Robbie Robertson - Somewhere Down The Crazy River Lyrics

I think near the end he realized that girl was a little too young and he was a little too stoned .
well , back to work in the morning .

I just love that back up singer, he has an amazing voice.

This song is so freaking haunting and sexy. I have loved this for years. Robbie really paints the picture doesn't he?

One of the most sensual and sultry videos EVER. Maria McKee just made this video transcendent.

For Juliana. 30 years later, my friend. I'll see you again in another land. Love you.

MooMoo 9

Who played drums in this song?

This song always stirs up ghosts for me! Best lyric ever!

Nick sell Coke .

Most Canadian make out scene ever.

I like it, it's good

She said "Hang the rich"
So random, so savage. as a teen hearing this song on the radio in '87, utterly captivated, even then.

Is that Maria McKee????

Love this song..... Think he sounds very much like Paul Young !!

November 2019 Loved this and still do. Love the line if you like it now. You'll learn to love it later. Fell in love with you Mr Roberterson. .

The first time I saw this I was on acid in my parent’s house during the summer of 1988 after a long walk home by myself. I turned on MTV and this video started right at the beginning. I dropped a half tab of acid earlier that evening with a beautiful girl I graduated high school with the year before. The acid was hers. We dropped it on a bench on the hill in front of Prendergast Catholic School, overlooking the city of Philadelphia in the distance. That’s where the school scenes in Silver Linings Playbook were filmed. Quite a lovely way to experience this incredible song. Technically I’m unsuccessful by a lot of people’s standards. My life never amounted to much in terms of what I’m supposed to be in the world. You could say I’m an abject failure, but my life is rich with magical experiences like this, and my place is small but it’s a cozy little loft tucked away on a private property and I like it, so I’m ok. It could be worse; I could be a fat alcoholic postmodern marxist like my friends back in Philadelphia turned out to be. All things considered, I’m doing quite well. I’m happy :)

Amazing!!!

soul.....

shut up can i rewind this again and agin telus you are over your limit i tried to compromise okay will smaller boobs help no lol

sexy song <3 I love Robbie Robertson

Sexy as hell

And really: who wouldn't want to make out with Maria McKee of Lone Justice?

Is that the Latino Gilbert Gottfried doing the background vocals?

Sammy Bodean if memory serves.........

Hang the rich

Maria Mckee.

I believe this song is timeless

Was that Tony Levin on bass?

...lucky girl

Memories just kindof pushed me this way. Still love 80's music. Play it at my funeral.

“You like it now, but you’ll learn to love it later”
Maria plays the perfect seductress in this. Completely belying the somewhat delicate features she possessed with a deeply sensual side you don’t really expect. ( if you recall the video vixens of the 80s, she had an almost angelic look in comparison).
Add Sam’s back-ups with Robbie’s vocals and it’s hypnotic.

Smoking Hot! 😊👍🏻

One of the underrated musicians from he was a leader for Mr. Zimmerman's house band in the early 70ties to his Solo projects the last 20 years, and it's so nice to see him play guitar --- smiling and spreading good vibes to the audience.

Heard this song one night on a date in 1986 and never heard it again. Pre internet.... took me 25 years to find it. Voila !

Sexy sexy sexy Marie

Back when daniel lanois had hair

Forgot how great this is , it was on 1988 TOTP on BBC 4 last night. ( I think I need to turn the air conditioning on )

Manu Katche Drumming Genius

He’s a thief

Still haunting tune after all of these years! Anyone else think the girl in the video looks just like the great singer Maria McKee from Lone Justice?

um, yeah :)

Vic definitely Maria McKee ( according to Wikipedia).

The best part of The Band and a talented, talented man.

Hehe isn't handsome but his voice is astonishing.

Awesome electric bass by Tony Levin!

crazy river/Don river Toronto Canada Whistler's restaurant/Nick's cafe

This is good and terrible.

Is that Tony Levin on bass? You bet...

Sublime ambience....like only Robbie could do it.

if this isn't the worst song i've ever heard

Phong Nha, Vietnam 2017. God that was a great few days. Stay at Easy Tiger if you find yourself that way one day.

pushed me this way   listening to one self

I used to play this on a big pirate radio station in Dublin in the 80’s. 2AM, lights down to dim, studio speakers up....... yeah I can still see it now.

This may be the weirdest song I've ever loved. Robbie had already proved he was a great writer many years before this. So this was him stretching his wings and being more experimental. I don't think those spoken verses would go over so great live though. Maybe that's why I can't find a live version of it on YouTube.

McNulty finally made it!

I'm old, not my world

Decades

That blonde woman, is that Maria McKee?

Been there done that got the T-shirt. Some of my fondest memories . To all you young people out there live life to its fullest gain you some memories. Go places do things

This is a perfect example of how a lyric can paint pictures, can make a listener see and feel exactly what the writer is seeing and feeling. No ambivalence, nothing subject to interpretation – the listener is drawn into the song because the writer lays an interesting storyboard out on the table. And in this case, the excellent production magnifies the power of the lyric to make the song nothing short of a work of art.


“Somewhere Down the Crazy River” is basically a couple of pages from the diary of a man living the levee life, maybe along the Mississippi River in the Deep South. The song would have been called a “recitation” back in the old country music days, as Robertson speaks the verses and sings the choruses. With great lines like...


'Yeah, I can see it now/The distant red neon shivered in the heat and Take a picture of this/The fields are empty, abandoned ’59 Chevy/Laying in the back seat listening to Little Willie John'
– how can you not visualize these scenes? And if you don’t know who he is, how can you not want to Google “Little Willie John?”


Producer Daniel Lanois recalled the song’s origins saying that “Somewhere Down the Crazy River” was “a line that Robertson came up with when he was describing what it was like to hang out in Arkansas with Levon Helm in his old neighbourhood. He was telling me about the hot nights and fishing with dynamite … I was curious about his stories because I wanted them to be on that record … It’s kind of like a guy with a deep voice telling you about steaming nights in Arkansas.”


The final verse of the song is admittedly less clear-cut; it’s presumably about the experience of hanging with “Madame X,” and leaves some things to the imagination to be sure. But by that point the listener is so caught up in the vibe of the song that reaching one’s own conclusions becomes part of the fun.


The single was a relative success, charting in both the U.S. and the U.K. and helping bolster sales of the album in the still-catching-on CD format. It’s near the top of my list when it comes to great examples of cinematic lyricism; it’s like the movie so many songwriters strive to produce, true art that isn’t abstract or over the listener’s head. “Somewhere Down the Crazy River” is an excellent model of vivid lyrical imagery, something all writers should make sure their own lyrics contain before wondering why their songs don’t seem to communicate with the listener.

this tune is incredible

Lmao this song sucks shit

Used to listen to this on radio 1 Roger Scott. If I'm wrong plz correct me 🤔🤔

This is what Music is all about, catch the blue train!

Some people are born....... Some people are born Again

Kokomo is in Indiana. Indiana? Yeah. Not what you thought, huh.

This song is awful. Oh my god.

Gives me a Boner

Great song great musicians

My brother told me at 13 about this song, always got his song choice, but this escaped me! Took me 30 years to understand

This is why hes opening tiff

Bought the CD when it first came out. This is my favorite of his songs

I love the Band!!!!! I can't stand his solo shit, and that is what it is.....SHIT

Is this peak pretentious 80’s blues revival?

Who's watching this amazing clip 27th August 2019

Even in october! ☺️

Totally with you!

My birthday August 27th 1959😊

why do i hear “somewhere down the crazy road”??

Maria McKee, Sam Llanas (the Bodeans) and Daniel Lanois AND Robbie Robertson. Good stuff.

Over 30 years and still the shittiest backing vocals i have ever heard. He must have owed a relative a favor.

This is a sexy song.

Robbie Robertson is pure genius, watched THE LAST WALTZ 16 times in a row, his music is sublime

That makes sense, because this video was directed by Martin Scorsese as well, only 1 of 2 videos he made, the other being Bad by Michael Jackson.

this sukks

Such great lyrics, such a great song.

Omg, this man...what a man...gorgeous, handsome, and so talented it's unreal. I never realized just how much Robbie Robertson has done in his life until I read up on him, he has done everything, just never seems to run out of new projects and does them all to perfection. Except for Robbie himself, though, I didn't much care for the video.

This is some baby makin music

love your music found myself singing ur song when I woke up. beautiful and meaningful thank you Robbie. MOHAWK GIRL

On one of the hottest days here in the UK....July 25th 2019

It was too hot to sleep

@bullet 😁😁🤣hope you've cooled down now..thunderstorms here soon ...I hope 🙏

@Wild Grace yeh thx star we had thunderstorms last nite tremendous ones but still in the 20s here...........hope you enjoy the storms ...........ps dont get struck

@bullet aw a good thunderstorm is great...glad you enjoyed it...yeah still in the 20's here but hoping it lowers it a bit. Can't wait for Autumn! Lol...take care

@Wild Grace thx star you take care too

@Wild Grace wish it were back to summer here bloody freezin at present

Robbie Robertson looks JUST LIKE Jimmy McNulty from The Wire!! Twins!

Some of the 80s finest sounds.

When this song came out i was mesmerized. Its so sexy and mr robbies voice is deep and mystical still love it today.

great song a modern classic

an important musician and songwriter but came in the shadow of Mr. Dylan in a period.

places never been before....

wow i'm high , can i get a like .

Had that aLbum back in '86.Great cLassics aLL-'rounD.EspeciALLy Love tHis BeAuTiFUL,Dark one.Way To Go Robbie.Yes'Hang tHe RicH.

Genius song....

Why does buddy from the bodeans sound so weird?

he is not who i pictured singing this song

Happy 76th Birthday Robbie!

I just came for a laugh.. good bye

Why is tattoo from fantasy island repeating some where down this crazy river

Happy Birthday Robbie!!!♥️♥️♥️