Lyrics

RAIN IN THE RIVER

Official studio version


Down at the water, I held my Marie
She said, "Now Johnny, your love means no more to me"

Than rain in the river
Than rain in the river

In bloody boots, I stood on shallow ground
Her long black hair beneath me falling down

Like rain in the river
Like rain in the river

Last night I put on my jacket and I went for a ride
Smelled the sweet mustard fields, had my Colt at my side

Like rain in the river
The rain in the river
The rain in the river
The rain in the river

Rain in the river
Rain in the river
Rain in the river
Rain in the river
Rain in the river
Rain in the river...
[Fades out]

Info

RAIN IN THE RIVER is a song written by Bruce Springsteen and first released on the Tracks II: The Lost Albums box set in 2025. The above lyrics are for Bruce Springsteen's official studio version of RAIN IN THE RIVER as released in 2025.


The official studio version of RAIN IN THE RIVER was included on the Lost And Found: Selections From The Lost Albums compilation in 2025.

Single Release

RAIN IN THE RIVER is the leading single from Tracks II: The Lost Albums, released on 03 Apr 2025 at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time (1:00 p.m. GMT) along with the box set's official announcement.

Writing and Recording

RAIN IN THE RIVER was most likely recorded at Stone Hill Studio in Colts Neck, NJ, but the timeline remains unknown. Toby Scott, who parted company with Springsteen in November 2017, is credited as Recording engineer on the track. More likely he was involved in an early demo before other layers instrument and vocal layers were added.

Track credits:

Bruce Springsteen: vocals, guitar, harmonica, percussion, keyboards, bass
Ron Aniello: banjo, drums, organ

Ron Aniello: producer, recording engineer
Toby Scott: recording engineer
Rob Lebret: recording engineer
Ross Petersen: recording engineer
Clif Norrell: recording engineer
Chris Lord-Alge: mixing engineer
Ted Jensen: mastering engineer

Tracks II - The Lost Albums

Tracks II: The Lost Albums is Bruce Springsteen's follow-up to his 1998 box set Tracks, released on 27 Jun 2025. The box set consists of seven "lost albums" recoded between 1983 and 2018, totaling 83 songs, of which 74 have never been officially released in any form. The seven albums are: L.A. Garage Sessions '83, Streets Of Philadelphia Sessions, Faithless, Somewhere North Of Nashville, Inyo, Twilight Hours, and Perfect World.

Bruce Springsteen -- Tracks II: The Lost Albums
Bruce Springsteen -- Tracks II: The Lost Albums

Tracks II: The Lost Albums, along with its companion Lost And Found: Selections From The Lost Albums, was officially announced on 03 Apr 2025 at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time (1:00 p.m. GMT). The announcement was accompanied by a "trailer" for the upcoming set, posted on Bruce Springsteen's YouTube channel and other online services. The previous day, Springsteen released a teaser on his social media accounts, linking to a new website, lostalbums.net, created for the two upcoming releases.


The box set is available in limited edition as a seven-disc CD set and a nine-disc LP set, as well as digital download and streaming. The physical releases will include original packaging for each of the previously unreleased records, with a 100-page cloth-bound, hardcover book featuring rare archival photos, liner notes on each lost album from essayist Erik Flannigan and a personal introduction on the project from Springsteen himself.

Tracks II: The Lost Albums track list (CD edition)

Disc 1: (LA Garage Sessions '83)

  1. FOLLOW THAT DREAM
  2. DON'T BACK DOWN ON OUR LOVE
  3. LITTLE GIRL LIKE YOU
  4. JOHNNY BYE BYE
  5. SUGARLAND
  6. SEVEN TEARS
  7. FUGITIVE'S DREAM
  8. BLACK MOUNTAIN BALLAD
  9. JIM DEER
  10. COUNTY FAIR
  11. MY HOMETOWN
  12. ONE LOVE
  13. DON'T BACK DOWN
  14. RICHFIELD WHISTLE
  15. THE KLANSMAN
  16. UNSATISFIED HEART
  17. SHUT OUT THE LIGHT
  18. FUGITIVE'S DREAM [Ballad]

Disc 2: (Streets Of Philadelphia Sessions)

  1. BLIND SPOT
  2. MAYBE I DON'T KNOW YOU
  3. SOMETHING IN THE WELL
  4. WAITING ON THE END OF THE WORLD
  5. THE LITTLE THINGS
  6. WE FELL DOWN
  7. ONE BEAUTIFUL MORNING
  8. BETWEEN HEAVEN AND EARTH
  9. SECRET GARDEN
  10. THE FAREWELL PARTY

Disc 3: (Faithless)

  1. THE DESERT [Instrumental]
  2. WHERE YOU GOIN', WHERE YOU FROM
  3. FAITHLESS
  4. ALL GOD'S CHILDREN
  5. A PRAYER BY THE RIVER [Instrumental]
  6. GOD SENT YOU
  7. GOIN' TO CALIFORNIA
  8. THE WESTERN SEA [Instrumental]
  9. MY MASTER'S HAND
  10. LET ME RIDE
  11. MY MASTER'S HAND [Theme]

Disc 4: (Somewhere North Of Nashville)

  1. REPO MAN
  2. TIGER ROSE
  3. POOR SIDE OF TOWN
  4. DELIVERY MAN
  5. UNDER A BIG SKY
  6. DETAIL MAN
  7. SILVER MOUNTAIN
  8. JANEY DON'T YOU LOSE HEART
  9. YOU'RE GONNA MISS ME WHEN I'M GONE
  10. STAND ON IT
  11. BLUE HIGHWAY
  12. SOMEWHERE NORTH OF NASHVILLE

Disc 4: (Inyo)

  1. INYO
  2. INDIAN TOWN
  3. ADELITA
  4. THE AZTEC DANCE
  5. THE LOST CHARRO
  6. OUR LADY OF MONROE
  7. EL JARDINERO (UPON THE DEATH OF RAMONA)
  8. ONE FALSE MOVE
  9. CIUDAD JUAREZ
  10. WHEN I BUILD MY BEAUTIFUL HOUSE

Disc 5: (Twilight Hours)

  1. SUNDAY LOVE
  2. LATE IN THE EVENING
  3. TWO OF US
  4. LONELY TOWN
  5. SEPTEMBER KISSES
  6. TWILIGHT HOURS
  7. I'LL STAND BY YOU
  8. HIGH SIERRA
  9. SUNLINER
  10. ANOTHER YOU
  11. DINNER AT EIGHT
  12. FOLLOW THE SUN

Disc 6: (Perfect World)

  1. I'M NOT SLEEPING
  2. IDIOT'S DELIGHT
  3. ANOTHER THIN LINE
  4. THE GREAT DEPRESSION
  5. BLIND MAN
  6. RAIN IN THE RIVER
  7. IF I COULD ONLY BE YOUR LOVER
  8. CUTTING KNIFE
  9. YOU LIFTED ME UP
  10. PERFECT WORLD

Tracks II: The Lost Albums track list (vinyl edition)

Side 1: (LA Garage Sessions '83)

  1. FOLLOW THAT DREAM
  2. DON'T BACK DOWN ON OUR LOVE
  3. LITTLE GIRL LIKE YOU
  4. JOHNNY BYE BYE
  5. SUGARLAND
  6. SEVEN TEARS

Side 2: (LA Garage Sessions '83)

  1. FUGITIVE'S DREAM
  2. BLACK MOUNTAIN BALLAD
  3. JIM DEER
  4. COUNTY FAIR

Side 3: (LA Garage Sessions '83)

  1. MY HOMETOWN
  2. ONE LOVE
  3. DON'T BACK DOWN
  4. RICHFIELD WHISTLE

Side 4: (LA Garage Sessions '83)

  1. THE KLANSMAN
  2. UNSATISFIED HEART
  3. SHUT OUT THE LIGHT
  4. FUGITIVE'S DREAM [Ballad]

Side 5: (Streets Of Philadelphia Sessions)

  1. BLIND SPOT
  2. MAYBE I DON'T KNOW YOU
  3. SOMETHING IN THE WELL
  4. WAITING ON THE END OF THE WORLD
  5. THE LITTLE THINGS

Side 6: (Streets Of Philadelphia Sessions)

  1. WE FELL DOWN
  2. ONE BEAUTIFUL MORNING
  3. BETWEEN HEAVEN AND EARTH
  4. SECRET GARDEN
  5. THE FAREWELL PARTY

Side 7: (Faithless)

  1. THE DESERT [Instrumental]
  2. WHERE YOU GOIN', WHERE YOU FROM
  3. FAITHLESS
  4. ALL GOD'S CHILDREN
  5. A PRAYER BY THE RIVER [Instrumental]
  6. GOD SENT YOU

Side 8: (Faithless)

  1. GOIN' TO CALIFORNIA
  2. THE WESTERN SEA [Instrumental]
  3. MY MASTER'S HAND
  4. LET ME RIDE
  5. MY MASTER'S HAND [Theme]

Side 9: (Somewhere North Of Nashville)

  1. REPO MAN
  2. TIGER ROSE
  3. POOR SIDE OF TOWN
  4. DELIVERY MAN
  5. UNDER A BIG SKY
  6. DETAIL MAN

Side 10: (Somewhere North Of Nashville)

  1. SILVER MOUNTAIN
  2. JANEY DON'T YOU LOSE HEART
  3. YOU'RE GONNA MISS ME WHEN I'M GONE
  4. STAND ON IT
  5. BLUE HIGHWAY
  6. SOMEWHERE NORTH OF NASHVILLE

Side 11: (Inyo)

  1. INYO
  2. INDIAN TOWN
  3. ADELITA
  4. THE AZTEC DANCE
  5. THE LOST CHARRO

Side 12: (Inyo)

  1. OUR LADY OF MONROE
  2. EL JARDINERO (UPON THE DEATH OF RAMONA)
  3. ONE FALSE MOVE
  4. CIUDAD JUAREZ
  5. WHEN I BUILD MY BEAUTIFUL HOUSE

Side 13: (Twilight Hours)

  1. SUNDAY LOVE
  2. LATE IN THE EVENING
  3. TWO OF US

Side 14: (Twilight Hours)

  1. LONELY TOWN
  2. SEPTEMBER KISSES
  3. TWILIGHT HOURS

Side 15: (Twilight Hours)

  1. I'LL STAND BY YOU
  2. HIGH SIERRA
  3. SUNLINER

Side 16: (Twilight Hours)

  1. ANOTHER YOU
  2. DINNER AT EIGHT
  3. FOLLOW THE SUN

Side 17: (Perfect World)

  1. I'M NOT SLEEPING
  2. IDIOT'S DELIGHT
  3. ANOTHER THIN LINE
  4. THE GREAT DEPRESSION
  5. BLIND MAN

Side 18: (Perfect World)

  1. RAIN IN THE RIVER
  2. IF I COULD ONLY BE YOUR LOVER
  3. CUTTING KNIFE
  4. YOU LIFTED ME UP
  5. PERFECT WORLD

Lost And Found: Selections From The Lost Albums

Lost And Found: Selections From The Lost Albums is a curated collection of 20 previously unreleased songs from the Tracks II: The Lost Albums box set, released on 27 Jun 2025.

Bruce Springsteen -- Lost And Found: Selections From The Lost Albums
Bruce Springsteen -- Lost And Found: Selections From The Lost Albums

Lost And Found: Selections From The Lost Albums, along with the Tracks II: The Lost Albums box set, was officially announced on 03 Apr 2025 at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time (1:00 p.m. GMT).

The album is available as a one-disc CD album or two-disc LP set, as well as digital download and streaming. The physical releases will include a personal introduction from Springsteen himself.

Lost And Found: Selections From The Lost Albums track list (CD edition)

  1. FOLLOW THAT DREAM
  2. SEVEN TEARS
  3. UNSATISFIED HEART
  4. BLIND SPOT
  5. SOMETHING IN THE WELL
  6. WAITING ON THE END OF THE WORLD
  7. FAITHLESS
  8. GOD SENT YOU
  9. REPO MAN
  10. DETAIL MAN
  11. YOU'RE GONNA MISS ME WHEN I'M GONE
  12. THE LOST CHARRO
  13. INYO
  14. ADELITA
  15. SUNDAY LOVE
  16. HIGH SIERRA
  17. SUNLINER
  18. I'M NOT SLEEPING
  19. RAIN IN THE RIVER
  20. YOU LIFTED ME UP

Lost And Found: Selections From The Lost Albums track list (vinyl edition)

Side 1:

  1. FOLLOW THAT DREAM
  2. SEVEN TEARS
  3. UNSATISFIED HEART
  4. BLIND SPOT
  5. SOMETHING IN THE WELL

Side 2:

  1. WAITING ON THE END OF THE WORLD
  2. FAITHLESS
  3. GOD SENT YOU
  4. REPO MAN
  5. DETAIL MAN

Side 3:

  1. YOU'RE GONNA MISS ME WHEN I'M GONE
  2. THE LOST CHARRO
  3. INYO
  4. ADELITA
  5. SUNDAY LOVE
  6. HIGH SIERRA

Side 4:

  1. SUNLINER
  2. I'M NOT SLEEPING
  3. RAIN IN THE RIVER
  4. YOU LIFTED ME UP

Live History

Bruce Springsteen has never performed RAIN IN THE RIVER live.

Covers

As far as it's known, no artist has recorded and released Bruce Springsteen's RAIN IN THE RIVER.

Request

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Available Versions

List of available versions of RAIN IN THE RIVER on this website:

RAIN IN THE RIVER [Official studio version]
Page last updated: 04 Apr 2025