The Lonesome River

I sit here alone on the banks of the river

the lonesome winds blow the waters run high

I hear a voice call out there in the darkness

I sit here alone too lonesome to cry

What is it about a river?

They're hypnotic, mezmerizing, calming, ever-changing.

Above are the haunting opening lyrics to The Lonesome River written by Carter & Ralph Stanley. We seek rivers for peace on one bank and pain on the other.  A rushing river can drown out all the noises but a calm river can make the environment alive with sounds never before heard.  

We seek the rivers, for some reason we seek them.  They bring life and death but they do not love or hate us.  We like to ascribe emotions and reasons behind results that we do not like.  Floods are seen as malicious and hateful, drowning (aside from burning) is considered one of "the worst ways to go."

Our music embraces the river and uses it for good and evil.  It brings release to our sorrow and gives wing to our joy. 

The second verse shows a river's duplicity:

We met there one night on the banks of the river

sat there holdin' hands and makin' our vows

Swore we'd never part and be happy together

But a new love she's found - she's gone from me now.

I love this song and it is just one example of how a river can be the central figure for our emotional state.  The Stanley Brothers did a wonderful job writing and performing this song.  It breaks a man's heart because it is so simple and is a situation that no man wants to find himself.