River Song, the opening track on Dennis Wilson's solo album Pacific Ocean Bluepersonifies a yearning for a more simple relationship with the natural world. Perhaps only an illusionary late 60's to mid 70's chimeric proposition, and perhaps over-romanticised by someone like me, born into this period (who has just watched a documentary on Wilson on BBC4).
The lyrics when written down (see below)are simple, almost banal; but on record, with Dennis' cracked yet soulful vocals, gospel choir backing and lush production, the song cries out to soundtrack our universal desire to run away to, misquoting Werner Herzog, "ecstatic landscapes of the mind".
Over to You Tube:
Walkin' down by the river
Water running through my knees
River, oh river moves so free
Oh mighty river endlessly
Oo mighty river
I would love to be like you
Oo lonely river
Has not got the time to say
I was born into the city life
It's all that I've ever known
You know it's rough gettin' round this place
So crowded I can hardly breathe
You can only see about a block or two
In L. A. that's the truth
I'm lookin' for some country life
Some kickin' room no more city life
I want the river
Rollin' rollin' rollin' on river
(I got to get away I got to get away I got to get away)
Rollin' rollin' rollin' on river
(I got to get away I got to get away I got to get away)
Rollin' rollin' rollin' on river
(I got to get away I got to get away I got to get away)
Rollin' rollin' rollin' on river
(I got to get away I got to get away I got to get away)
Rollin' rollin' rollin' on
It breaks my heart to see the city
I wonder why it ain't pretty
Oh I want to cry, want to cry
Come on you've got to do it do it do it
You got to run away you got to run away
You got to do it do it do it
You got to run away
You got to run away
You got to do it do it do it
You got to run away
You got to run away
You got to do it do it do it
You got to run away
You got to run away
You got to do it do it do it
You got to run away
You got to run away
Water running through my knees
River, oh river moves so free
Oh mighty river endlessly
Oo mighty river
I would love to be like you
Oo lonely river
Has not got the time to say
I was born into the city life
It's all that I've ever known
You know it's rough gettin' round this place
So crowded I can hardly breathe
You can only see about a block or two
In L. A. that's the truth
I'm lookin' for some country life
Some kickin' room no more city life
I want the river
Rollin' rollin' rollin' on river
(I got to get away I got to get away I got to get away)
Rollin' rollin' rollin' on river
(I got to get away I got to get away I got to get away)
Rollin' rollin' rollin' on river
(I got to get away I got to get away I got to get away)
Rollin' rollin' rollin' on river
(I got to get away I got to get away I got to get away)
Rollin' rollin' rollin' on
It breaks my heart to see the city
I wonder why it ain't pretty
Oh I want to cry, want to cry
Come on you've got to do it do it do it
You got to run away you got to run away
You got to do it do it do it
You got to run away
You got to run away
You got to do it do it do it
You got to run away
You got to run away
You got to do it do it do it
You got to run away
You got to run away
You got to do it do it do it
You got to run away
You got to run away