Bruce Springsteen’s 1981 song The River depicts the uncertainty of the future in difficult economic times, where a river once flowing slowly dries out, symbolically matching the protagonist’s own dreams.

rumored to have been written about Springsteen’s sister and her husband, the song recounts the story of a young couple forced to adapt to their changing and increasingly bleak reality. The River appeared on the album of the same name, a record that would ultimately mark an important shift in Springsteen’s songwriting and pave the way for the dark and morose classic, Nebraska.

~ nickba