On the River
Liner Notes
FAWM 2025 / Song 9
I wrote these lyrics during 50/90 in 2024, after a tubing trip with friends and family on the Apple River (Minnesota) but hadn’t ever composed a melody for them. Today I got out the #banjolele and finished the draft.
Instrument: Instrument: Tenor banjolele tuned high GCEA
#ukulele #singersongwriter #personwithukulele #girlwithukulele #acousticonetake #fuc #uke #acoustic #midemfoke #banjouke #banjoukulele #minnesota #twincities #tubing #finished
Lyrics
Meet me at the stagnant pond Near River’s Edge and Raleigh We’ll take it to the Apple River And lay our lives down sweetly On the bank
Haunted by some shoreline geese And ghosts of tubers in their floats Cooler bobbing just behind Tied with a length of rope
And on the river I can stand, I walk on water Cause I’ve seen it (what it means) in your eyes Along the river, all our plans Our unborn sons and daughters Sink and swim and drown and rise Like days and nights do On the river
There’s a campsite rotting Under brush abloom with dragonflies Somehow the picnic tables Make a dam far from the passing muddy land
Taking to the air with wings Of dream and supplication Like bubbles pop with time Or with elation
Chorus 1 1/2
Comments
![[avatar]](https://fawm-avatars.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/fawm2025/dc11b749-004f-4c48-9609-304346e86146.png){kind=avatar}
This is so sweet, and invokes the feeling of slowly going down the river. Such a classic presentation. Lovely.
I found this as I hadn't commented on any of your songs this FAWM. Shocking!
![[avatar]](https://fawm-avatars.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/fawm2025/0cf24126-35a4-4316-b203-60e8c5f8ae70.png){kind=avatar}
Random song of the day - loved the imagery you are showing us in the lyrics and the vocal delivery is lovely. Im a sucker for a wild swim and a paddle down a river, so I love this!
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The lyrics are wonderfully descriptive, painting an effective picture of the scenes, and the performance is excellent. Great song.
![[avatar]](https://fawm-avatars.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/fawm2025/2dadcddf-63e4-4df9-b894-5e261160eefb.png){kind=avatar}
This sounds like quite the adventure! I love the confident melody to go with the varied scenery.
![[avatar]](https://fawm-avatars.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/fawm2025/e3dacbd8-bcd5-4d22-b949-d17638acbe04.png){kind=avatar}
As someone with a borderline religious relationship with rivers, I had to listen to this one, and I'm so glad that I did! The chorus of this song is HUGE -- your voice, the chords, the melody, the lyrics all come together in this really stunning moment. And your voice works so well for this style! Very glad that you circled back to these lyrics and put them into song!
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What a lovely chorus, and vocal performance on the chorus, especially. All the imagery in the verses is so effective. But it's the chorus I want to sing along to.