Down By The River.

Down By The River.

Took a walk by the River Suir in Thurles today in the beautiful warm sunshine. Having surveyed the river area, I was reminded of the song “Down by the river”, written by Mike Hazlewood and British singer-songwriter and composer Albert Louis Hammond.
The lyrics, shown hereunder, tell the story of a man and his girl friend taking a camping trip down by a river. The weather being warm; they both decide to go swimming. That night they both felt unwell, and having failed to get sleep, went for an early morning walk. During their walk, they see a silver fish lying on its side dead on the river bank and they wonder how it died.
After visiting a doctor, they are informed that only foolish people go swimming in polluted river water.

The song highlights the negative environmental impact on our water, which is being accepted by our local elected Thurles politicians and councillors, to whom we pay large salaries and who are presently calling door to door, in the hope of being re-elected for yet another 5 years of waste and inactivity.

Ask those canvassing for your vote this time around, the following question “Where did the pump for the fountain, in the river Suir end up”. You will be surprised and possibly angered by the reply.

Down By The River.

Lyrics: British-Gibraltarian singer, songwriter and record producer Mike Hazlewood and British singer-songwriter and composer Albert Louis Hammond.
Vocals: Albert Hammond.

Down By The River.

City life was gettin’ us down,
So we spent the weekend out of town,
Pitched the tent on a patch of ground,
Down by the river.
Lit a fire and drank some wine,
You put your jeans on the top of mine,
Said, come in the water’s fine,
Down by the river.
Down by the river.
Down by the river.
Said, come in the water’s fine,
Down by the river.
Didn’t feel too good all night,
So we took a walk in the morning light,
Came across the strangest sight,
Down by the river.
Silver fish lay on its side,
It was washed up by the early tide,
I wonder how it died,
Down by the river.
Down by the river.
Down by the river.
Silver fish lay on its side,
Down by the river.
Doctor put us both to bed,
He dosed us up and he shook his head,
“Only foolish people go”, he said,
“Down by the river”.
Why do willows weep, said he,
Because they’re dying gradually,
From the waste, from the factories,
Down by the river.
Down by the river.
Down by the river.
Why do willows weep, said he,
Down by the river.
In time, the river banks will die,
The reeds will wilt and the ducks won’t fly,
There’ll be a tear in the otter’s eye,
Down by the river.
The banks will soon be black and dead,
And where the otter raised his head,
Will be a clean white stone instead,
Down by the river.
Down by the river.
Down by the river.
The banks will soon be black and dead,
Down by the river.
Down by the river.
Down by the river.
The banks will soon be black and dead,
Down by the river.

END