Only a River
| "Only a River" | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Single by Bob Weir | |
| from the album Blue Mountain | |
| Released | August 18, 2016 |
| Recorded | Spring/Fall 2015 |
| Genre | Country rock, Rock |
| Length | 5:28 |
| Label | Legacy/Columbia |
| Songwriter(s) | Bob Weir, Josh Ritter, Josh Kaufman |
| Producer(s) | Bob Weir, Josh Kaufman |
“Only a River" is a song by Bob Weir, written in collaboration with Josh Ritter. The song is the first single from his third solo album, Blue Mountain.[1] The album was written by Weir in collaboration with members of The National; Josh Ritter, Josh Kaufman, Scott Devendorf, Joe Russo, and The Walkmen's Walter Martin, along with lyricists Josh Ritter, Gerrit Graham, and John Perry Barlow. The producer is Josh Kaufman.[2]
"Only a River" was released on NPR's All Things Considered for streaming.
Origins[edit]
Josh Ritter initially composed the song as a college student, writing on Twitter that "I wrote that song in the stairwell of my dorm in college, 25 years ago. Music is a blessed traveler". He later added, "I wrote Only a River in my dorm in college. Like all my favorites, it came unbidden, and I just wrote it down. Many years later, as I got the amazing opportunity to work with Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead, this song rose to the top of the pack, asking to be let out the door".[3]
The recorded version on Blue Mountain lists Ritter as the song's lyricist, but credits Ritter, Weir, and Josh Kaufman as musical composers.
Cover version[edit]
Bob Dylan covered the song live in Nagoya, Japan on April 20, 2023, the final show of the Japanese leg of his Rough and Rowdy Ways World Wide Tour.[4] Scott Bernstein of JamBase appraised the performance positively, writing that "Dylan's voice fit 'Only a River' like a glove", and complimented Donnie Herron's "beautiful" pedal steel work and Jerry Pentecost's "tasteful" drumming.[5]
Musicians[edit]
- Bob Weir – Vocals, Guitar
- Aaron Dessner – Electric Guitar
- Scott Devendorf – Bass, Vocals
- Ray Rizzo – drums, harmonium, harmonica, backup vocals
- Rob Burger – keyboard, accordion, tuned percussion[6]
References[edit]
- ^ Contreras, Felix (August 18, 2016). "Raising the Dead: Hear a Song from Bob Weir's First Album in a Decade", NPR. Retrieved August 19, 2016.
- ^ Bernstein, Scott (August 4, 2016). "Bob Weir Announces Blue Mountain Cowboy Album & Solo Tour", JamBase. Retrieved August 19, 2016.
- ^ "Josh Ritter", Twitter. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
- ^ "Bob Dylan Debuts Cover of Bobby Weir Original "Only a River" in Japan". Jambands. April 20, 2023. Retrieved April 27, 2023.
- ^ "Hear Bob Dylan Debut Tender Cover Of Bob Weir's 'Only A River' In Nagoya". JamBase. Retrieved April 26, 2023.
- ^ "Grateful Dead's Bob Weir Shares New Song with the National Members: Listen". August 18, 2016.