What does River mean?

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Bishop Briggs: River Meaning

Song Released: 2016


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River Lyrics

Like a river
Like a river
Like a river
Like a river
Like a river
Like a river

Shut your mouth and run me like a river
How do you fall in love?
Harder than a bullet could hit ya
How do we fall apart?
Faster than a hair pin...

  1. 1TOP RATED

    #1 top rated interpretation:
    anonymous
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    Nov 5th 2020 report

    I actually think its about her and her lover and her telling he/she to not show their love verbally, but physically (Basically s*x)

  2. 2TOP RATED

    #2 top rated interpretation:
    anonymous
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    Apr 15th 2017 report

    So, in an interview she explained that this song is about not backing down, in her words "tension and release. Staring someone down and not backing down.. Which when I hear it, that's what I feel. Raw emotion and just like "here I am, shut your mouth and do something or fuck off." "Shut your mouth, baby, stand and deliver." Which is why I love it. Actions > words.
    Source: http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/10978138

  3. 3TOP RATED

    #3 top rated interpretation:
    anonymous
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    Feb 19th 2018 report

    I think her interpretation is all about empowerment and not standing down when weak against someone else. Being able to stand up when doubted or pushed back

  4. anonymous
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    Feb 11th report

    In the video there isn't once a fucking river. There's an ocean, a creek, a swamp, a lake, but no fucking river.

  5. anonymous
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    Jan 30th report

    So many funny interpretations of this song. It's another way of saying, "Stop the grin'n & drop the linen." She wants physicality not some ephemeral b.s. Basically, show up, put up or leave.

  6. anonymous
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    Apr 29th 2022 report

    It says “Holy hands, will they make me a sinner?” (Twice)

    Holy hands oh they make me a sinner” (3rd Time)

    “Shut your mouth, baby stand & deliver”

    “Choke this love till the veins start to shiver”

    “Run me like a River”

    I might be dirty minded but what else but sex is going to make you a sinner by holy hands. Cum on…. It’s a sexy take charge song…. I agree the relationship might not be healthy based on the opening lyrics but it’s good.

  7. anonymous
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    Nov 17th 2021 report

    I saw all the interpretations and they are all so interesting to me, when I hear the song I see it as a relationship thats about to break but the singer doesnt want it to end she's trying to keep it going, she doesn't want to leave the relaionship so she's saying to shut up about all the complaints and problems and just keep the river (like their love) running and see how it goes rather than give up. the person singing seems to be very determined to stay with their lover in my opinion.

  8. anonymous
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    Jun 1st 2021 report

    A lot of people are saying it's about s*x, I also agree but it might also be something to do with LGBT because she says "holding hand wouldn't make me a sinner" but that could also mean sexual.

  9. anonymous
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    Apr 28th 2021 report

    I think that it's about knowing that your partner is about to tell you it's over so choosing to just not have that conversation and have sex instead. It's that desperate attempt to fix everything that's wrong by being physical.

    It's like she digging her heels in and saying "No, I won't let it end!"

    She's saying
    "Don't you say it" over and over.

    She says "One breath and it will just break it, so shut your mouth and run me like a river" ....

    Then there is of course "Shut your mouth baby 'stand and deliver'" which again is her saying "Don't talk just, (errr,) take me."

    I mean every word of the lyrics screams this to me but then, really, songs are about whatever we feel that they are about because the powerful thing about music is that it's so relatable, each song means something different to each of us, generally speaking.

    In a larger sense, I feel it's also about refusing to accept the seemingly inevitable and fighting to keep/get what you want. In this instance, she's fighting to keep her lover from leaving but the message is transferable.





  10. anonymous
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    Mar 26th 2021 report

    I think it might be about her relationship failing. Like maybe when she says "shut your mouth and run me like a river" it means let's see where this love journey goes, and all you people who said it was about s*x you just have a very dirty mind.

  11. anonymous
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    Nov 7th 2020 report

    all of the song sounds like its about sex run me like a river its like make me Running like a river a metaphore for making me wet
    stand and deliver dont think that i need to explain

    choke this love till the veins start to shiver
    i mean its clearly sexual

  12. anonymous
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    Aug 17th 2020 report

    I think love can flip on or off at anytime depending on all the different things that come into you life. You can put a label on a relationship and then later be disappointed by how it turned out. “Shut your mouth and run me like a river” could mean: stop talking about it and let’s just enjoy the ride and see where it takes us.

  13. anonymous
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    Nov 10th 2019 report

    I believe she is symbolizing that the heart does what it wants. No sense in talking about love. What happens happens run me like a river. Just go with the flow and accept it as it is (love)

  14. anonymous
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    Aug 6th 2019 report

    I believe this song means that when someone is down, helping and encouraging them to go no matter what. "Run me like a river", I took that saying blunt, how would you run with a river, with a boat, going with the river. "Shut your mouth and run me like a river", a person down would not have a boat, so they must build one, and when they complain they have no boat or say they are to weak, she tells them to shut up and do it. "one last breathe till the tears start to whither", I interpreted this as the last thing to fixing the problem, you do not know if you want to do it, but it must be done to fix the problem. 'Stand and deliver" can be stay and finish the boa kind of. "Holding hands will it make me a sinner" is herself asking is it worth it to help the other person. I think of this song as someone helping a bullied kid.

  15. anonymous
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    Jul 8th 2019 report

    Asked by Ones to Watch about the song's inspiration, Briggs replied; "'River' is all about staring someone in the face and pushing them to their limits - whatever those limits may be."
    - from songfacts

  16. anonymous
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    Jul 8th 2019 report

    Once I heard this song, I thought it was about empowerment and not backing down. In other words, being bold, strong and confident. Of course there will be times when you feel like you are worthless, but Bishop Briggs wrote this song as a way to promote self-confidence to those that may need that sort of feel. I can't tell whether the lyrics were wrote as a way to be confident, strong, or emphasize feeling, but I do understand that this she wrote this and sang this with so many strong feelings, were she added emotion and creativity to her work. Speaking of which, earlier, I was reading something - an interview - were she explained in detail what the lyrics meant to her. "It could be interpreted any sort of way. As long as you understand what it means to love something and get what you want while preceeding to have justice and be rightous about it - being confident towards yourself, you'll understand from "River" point of view, is what I believe to be true." I believe that she came up with this in matter of agreement with what she liked, which, in fact, to her is 'nature'. She loved growing up in nature as a child, and I believe that this song is her way of bringing confidence to people who might feel the same way about someone, somebody, or is just really brave.

    So, I believe that "River" was meant as a promotion soundtrack for believers, who feel that it's right to know where you stand on the battle filed.

  17. anonymous
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    Aug 27th 2017 report

    It sounds kinky in a way. The lyrics can be taken in many different ways.

  18. anonymous
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    Mar 17th 2017 report

    I think she is saying that love is just too much. It comes to quick and you lose it just as fast. So just shut up and bang her. It sounds like an extremely sexual song to me.


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