Down By The River – English Lyrics

• By: Milky Chance
• Album: Sadnecessary

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the melancholic yet liberating sounds of Milky Chance's "Down By The River," a track that beautifully blends folk, reggae, and electronic elements. This song offers a unique opportunity to experience a modern take on storytelling through music, revealing how personal experiences by a German river can transform into a universal message of love, renewal, and leaving the past behind. Its evocative lyrics and distinctive style make it a captivating piece for anyone looking to connect with a song's deeper meaning.

[English]

Down by the river, I was drawn by your grace

Into tempest of oblivion and to the lovers' place

I was stucked in a puddle full of tears and unwise dark doings

Now I know that we've paid unlike

Honey, I know, hey, when we walked arm in arm

I felt like we can throw away the falseness of our past

And I know too, it's been the hardest days for you

Let's throw them out the window, that's what those lovers do

Down by the river, I was drawn by your grace

Into tempest of oblivion and to the lovers' place

I was stucked in a puddle full of tears and unwise dark doings

Now I know that we've paid unlike

Honey, I know, hey, when we walked arm in arm

I felt like we can throw away the falseness of our past

And I know too, it's been the hardest days for you

Let's throw them out the window, that's what those lovers do

(Ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh) down by the river

(Ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh) down by the river

(Ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh) down by the river

(Ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh) down by the river

Down by the river, I was drawn by your grace

Into tempest of oblivion and to the lovers' place

I was stucked in a puddle full of tears and unwise dark doings

Now I know that we've paid unlike

Honey, I know, hey, when we walked arm in arm

I felt like we can throw away the falseness of our past

And I know too, it's been the hardest days for you

Let's throw them out the window, that's what those lovers do

(Ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh)

(Ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh)

(Ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh)

(Ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh)

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
drawn /drɔːn/ B1	verb - attracted or pulled towards something
tempest /ˈtɛmpɛst/ C1	noun - a violent storm
oblivion /əˈblɪviən/ C1	noun - the state of being completely forgotten
stucked /stʌkt/ A2	verb - trapped or unable to move
puddle /ˈpʌdəl/ A2	noun - a small pool of liquid, especially water
unwise /ʌnˈwaɪz/ B2	adjective - lacking good judgment or sense
dark /dɑːrk/ A1	adjective - with little or no light
doings /ˈduɪŋz/ B1	noun - actions or activities
paid /peɪd/ A2	verb - gave money for something
unlike /ʌnˈlaɪk/ B1	adjective - different from
falseness /ˈfɔːlsnəs/ B2	noun - the quality of being fake or insincere
hardest /ˈhɑːrdɪst/ A2	adjective - most difficult
throw /θroʊ/ A1	verb - to propel something with force through the air
window /ˈwɪndoʊ/ A1	noun - an opening in a wall or vehicle for light and air
lovers /ˈlʌvərz/ A1	noun - people who love each other
grace /ɡreɪs/ B1	noun - smooth elegance or beauty of movement

Key Grammar Structures

• Down by the river, I was drawn by your grace

  ➔ Passive voice

  ➔ The sentence is in passive voice: "I" was "drawn" by your grace. The action (drawing) is performed on the subject.

• Into tempest of oblivion and to the lovers' place

  ➔ Prepositional phrases

  ➔ The sentence uses prepositional phrases: "Into tempest of oblivion" and "to the lovers' place" which show direction and location.

• I was stucked in a puddle full of tears and unwise dark doings

  ➔ Past Simple (with "was")

  ➔ Uses the past simple tense with the verb "was" to describe a past state. The word "stucked" is a colloquial form; the correct past tense is "stuck".

• Now I know that we've paid unlike

  ➔ Present Perfect Tense

  ➔ The use of "we've paid" is in the present perfect tense, which connects a past action (paying) to the present. "Unlike" seems to be a slightly awkward usage here.

• Honey, I know, hey, when we walked arm in arm

  ➔ Complex Sentence with adverbial clause of time

  ➔ This is a complex sentence. The main clause is "Honey, I know, hey," and the adverbial clause of time is "when we walked arm in arm." "When" introduces the time the action occurred.

• I felt like we can throw away the falseness of our past

  ➔ Conditional mood (implied)

  ➔ The sentence expresses a hypothetical situation. The phrase "I felt like" implies that if the circumstances were different, they *could* throw away the falseness. The conditional is implied rather than explicitly stated with 'would' or 'could'.

• And I know too, it's been the hardest days for you

  ➔ Present Perfect Continuous (implied)

  ➔ While not explicitly stated, the sentiment implies a continuing situation: 'it has been'. This usage is similar to Present Perfect Continuous (it's been raining for hours). The construction is shortened to be more conversational.

• Let's throw them out the window, that's what those lovers do

  ➔ Imperative, Relative Clause

  ➔ The sentence starts with an imperative "Let's" followed by a relative clause "that's what those lovers do." The imperative is a suggestion or instruction, while the relative clause clarifies what those lovers do.