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Nature, nurture, heaven and home
Sum of all and by them driven
To conquer every mountain shown
But I've never crossed the river
Braved the forest, braved the stone
Braved the icy winds and fire
Braved and beat them on my own
Yet I'm helpless by the river
Angel, angel what have I done
I've faced the quakes, the wind, the fire
I've conquered country, crown, and throne
Why can't I cross this river?
Angel, angel what have I done
I've faced the quakes, the wind, the fire
I've conquered country, crown, and throne
Why can't I cross this river?
Pay no mind to the battles you've won
It'll take a lot more than rage and muscle
Open your heart and hands my son
Or you'll never make it over the river
It'll take a lot more than words and guns
A whole lot more than riches and muscle
The hands of the many must join as one
And together we'll cross the river
It'll take a lot more than words and guns
A whole lot more than riches and muscle
The hands of the many must join as one
Open your heart and hands my son
Or you'll never make it over the river
(Nature, nurture, heaven and home)
It'll take a lot more than words and guns
(Sum of all and by them driven)
A whole lot more than riches and muscle
(To conquer every mountain shown)
The hands of the many must join as one
And together we'll cross the river
(Braved the forest, braved the stone)
It'll take a lot more than words and guns
(Braved the icy winds and fire)
A whole lot more than riches and muscle
(Braved and beat them on my own)
The hands of the many must join as one
And together we'll cross the river
Sum of all and by them driven
To conquer every mountain shown
But I've never crossed the river
Braved the forest, braved the stone
Braved the icy winds and fire
Braved and beat them on my own
Yet I'm helpless by the river
Angel, angel what have I done
I've faced the quakes, the wind, the fire
I've conquered country, crown, and throne
Why can't I cross this river?
Angel, angel what have I done
I've faced the quakes, the wind, the fire
I've conquered country, crown, and throne
Why can't I cross this river?
Pay no mind to the battles you've won
It'll take a lot more than rage and muscle
Open your heart and hands my son
Or you'll never make it over the river
It'll take a lot more than words and guns
A whole lot more than riches and muscle
The hands of the many must join as one
And together we'll cross the river
It'll take a lot more than words and guns
A whole lot more than riches and muscle
The hands of the many must join as one
Open your heart and hands my son
Or you'll never make it over the river
(Nature, nurture, heaven and home)
It'll take a lot more than words and guns
(Sum of all and by them driven)
A whole lot more than riches and muscle
(To conquer every mountain shown)
The hands of the many must join as one
And together we'll cross the river
(Braved the forest, braved the stone)
It'll take a lot more than words and guns
(Braved the icy winds and fire)
A whole lot more than riches and muscle
(Braved and beat them on my own)
The hands of the many must join as one
And together we'll cross the river
Lyrics submitted by Lody, edited by armorhide7, Deshra
Track duration: 05:06
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The hands of the many must join as one, because only together can we cross that river. Perhaps Maynard thinks that his generation has failed to achieve this, and he looks to future generations for hope. He speaks his hopeful warning to his son/future generations with the words: "Open your heart and hands my son, or you'll never make it over the river."
Bill Hicks can tell you what this song is about better than I can. I'll let his words do the talking:
The world is like a ride at an amusement park, and when you choose to go on it, you think it's real, because that's how powerful our minds are. The ride goes up and down and round and round. It has thrills and chills, and it's very brightly colored, and it's very loud, and it's fun, for a while. Some people have been on the ride for a long time, and they begin to question: "Is this real, or is this just a ride?" And other people have remembered, and they come back to us, and they say "Hey! Don't worry! Don't be afraid, ever! Because this is just a ride." And we kill those people.
"Shut him up! We have a lot invested in this ride! Shut him up! Look at my furrows of worry! Look at my big bank account, and my family! This has to be real!"
It's just a ride. But we always kill those good guys who try to tell us that. Have you ever noticed that? And we let the demons run amok. But it doesn't matter, because it's just a ride, and we can change it any time we want. It's only a choice. No effort, no work, no job, no saving of money. A choice, right now, between fear and love. The eyes of fear want you to put bigger locks on your door, buy guns, close yourself off. The eyes of love, instead, see all of us as one. Here's what we can do to change the world right now to a better ride. Take all that money that we spend on weapons and defense each year and instead spend it feeding, clothing, and educating the poor of the world, which it would many times over, not one human being excluded, and we can explore space together, both inner and outer, forever, in peace.
if you look at it from a eye of a revovering addict hello angel what have i done is speaking to his higher power. ive braved the quakes the wind the fire the trees the stone all these could be symbols for different drugs thats hes braved and overcome on his own..trees maybe weed stone maybe crack of course this metaphors to just over coming the material world...braved and beat them on my own but im helpless by the river..the river sybolizing both a spiritual awakening and booze. hes beat all other addictions except the river of booze and hes addmitting hes helpless to it.. the higher power says it;ll take alot more than words or guns,(he goes shooting as a drugless activity) more than riches or muscle..(working or working out to avoid addiction) the hand of the many must joim as one (like the circle at an aa meeting) and together we'll cross the river.. everyone coming together to help each other stay sober...this goes right along with thirteenth step which is his interpretation of the twelve step program for recovery..
Then the angel responds to them in the rest of the song (aside from the chorus in which both are speaking.) The angel explains that one does not cross the river by action alone, which is also based in the bible. Then the angel states that the hands of the many must join as one to cross the river, which is explaining that only those united in Christ may cross the river, as anyone who joins in the body of Christ is united as one. There is no way this is a reference to the river styx as everyone crosses the line from life to death, without hardship.
While I know most will likely disagree because this interpretation is of a Christian nature, just remember, I am not forcing you to believe in him, nor does he. He only extended his hand out and asked, "Will you believe and follow me?" No one who tries to judge your fallacies without looking at their own, is a true Christ following Christian. Be you an atheist, be you gay. I welcome all, as Christ would have me do, your shortcomings are between you and him, not me; it's just not my place to say or do anything about it.
Which is part of the hands of the many must join as one as well. Think about it, we have to look past each others shortcomings and join together in his body to cross the river. Last part, if you doubt that the river could be a reference for Christ, remember he was baptized in a river, and the bible says that blood and water flowed from him, it also calls him the fountain of life, and refers to his blood as the cleansing river, or flood. Hence where I got the River-Christ interpretation. All of this interpretation matches with the lyrics, the artists viewpoints, and with the psychological, religious, and logical viewpoints.
In Greek Mythology, the River Styx seperated the world of the living from the underworld. It was believed that loved ones must place two coins on the eyes of the deceased to pay the boatman, Charon. If the dead failed to pay, they would not be allowed to cross through to the afterlife.
When you take that into consideration, "together we'll cross the river" makes sense. It doesn't matter what you've accomplished in life; you'll ultimately be judged by your relationships with others. No one can escape death, and if you have no loved ones at the end of your days, you won't be able to "cross the river".
Purely speculation, but it seems plausible to me.
I can think of many challenges I have overcome in my life on my own, but there have been times (and I anticipate that there will be more in the future) where I simply needed help. I had to stop facing a problem with a war-like mentality (rage and muscle, wars and guns) and instead focus on creative solutions, often joining hands with others to cross the river.
If I had to point to something specific that the river refers to, it would be Truth. Truth is something that, on the one hand, we can only find within, but on the other hand, is found through relating to the rest of the world. Without that relating, we reduce ourselves to a "mountaintop mystic", escaping from the world around us in whatever bliss or joy we can bring ourselves, but ultimately separating ourselves from the rest of the world and blinding ourselves to entire dimensions of reality.
And in fact, the more you try to "conquer country, crown, and throne", the more you commit yourself to a solitary lifestyle, making it harder to "open your heart and hands".
There is a guy, who conquered and won many wars, yet meets an obstacle muscle cannot overcome (poverty).
Appeals for guidance and is told "compassion is the way to overcome, for this obstacle cannot be overcome as one".
This can also be seen as a metaphor for the world as a whole.
Ever heard the saying "Charity has never helped anyone" or "One cannot help the many."
Well it is the idealism that brings people together as a whole.
When you give clean water to those who have none you give more than water you give hope and the idealism that helping others is a grand thing indeed and it spreads like wildfire.
And with help you cross the river.