Rating:
 
|
Dificulty:
Share
|
Easy reader:
PRINT:
|
Let the river run (Carly Simon)
Time: 3:28
Accent:
|
Dictionary
Sound BrE
|
|
|
|
More suggestions
|
|||
|
|||
One of the most powerful pop songs from the past, more fit for a big choir than the movie it was made for: "Working Girls". The video, with scenes from the film, is OMG so 80's! with all those shoulder pads and wild hairstyles and.... well, it all looked really cool and fashionable at the time.
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 darkening dawn.
It's asking for the taking.
Come run with me now,
the sky is the colour 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.
[guitar]
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 all the dreamers
wake the nation.
Come, the New Jerusalem.
The song is quite mystical, quite "New Era" style. It expresses that some people are getting tired of all this stressing materialistic and consumerist society and their number is growing every day. They want to change the world, make a new society more human and spiritual, and the singer is inviting us to join that group.
Report mistakesLET= can be used to express the imperative for the 3rd person. If I want you to sit down I tell you "sit down, please"; if I want him to sit down I tell you "let him sit down". I’m telling you, but referring to him. So "let the river run" means "I want the river to flow, to keep running".
THE NEW JERUSALEM= is a biblical reference, it is the future Paradise that will come in the future (as explained in the book of "Revelations" or "Apocalypse"). These growing group of people want to turn the world into the New Jerusalem.
EDGE= border, limit
YOUR SONS AND DAUGHTERS= whose sons and daughters? Probably referring to God’s.
SIRENS= the Greek sirens are mythical creatures whose song was so wonderful that sailors were attracted to them.
CALL THEM ON= the particle ON expresses the idea of "continue" (as in "Keep on"). So "call on" is to continue calling, non-stop.
ASKING FOR THE TAKING= you just ask for something and you get it. It expresses the idea of abundance, plentiness, like in Paradise.
SHAKE= is the same as "tremble" but stronger (with emotion, in this context)
MY HEART IS ACHING= "Ache" is "to feel pain", but in this context her heart is in pain not because of sorrow, but because of positive emotion. She’s so excited about the changes and hopes, her heart pounds so fast with joy that it hurts.
BLAZE= shine
TRAIL= road
THE DARKENING DAWN= I must confess I’m a bit at a loss here. Dawn is the time of the day before the sunrise, when the darkness of the night begins to get lighter. So the dawn is not darkening, but lightening. Nevertheless, I’ve read this expressions a few times just referring to the dawn, with no particular meaning.
