**ALL NEW RECORDING** A bluesy sort of folk-rocker. It's a true story about a girl that was contemplating suicide.
christian
thoughtful
meaningful
reflective
Story behind the song
One day I saw a young native girl sitting balanced precariously on the railing of a condemned, rickety old suspension bridge in Lillooet, BC. She was leaning forward over the the churning waters of the Fraser river. If you've ever seen that river, you'll know why this scene was scary. Partially it was my own experience, earlier that day that frightened me: the river has a mesmerizing power - quite frightening. Partially it was the Lord telling me, "Don't walk by. Stop her!" So I did. Later this song was born.
Lyrics
Mighty Brown River
You Mighty Brown River!
I tremble to know,
Your turmoil and frenzy,
They suck at my soul!
I feel I'm sucked down,
While I'm still on the bank,
Drawn right into the river,
Through the bridge's old planks.
You Mighty Brown River,
You so hypnotize,
"Plunge and embrace me,
Plunge in and die!
Walk by on the far side, you fragile man.
How you might survive in my waters,
Go plan!
If you just last through this,
Could you make it to that?
Come in and try it:
Let me teach you the facts!"
You Mighty Brown River,
While you're killing me,
I'm enjoying my death,
Most vicariously!
Chorus: I'm a child of the Gospel,
And the Power of God,
I'm the blood bought of Jesus,
He's the sweet Son of God,
I'm a child of His Spirit,
One he set free,
I'm a child of His Father,
Yet this River here is killing me!
Walk back to the side of that liquid despair,
Like a frieze on a temple,
I see a young child there,
Balanced on the railing,
Lost in your maze,
A young native child,
Flirts with your gaze,
"Walk by on the far side,
While I deal with mine:
The blood of my waters
Is the brown of her eyes!"
Chorus: I'm a child of the Gospel,
And the Power of God,
I'm the blood bought of Jesus,
He's the sweet Son of God,
On Earth I'm His body,
And would He walk by?
While a child of His river,
Plunged into the river to die?
Feel like a car salesman as I walk back to you,
"Pardon me, Miss, you seem a little bit unglued,
And I think God sent me over to you: Don't stare at that river; you don't know what you do!
It'll suck you right down, if you don't turn your eyes:
Please, young child, don't dive in: you'll die!
I'll never forget the eyes of that girl,
Filled up with the sorrow, of the history of her world,
As brown as that river, her eyes seemed to say,
"I'll come back and die here on some other day."
Oh, Little River Daughter, my prayer follows you:
"God, don't let her die there, whatever you do!"
Chorus: But I couldn't preach the Gospel,
To the horror in those eyes,
I felt so ashamed, I just wanted to die!
We'd stolen everything that they had or ever knew:
And all that was left now, was the River and You!