Song Details
- Album Release Date: 2012
- Genre: rock-n-roll
Song Meaning of “Big River” by Gene Summers
The song ‘Big River’ by Gene Summers is a classic rockabilly tune about lost love and dashed dreams. It tells the story of a man who is trying to forget his past and start over again, but he finds that his pain follows him everywhere. The protagonist’s struggles seem to be mirrored in the struggles of the titular river, as both are faced with sweeping away the debris of the past.
The lyrics evoke a sense of desperation and longing, using elements of nature as a backdrop to the singer’s troubles. The river is compared to a tumbling wall of emotion that is impossible to overcome, and the lyrics paint a picture of a man who is trying to find a way to reclaim his life, but ultimately, he cannot.
The singer’s feelings of loss and hopelessness are palpable, as he pleads for the river to carry away his woes and give him a measure of peace. He expresses the idea that his sorrows are an unstoppable force, and that he will never be able to escape them, no matter how hard he tries.
At the same time, ‘Big River’ evokes a sense of hope as well. The river implies a course of action; the protagonist can swim against the current and find strength in his own resilience. Despite his fear and despair, he can keep pushing ahead and find a way to find solace in the end.