Yeah, I could hide in the calm of the eye of a storm and never blow away
Well I'm a young man with a knife to my back. Some things never seem to change

Nowhere to run to, Nowhere to hide Sing the song or keep it inside
Bought to farm, but the farmer done died. Sing that song, sing that song inside

I wish I could live in the dream that I fly on tarred and feathered wings
Well, I'm losing a game of reality dice where the dealer never ever pays

Nowhere to run to...

I wanna be as big as a mountain, I wanna fly as high as the sun,
I wanna know what the rent's like in heaven I wanna know where the river goes

Yeah, I could hide in the calm of the eye of a storm and never blow away
Well I'm a young man with a knife to my back Some things never seem to change

Nowhere to run to...

Ii wanna be as big as a mountain...

If I was stronger I could be a mountain range
If night was longer Could I escape the day?



Lyrics submitted by dsfire

Track duration: 08:26

"Where the River Goes" as written by Dean Deleo, Robert Emile Deleo, Eric Kretz, Scott Richard Weiland

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, EMI Music Publishing

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Where The River Goes song meanings
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  • 0
    General Comment:"If night was longer, could I escape the day?"
    -Where the River Goes

    "Ya know the day destroys the night, light divides the day"
    -Break On Through (To the Other Side) [The Doors]

    Scott has said that The Doors were his primary influence, and he even sang on Break On Through and Five to One with the surviving Doors. Perhaps a tribute? Who knows. All I know is that this song is fucking amazing.
    Flag Tig45on July 05, 2011   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation:This is one of the best rock and roll songs ever! I think it is about a young man suddenly coming to grips with his mortality when faced with a life-threatening situation.

    His feelings initially alternate between denial and resentment.
    Denial and fantasizing about escaping his fate: "I could hide in the eye of a storm and never blow away", "I wish I could live in the dream that I fly on tarred and feathered wings."
    Resentment and self-pity about this apparent raw deal: "young man with a knife to my back", "nowhere to run to, nowhere to hide", "losing a game of reality dice"

    He is afraid because he has lost his faith in his religious beliefs. "Bought the farm but the farmer done died" means that he knows he will soon die but has lost faith that he will meet the farmer (God) on the other side.

    Rather than bottle up his feelings inside like most of the world does he wrote the sing to relieve his intense pain: "sing that song inside"

    The young man is soothed by the fact that he can achieve permanence on the earth by further developing his musical talents: "If I was stronger I could be a mountain range"
    With just a little more time on this earth, he could achieve immortality through music (if night was longer, could I escape the day") Night is a metaphor for the earth, waking up is a metaphor for dying, and the day is the uncertain reality of death: heaven or hell, afterlife or no afterlife.

    The chorus indicates that the young man eventually embraces his fate and will live the best life he can with the time he has left on this earth: "I wanna be as big as a mountain. I wanna fly as high as the sun." He is unsure what kind of afterlife he will wake up to after death, but he looks forward to finally knowing the truth: "I wanna know what the rent's like in heaven. I wanna know where the river goes."
    Flag heavyrotationon May 19, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:"i wanna know where the river goes"

    we all live our lives in sin. it is impossible not too... however we spend our lives wondering if our sins will be forgiven. we willnot know until it is too late and this song represents the life long questioning of your own after life fate
    Flag masculinejollyrancheron November 07, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:this song to me is about having your dreams ripped apart by reality

    you want all these things in your life to happen, but reality will fucking crush your dreams to pieces or make them seem unrealistic
    Flag georgeyboy31on July 02, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:this song needs to be given more credit

    If I was stronger
    I could be a mountain range
    If night was longer
    Could I escape the day?

    ^^ one of the finest moments in rock when scott sings that part
    Flag StoneTemplePlumberon June 18, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:sometimes life takes you on a rollercoaster ride.... thats pretty much what this classic is about
    Flag onewayticket23on June 15, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Contains one of the best STP lines ever, "I'm losin' a game of reality dice where the dealer never, never pays." It's one of those clever metaphors in a song that really hits you and then makes you relate it to the harder times of your own life


    Flag spoonman333on June 13, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This song has one of the greatest outros I have ever heard. Long live STP.
    Flag tednugentyeahon June 13, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:The first time they played it live....holy $hit! This is awesome footage! I never grow tired of seeing these guys. They're everything a rock band should be. I anxiously await their next contribution to music.
    Flag silverandredon June 11, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:One of the Greatest Bands in Rock history i dont give a fuck what any Critic says they can all lick my fuckn changepurse!!
    Flag borat111on June 10, 2010   Link

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