River
Chorus: Ed Sheeran
I've been a liar, been a thiefBeen a lover, been a cheatAll my sins need holy water, feel it washin' over meWell, little one, I don't want to admit to somethingIf all it's gonna cause is painTruth and my lies right now are fallin' like the rainSo let the river runVerse 1: Eminem
He's comin' home with his neck scratched, to catch flackSweat jackets and dress slacks, mismatchedOn his breath's Jack, he's a sex addictAnd she just wants to exact revenge and get backIt's a chess match, she's on his back like a jet-packShe's kept track of all his Internet chatsAnd guess who just happens to be movin' on to the nextActually, just shit on my last chick and she has what my ex lacks'Cause she loves danger, psychopathAnd you don't fuck with no man's girl, even I know thatBut she's devised some plan to stab him in the backKnife in hand, says their relationship's hangin' by a strandSo she's been on the web latelySays maybe she'll be my Gwen Stacy, to spite her manAnd I know she's using me to try to play him, I don't careHi, Suzanne, but I shoulda said, "Bye, Suzanne"After the first night, but tonight I amChorus: Ed Sheeran
I've been a liar, been a thiefBeen a lover, been a cheatAll my sins need holy water, feel it washin' over meWell, little one, I don't want to admit to somethingIf all it's gonna cause is painThe truth and my lies now are fallin' like the rainSo let the river runVerse 2: Eminem
A one-night stand turned a two-night standIt was "come sunlight, scram," now we hug tight, and…He found out, now she feels deserted and used'Cause he left, so what? He did it first to her tooNow how am I supposed to tell this girl that we're through?It's hard to find the words, I'm aloof, nervous, and SueDon't want this to hurt, but what you deserve is the truthDon't take it personal, I just can't say this in person to youSo I revert to the studio, like hole-in-the-wall dinersDon't have to be reserved in a boothI just feel like the person who I'm turnin' into'sIrreversible, I preyed on you like it's church at the pewAnd now that I got you I don't want youTook advantage in my thirst to pursueWhy do I do this dirt that I do?Get on my soapbox and preach, my sermon and speechDetergent and bleach is burnin' the wound'Cause now with her in the wombWe can't bring her in this world, shoulda knewTo use protection 'fore I bit into your forbidden fruitFuck!Chorus: Ed Sheeran
I've been a liar, been a thiefBeen a lover, been a cheatAll my sins need holy water, feel it washin' over meWell, little one, I don't want to admit to somethingIf all it's gonna cause is painThe truth and my lies now are fallin' like the rainSo let the river runBridge: Eminem & Ed Sheeran
My name's (Ooh), my name's (Ooh)River (Ooh), river runCall me (Ooh), call me (Ooh)River (Ooh), we'll let the river runVerse 3: Eminem
Always the bridesmaid, never "The bride, hey!"Fuck can I say? If life was a highwayAnd deceit was an enclave, I'd be swervin' in five lanesSpeeds at a high rate, like I'm slidin' on ice, maybeThat's why I may have came at you sidewaysI can't keep my lies straightBut I made you terminate my babyThis love triangle left us in a wreck, tangledWhat else can I say? It was fun for a whileBet I really woulda loved your smileDidn't really wanna abort, but fuck itWhat's one more lie, to tell our unborn child?Chorus: Ed Sheeran & Eminem
I've been a liar, been a thiefBeen a lover, been a cheatAll my sins need holy water, feel it washin' over meWell, little one (I'm sorry)I don't want to admit to something (I fucked up)If all it's gonna cause is painThe truth and my lies now are fallin' like the rainSo let the river runWhat the song means
"River" is a confessional song about lies, guilt and the mess that comes from a casual affair that grows into something much heavier. The chorus, sung by Ed Sheeran, works as a refrain of self-accusation: the narrator admits to being a liar, a thief and a cheat, and asks for his sins to be washed away. Eminem's verses tell the story. He describes a woman who uses him to get back at her partner, then a one-night stand that keeps repeating, and finally a pregnancy that he pressures her to end.
The mood moves from cynical detachment to regret. The first verse sounds almost like gossip, with the narrator watching the drama from a distance. The second verse turns inward as he admits he preyed on her and now can't find the words to end things. The third verse is the bitterest, as he owns the lies and the abortion, and the closing question shows how little he has really changed.
The key images carry the meaning. Holy water and the river suggest a wish to wash guilt away, but the water keeps flowing without cleansing anything, so "letting the river run" reads as giving up control. The rain of lies falling like the rain stands for lies that keep coming down on everyone. The Gwen Stacy reference points to a doomed love interest, which hints that the woman is being set up as a sacrifice.
Key phrases explained
- catch flack
- to get criticized or blamed — He is coming home to face trouble after the night before.
- my Gwen Stacy
- a doomed love interest, like the Spider-Man character — She compares herself to a tragic figure to provoke her partner.
- hangin' by a strand
- barely holding on, about to fall apart — Describes how fragile the relationship is.
- Always the bridesmaid
- someone who is always the runner-up, never chosen — Points to his feeling of never being the one she picks.
- Get on my soapbox
- to preach or lecture about a moral point — He sermonizes about his own behavior, which is ironic given what he did.
Song info
- Release date
- 2017-12-15
- Album
- Revival
- Written by
- Eminem, Ed Sheeran, Doveman, Emile Haynie
- Produced by
- Emile Haynie
- Featuring
- Ed Sheeran
- Interpolates
- Eminem – Space Bound, Eminem – Bad Guy
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