Carly Simon didn't just write a song for a movie; she basically bottled the lightning of 1980s ambition. It’s weird how certain songs just stick to the ribs of culture. You hear that rolling percussion, those tribal-sounding drums, and suddenly you’re walking through Lower Manhattan in a power suit, even if you’re actually just sitting in traffic in a minivan. The lyrics let the river run are deeply weird when you actually look at them closely, blending biblical imagery with a cutthroat capitalist vibe that defined the Working Girl era. It’s a hymn for the corporate ladder.
Most people remember the chorus—the big, soaring "New Jerusalem" bit—but the verses are where the actual storytelling happens. It’s about the "silver cities" and the "great bright edge" of the world. Honestly, it’s one of the few songs that managed to win an Oscar, a Grammy, and a Golden Globe without feeling like a manufactured corporate product. It felt earned.
The Biblical Meets the Boardroom
When Simon sat down to write these lyrics, she wasn't just thinking about Melanie Griffith’s character, Tess McGill. She was reading Walt Whitman. She was looking at the skyline. There’s a specific kind of spiritual hunger in the line "Coming to the edge, running on the water." It sounds like a miracle, right? But in the context of 1988, it was about the miracle of social mobility.
The "river" isn't just water. It’s the flow of people. It's the Hudson. It’s the literal tide of commuters coming into the city to make their mark.
Working Girl director Mike Nichols originally wanted something more traditional, but Simon gave him this odd, rhythmic chant. It starts quiet. It builds. By the time she’s singing about the "streets of gold," she’s tapped into that very American obsession with reinventing oneself. You’ve got to remember that in the late 80s, the dream was to move from the secretarial pool to the executive suite, and these lyrics provided the liturgical backing for that specific prayer.
Breaking Down the "New Jerusalem" Imagery
This is where it gets heavy. Using the phrase "New Jerusalem" in a pop song is a massive swing. It’s a reference to the Book of Revelation, a vision of a perfect city.
Why put that in a movie about mergers and acquisitions?
Because to a girl from Staten Island with big hair and a bigger brain, Manhattan was the New Jerusalem. It was the promised land. Simon captures that holy-meets-profane energy perfectly. The lyrics let the river run aren't asking for a quiet life; they’re demanding a seat at the table. When she sings "Let the dreamers wake the nation," she’s talking about the strivers. The ones who haven't slept because they’re too busy studying night-school textbooks.
The Secret History of the Arrangement
It wasn't always going to sound like this. Simon has talked in interviews about how the song evolved from a simpler folk-leaning idea into this massive, choral anthem. She wanted it to feel like a "hymn to New York."
The production is actually quite sparse if you strip away the vocals. It’s the layering of her own voice—over and over—that creates that wall of sound. It’s a technique she’s used before, but here it feels structural. Like the steel beams of a skyscraper.
- The drums were meant to mimic the heartbeat of the city.
- The lyrics were written after she saw the opening shots of the Staten Island Ferry.
- The "silver cities" line was inspired by the way the sun hits the glass of the World Trade Center towers in the morning light.
It’s easy to forget how much the physical landscape of New York influenced the writing. This wasn't written in a vacuum. It was written by someone who looked at the skyline and saw both a challenge and a sanctuary.
Why We Still Sing It (Even Without the Shoulder Pads)
Let's be real: most 80s movie songs have aged like milk. They're full of gated reverb and cheesy synths that make you cringe. But lyrics let the river run survived the transition into the 21st century because the core sentiment is universal. Everyone wants to be part of something bigger. Everyone feels like they’re standing on the "great bright edge" of their own life at some point.
It’s become a go-to for graduations, for corporate retreats (ironically), and for anyone needing a shot of adrenaline before a big interview. It’s a "main character energy" song before that was even a term.
The bridge—"It's finally come to pass"—is that moment of realization. It’s the payoff. In the film, it’s when Tess finally has her own office, her own desk, and her own chance. But even without the visuals, the lyrics carry that weight. It’s about the exhaustion of the climb and the beauty of the view from the top.
The Cultural Impact You Might Have Missed
The song didn't just stay in the theater. It leaked into the psyche of the business world. It’s been covered by everyone from the PS22 Chorus to various Broadway stars.
Carly Simon's performance of the song at the 1989 Academy Awards is still considered a high point for the ceremony. No gimmicks. Just her at the piano, eventually joined by a choir. It proved that a song about ambition could be deeply moving, not just aggressive. It softened the "greed is good" era with a sense of genuine wonder.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Lyrics
There’s a common misconception that the song is purely about wealth. People hear "streets of gold" and think about money. That's a shallow take.
If you look at the lines "Give us your tired and your poor," Simon is intentionally echoing the Emma Lazarus poem on the Statue of Liberty. She’s framing the "river" as a movement of people seeking freedom and opportunity, not just a paycheck. It’s a song about the immigrant spirit, even if the "immigrant" in this case is just coming from across the harbor in a different borough.
The "gold" isn't currency. It’s the light. It’s the potential.
Actionable Takeaways for Modern Strivers
You don't need a ferry ticket to use the energy behind these lyrics. Whether you're a freelancer, an artist, or a student, the "river" is whatever industry or community you're trying to break into.
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- Audit your "New Jerusalem": Identify the specific goal that feels like a "holy" achievement for you. Is it a career milestone, or a personal breakthrough?
- Embrace the "Rhythm of the Saints": Simon used repetitive, percussive sounds to build momentum. Find your own ritual that builds the same internal pressure before you tackle a big task.
- Look for the "Bright Edge": Don't stay in the middle of the pack. The lyrics suggest that the magic happens at the boundaries—where the water meets the land, where the dream meets reality.
- Layer your voice: Just as Simon layered her vocals to create power, don't be afraid to bring different parts of your personality to your work. The "secretary" and the "executive" can exist in the same person.
The next time you hear those opening notes, don't just dismiss it as an 80s throwback. Listen to the way she emphasizes "Let the river run." It’s an invitation to stop fighting the current and start using its power to get where you're going. New York might have changed, the towers might be different, and the suits might be less boxy, but the hunger in those lyrics hasn't aged a day.