Good Charlotte: The River Meaning

The River Lyrics

As I walk through the valley
of the shadow of LA
The footsteps that were next to me
have gone their separate ways
I've seen enough now
to know that beautiful things
don't always stay that way
I've done enough now
to know this beautiful...

1. HowCouldYou

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   Jun 10th 2009 !⃝

   Priest falls, sees light after losing themselves in thiir fears and serviving, predicts another's fall, thinks they have the answers, yet another has another path where things cross, fee charged not waived nor asked to be refunded, words are used that should not, things are 'forgotten' until days later because the cross does not include the others paths, I am woken, but I am about to be bitten by those that see a manic psychotic at work, remove the independence, when the independence was already voluntarily stripped, priest sees but sees so little, the light is bright and makes the eye teary cloudy, I have not clarified and for good reason, right much, right little, no longer the issue, path is all there is and at least one other song has not been played yet, I will beat the bite, and the score I must attempt today, canned by a two prong statement, another route less taken, some people do not want the truth but what they assume and still everything I do happens for a reason and without my even understanding why, I will accept your warning because I made a promise a major one, the priest is but a and I had a chances to see in action, I have heard in action, the chain will be passed, the ring regurgitated and ready, some time yet, nothing is easy, nothing worth keeping if not, so much more to say, to see, to do

   This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
2. anonymous

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   Jun 10th 2009 !⃝

   This song is referring to life without God... Baptised in the river (on my own) explain that...
3. anonymous

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   Apr 13th 2009 !⃝

   This song is about forgetting the past sins that you have done, and living a life for God. You know how the bible says the first step to forgiveness is to admit you're a sinner? That's the point of this song. The song itself is like a prayer. Notice at the end of the song, instead of saying "I wanna be delivered", he says "I confess I'm a sinner". Greatest and most meaningful song from Good Charlotte.
4. anonymous

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   Jan 8th 2009 !⃝

   I think most people have the general interpretation of this song correct. The song focuses on a man who lives a sinful life [perhaps a life of crime]. After a while, this man looks back on his life realizes that he is a sinner, and realizes all the things he's done. He decides that he no longer wants to live like this, and that he wants to leave this life behind to become a follower of Christ. He confesses to being a sinner, but admits that he is a believer and goes on to lead a new lifestyle as a follower of Christ.
5. kennedyasu12

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   Dec 4th 2008 !⃝

   I think this song has a religious meaning, definitely. But I think what it is doing is portraying what alot of people feel and struggle with everyday with God.
   
   They talk about LA seeming beautiful at first, and then they realize its a sin trap. I believe this means that people give in to temptaions, like the easy sex, money and drugs that are easily found in LA. And then you realize, you dont get anywhere giving into these things. But everyone wants them at some point, your selfish little tamptaions.
   
   "I've done alot of things wrong, but I swear I'm a believer"
   People struggle alot with giving into temptaions over and over again, and wanting to quit, or knowing they need to because God wants them to, but they struggle with it. By saying they were baptized in the River, it means they are christain, but they, like alot of people, have struggled alot with sinning continuously. The song is like somebody saying
   
   "Im tired of this. I want to follow God and do right, and I need to start, or I'm screwed"
6. anonymous

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   Nov 18th 2008 !⃝

   the song is religious, i know that benji and joel madden (lead singer and guitar) are christians, but which suprises me is that M. Shadows and Synyster Gates (from Avenged Sevenfold) are featured in this song, and alot of their songs are religious (such as "Beast and the Harlot" and "Chapter Four"), but in a different way...
7. anonymous

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   Oct 23rd 2008 !⃝

   Good Charlotte use to be a Christian band when they first started, their main goal was to spread the word of God. There will always be a religious interpretation in their songs. I only know this because I knew one of their childhood friends. Their family is/are Christian baptists.
8. anonymous

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   May 13th 2008 !⃝

   Ok I think that this song has religious references in it, but ultimately is not, and GC is not a religious band. However, I do agree that this song is laced with many suicide references.
   
   I believe this song to be about leaving home and getting out on ones own: "To the worried mother and the praying father let your children go. If they come back they'll be much stronger and if they don't you'll know."
   
   The "river" represents life, and inherent evils that we face in life, and the "progidal son" references are just synonyms for the person the song describes who considers him/herself to be special because they have gone out on their own.

   This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
9. anonymous

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   Feb 1st 2008 !⃝

   Lol it's about L.A, how wonderful it seems at first but slowly, how the underlying bad seeps through. If you watch the DVD in good morning revival, you'd know that ^^
10. anonymous

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    Oct 14th 2007 !⃝

    I agree with the 4th guy good interpretation
11. anonymous

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    Jun 10th 2007 !⃝

    I definitely think that this song has religious meanings and those brainless idiots who say it is about suicide or remembering your childhood are sadly mistaken. I didn't really like Good Charlotte before this song and it is easy to like them now that they have apparently turned to God. Rock on GC and keep making good songs like this one.
12. anonymous

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    Apr 15th 2007 !⃝

    I think this is a song about suicide. "I heard that evil comes disguised, like a city of angels" This part is talking about how all the great things in L.A. are at their core evil but with a beautiful outter coat, and that it is built up to be something its not.
    
    "...Im walking towards the light, baptised in the river, I seen a vision of my life and I want to be delivered" This part has obvious religious ties. He is walking towards the light (willingly going, the light is obviously the afterlife.) "Baptised in the river" This line in itself really explains how the suicide is commited, although the lines before and after make it seem to me to be a suicide. He is walking towards the light... and then baptised in the river (meaning possibly jumping off a bridge or drowning himself) All the terrible things he has done in his life constantly run through his mind "seen a vision of my life". "and I wanna be delivered" This also has religious ties, (deliver us from evil...etc).
    
    This song could also be a religious awakening of sorts, so the suicide could be metephorical or it could just be a story type thing. But I believe it is about going to L.A. expecting all the great things in lights that it is said to be on T.V., then finding out its not all cracked up to be, making a rough living, doing and seeing some things that obviously scarred him for life, and now he wants to either end his life, or end that part of his life and change, leaving those memories behind
13. rokker

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    Mar 19th 2007 !⃝

    This song is about never forgetting the river that was in your childhood. This is where the lyric "baptized in the river" comes from. Basically it's about remembering your childhood.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway

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