The River

In the song “The River,” Bruce Springsteen uses the symbols and archetypes of sexuality, struggle, and marriage to express the theme that one decision can alter one’s life. According to Springsteen, “But I remember us riding in my brother's car, her body tan and wet down at the reservoir, at night on them banks I'd lie awake, and pull her close just to feel each breath she'd take” (The River). Young people struggle when they become parents: “But lately there ain't been much work on account of the economy” (The River). They showed maturity and responsibility by going “down to the courthouse,” and him getting “a job working construction for the Johnstown Company” (The River).