By The River

by Aesop Rock

From the album: Integrated Tech Solutions

Track 12 of 18 on Integrated Tech Solutions (2023).

Duration: 2:38

Integrated Tech Solutions cover art

Lyrics for By The River

I like rivers, I like rivers Sailboats, fisherman, skinny-dipping swimmers Kids turning rocks over catching lil critters Eagle in the pine tree eyeballing dinner My uncle used to cut school to hit the Susquehanna Kept himself a rod and reel he hid up in the bramble The school took attendance, it was quiet as a mouse He was at the river pulling out a giant by its mouth A river in the daylight is energy and life A river in the dark can be a genuine surprise You might find some lovers getting cozy on the shore Or a cold-blooded psychopath disposing of a corpse Sitting by the Hudson river talking to a ghost "I wish that we could rock a beat and smoke an L at Tone's I miss the way you rhyme and how you never had a clone Ain't a motherfucker living that could ever crack the code" I like rivers, I like rivers Freight ships passing through old drawbridges It looks so cool when you catch it from a distance A little less cool when you stuck inside your Civic I wonder what could possibly be lurking on the bottom I look into the water and imagine all the options A fish we never knew about, some rusty old jalopy The murder weapon used to catch the aforementioned body I seen a beaver chilling by the bank of the Willamette We gazed upon each other undeniably enchanted A wave of telepathic information through the filter It said "when I go to heaven I want you to have the river" He also said the others had agreed that I was chosen Just don't mention it front of them as gloating is for no one I'm pretty sure you don't have the authority to say this But thank you, I accept, I'll have my lawyer draft the papers I like rivers, I like rivers Hard to put a price on water for the village I jumped into the Amazon to launder all my atoms The Chao Praya had me spilling coffee on the captain My heart is the East River floating on a frisbee That came in from the Long Island Sound to sojourn in the city It's not the kinda water where you'd throw a Triple Lindy If you get some on your skin they probably notify your siblings I picture a scenario where someone's held me captive And escape would mean to build a raft and navigate some rapids I wonder if my training from the school of tv magic Would beget some makeshift watercraft that make off for Damascus In practice I have no desire get into the water I like to know it's there in the event I ever wanna Waterfalls, tributaries, Lichtenberg figures Twilight fireflies, I like rivers

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More from Integrated Tech Solutions

  1. The ITS Way
  2. Mindful Solutionism
  3. Infinity Fill Goose Down
  4. Living Curfew
  5. Pigeonometry
  6. Kyanite Toothpick
  7. 100 Feet Tall
  8. Salt and Pepper Squid
  9. Time Moves Differently Here
  10. Aggressive Steven
  11. Bermuda
  12. By The River
  13. All City Nerve Map
  14. Forward Compatibility Engine
  15. On Failure
  16. Solid Gold
  17. Vititus
  18. Black Snow