FAWM: "On the River"

On the River

Liner Notes

FAWM 2025 / Song 9

I wrote these lyrics during 50/90 in 2024, after a tubing trip with friends and family on the Apple River (Minnesota) but hadn’t ever composed a melody for them. Today I got out the #banjolele and finished the draft.

Instrument: Instrument: Tenor banjolele tuned high GCEA

#ukulele #singersongwriter #personwithukulele #girlwithukulele #acousticonetake #fuc #uke #acoustic #midemfoke #banjouke #banjoukulele #minnesota #twincities #tubing #finished

Lyrics

Meet me at the stagnant pond
Near River’s Edge and Raleigh
We’ll take it to the Apple River
And lay our lives down sweetly
On the bank

Haunted by some shoreline geese
And ghosts of tubers in their floats
Cooler bobbing just behind
Tied with a length of rope

And on the river I can stand,
I walk on water
Cause I’ve seen it (what it means) in your eyes
Along the river, all our plans
Our unborn sons and daughters
Sink and swim and drown and rise
Like days and nights do
On the river

There’s a campsite rotting
Under brush abloom with dragonflies
Somehow the picnic tables
Make a dam far from the passing muddy land

Taking to the air with wings
Of dream and supplication
Like bubbles pop with time
Or with elation

Chorus 1 1/2

Comments

@motorcitymusicman 2d

The lyrics are wonderfully descriptive, painting an effective picture of the scenes, and the performance is excellent. Great song.

@hmstreetteam 3d

This sounds like quite the adventure! I love the confident melody to go with the varied scenery.

@hankbanks 3d

As someone with a borderline religious relationship with rivers, I had to listen to this one, and I'm so glad that I did! The chorus of this song is HUGE -- your voice, the chords, the melody, the lyrics all come together in this really stunning moment. And your voice works so well for this style! Very glad that you circled back to these lyrics and put them into song!