The song Leon Bridges wrote about his “personal spiritual experience”
In 2015, soul singer Leon Bridges released his glowing debut album Coming Home. A marriage of old-school soul and R&B-inspired neo-soul, the record was critically acclaimed and gained him a nomination for ‘Best R&B Album’ at the Grammys in the same year.
The album’s ten-track blend of blues, R&B and soul finishes with ‘River’. The track is more minimal than the rest of the album, featuring only harmonised vocals, a tambourine and an acoustic guitar. Though it was never released as a single, ‘River’ has become Bridges’ most celebrated song.
Writing in a Facebook post, Bridges shared the meaning behind the track. Inspired by gospel music, Bridges looked to use the river as a symbol of change and redemption. He said: “My goal was to write a song about my personal spiritual experience. It was written during a time of real depression in my life and I recall sitting in my garage trying to write a song which reflected this struggle.”
He continued, “I felt stuck working multiple jobs to support myself and my mother. I had little hope and couldn’t see a road out of my reality. The only thing I could cling to in the midst of all that was my faith in God and my only path towards baptism was by way of the river.”
Bridges begins the track with a desire to give “every part” of himself and ask for salvation but worries about his bloodied hands. By the track’s climax, the river has washed his sins and worries away as they “flow down the Jordan”. The sense of Bridges’ devotion is increased by a harmonised bridge featuring Brittni Jessie – together, they repeat, “I wanna go, wanna go, wanna go, I wanna know, wanna know, wanna know”. Musically, the track is simple, allowing Bridges’ authentic vocals and lyricism to take centre stage, accompanied only by gentle guitar strums and a steady tambourine.
Bridges also released a beautifully shot music video for the track, directed by Miles Jay, which features both Bridges and Jessie. The video connects the song’s meaning with the struggles and hopes of black women and men. Opening with two singers in a motel room, a clip of Bridges and Jessie performing the first verse live fades into the studio version. The remainder of the song is accompanied by a montage of clips that reflect real lives and families. At the end of the video, Bridges steps out into the rain, visually showing the water as a healer.
Bridges spoke on the meaning of the video: “When thinking about how best to visually represent this universal battle, I reflected on the depiction of black communities in our media and particular experiences within my own life. This video showcases the unique struggle many black men and women face across the country. However, unlike the captured images which tend to represent only part of the story, I wanted to showcase that through all the injustice, there’s real hope in the world.”
Bridges intended for the spiritual track and its accompanying video to be “a message of light,” he said. “I believe it has the power to change and heal those that are hurting.”
Watch the video for ‘River’ below.
