Rivers and Roads by the Head and the Heart
Lyrics
I chose to analyzed the song Rivers and Roads by the Head and the Heart. I have enjoyed it since the beginning of high school. I remember the day that it dawned on me that the lyrics were somewhat sad because I knew that they would one day come true.
” A year from now we’ll all be gone
All our friends will move away
And they’re going to better places
But our friends will be gone away.”
I started listening to the head and the heart more and more the summer of my senior year. I realized then that there was nothing holding my friends in the small town we grew up together. Everyone had graduated and we were soon to go to college and there was no guarantee any of us would return. I remember the deep weight in my chest hoping it not to be true. But the next summer I found myself back home and most of them had gone away to other places.
The rest of the song is more up to personal interpretation. The lyrics read they miss their face like hell. Whoever this person is its someone the person singing loves and they’re separated by a long distance. As they state rivers and roads as they repeat many times. But after stating the distance simply say till I meet you. Meaning whatever the challenge they are willing to go across those rivers and roads to see them again. Another take on the lyrics meaning that I enjoyed was a review done by Scott and his blog post. He dives more into how people and friends come in and out of our lives as referenced below.
The dynamics of this song fluctuate greatly from beginning to end. Just as the Los Angeles times states, the song begins with a gentle strumming of a guitar to get the beat in place. This stays constant throughout the 1st minute of the song. After the 1st versus completed it slowly rises linearly with the introduction of a light beat of drums. But after the first line of verse two, there is a large spike the beat of the drums gets far more intense and then holds the same level through the introduction of a piano. The dynamics increase throughout the rest of verse two through the interlude until the climax for the chorus again but instead of holding the dynamic at a high it falls to nothing, then slowly regains the slow beginning rhythm. This cycle done one more time and ends with a fade of the instrument and leaves the artists singing a capella. This shift from very bland to energetic to bland again through dynamics is extremely beautiful when connected with the lyrics and melody.
The harmonic texture of the song is very constant throughout there may be slight shifts toward traditional harmony. This texture is very simplistic and adds the overall beauty of the music.
If there was more diversity in the harmonic texture it would have taken away from the song by adding complexity to the attraction to the simple construction. Although I could not analyze much harmonic texture in the song, it actually adds to the beauty of the singers being in sync with the melody. Both singers being on the same note reminds me of the part in the lyrics of them being far apart but in their hearts they are close.
Review sources
“Pop Music Review: The Head and the Heart.” Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2011, http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/la-xpm-2011-oct-15-la-et-the-head-and-the-heart-20111015-story.html.
Scott. “‘Rivers and Roads’ by The Head and the Heart.” “Rivers and Roads” by The Head and the Heart, 1 Jan. 1970, scottssotd.blogspot.com/2011/07/rivers-and-roads-by-head-and-heart.html.
Music Plus Curtis 
I thought this was a pleasant song to listen to, but as you mentioned it is kind of sad. I believe that this is one of those songs that every graduating student could relate to. This reminds me of my junior and senior years of high school, but unlike you, my friends and I have generally remained within the same borough. It mostly reminds me of every time I’ve moved while I was growing up and how I feel about most of my family currently now that they have been planning to move to the Lower 48 and half of the youngest generation in my family, including myself, are young adults. While listening to the ending of the song, I thought the articulation for ”rivers and roads” was interesting because of the shift from singing smooth, held notes to the woman making parts of the word ”roads” sound detached (sort of like ”roAOds”).
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I have never heard this song even though I listen to a lot of The Head and The Heart. I thought your analysis of the song was really good!. I like it when everything drops out but the vocals and then it gradually comes back. That is something that always gives me chills. This song is pretty sad. It reminds me of sad goodbyes. I like to always think that its never a goodbye forever but a goodbye for now. I hope you can see those friends again!
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