flow down the Jordan
Oh, I wanna come near and give ya
Every part of me
But there is blood on my hands
And my lips aren't clean
Take me to your river
I wanna go
Go on
Take me to your river
Lord I wanna go………
Here is the original y Alison Krauss that Bridges refers to - Down to the River to Pray, from the movie ‘Brother, where art thou?’