| "Let the River Run" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single byCarly Simon | ||||
| from the albumWorking Girl (Original Soundtrack Album) | ||||
| B-side |
| |||
| Released | 1989 | |||
| Recorded | 1988 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 3:43 | |||
| Label | Arista | |||
| Songwriter | Carly Simon | |||
| Producers | Rob Mounsey Carly Simon | |||
| Carly Simon singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Let the River Run" is a song written, composed, and performed by American singer-songwriterCarly Simon, and the theme to the1988Mike Nichols filmWorking Girl.[3]
The song won theAcademy Award for Best Original Song, theGolden Globe Award for Best Original Song (tying with "Two Hearts" byPhil Collins andLamont Dozier fromBuster), and theGrammy Award for Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or Television.[4] Simon became the first artist in history to win this trio of awards for a song composed and written, as well as performed, entirely by a single artist.[5]
TheWorking Girl soundtrack was released in 1989 and peaked at No. 45 on theBillboard 200,[6] and also contains a choral version of the track featuringThe St. Thomas Choir of Men and Boys ofNew York City.[7]
Simon has stated that she found inspiration for the lyrics by first reading the original script, and then the poems ofWalt Whitman. Musically, she wanted to write a hymn to New York with a contemporary jungle beat under it, so as to juxtapose those opposites in a compelling way.A statement on Simon's official website acknowledges that "the phrases 'Silver Cities Rise' and 'The New Jerusalem' seem to have taken on a new meaning for many people, but the song was not originally composed with any particular political and/or religious overtones."[8] The phrase "new Jerusalem" has been recognized by other observers as an allusion to the works ofWilliam Blake,[9] although Simon denied the song has any explicit relationship with religion.[8] The song incorporates elements ofgospel,pop androck.[1]
A music video for the song was filmed and released, featuring Simon, along withWorking Girl actressesMelanie Griffith andJoan Cusack, aboard theStaten Island Ferry.[10] As asingle, the song reached peak positions of No. 49 on theBillboard Hot 100 and No. 11 on theBillboardAdult Contemporary chart in 1989. The song remains one of Simon's best loved and most recognizable hits, and has been featured on multiple compilations of her work, including the three-disc box setClouds in My Coffee (1995), theUK importThe Very Best of Carly Simon: Nobody Does It Better (1998), the two-disc retrospectiveAnthology (2002), the single-discReflections: Carly Simon's Greatest Hits (2004), andSony Music'sPlaylist: The Very Best of Carly Simon (2014).
Cash Box said that it "is perhaps the most powerful songwriting Simon has ever done. A broken drum feel underscores a brilliant anthem for the working class. The gospel-tinged melody soars, inspires; the lyric conjures visions of a nation only needing to let the river of hope run its course. Simon delivers a remarkable vocal, filled with passionate intensity."[2]
Simon became the first artist in history to win aGrammy Award, aGolden Globe Award, and anAcademy Award for a song composed and written, as well as performed, entirely by a single artist.[5]
| Year | Award | Category | Recipient | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Academy Awards | Best Original Song | Carly Simon | Won | [11] |
| Golden Globe Awards | Best Original Song | Won | [12] | ||
| Boston Music Awards | Outstanding Song/Songwriter | Nominated | [13] | ||
| 1990 | British Academy Film Awards | Best Film Music | Nominated | [14] | |
| Grammy Awards | Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or Television | Won | [15] |
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"Let the River Run" is the first of only two songs to have won all three major awards (Oscar,Golden Globe,Grammy) while being composed and written, as well as performed, entirely by a single artist[5] – the other being "Streets of Philadelphia" byBruce Springsteen fromPhiladelphia.Barbra Streisand shared the Oscar, Golden Globe and Grammy for "Evergreen (Love Theme fromA Star is Born)" which she composed and wrote with lyricistPaul Williams (for which she also won theGrammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance).Annie Lennox won all three awards – for "Into the West" fromThe Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, sharing all three with co-composer and lyricistsFran Walsh andHoward Shore. More recently,Adele received the Oscar, Golden Globe, and Grammy for her "Skyfall" theme, co-written with producerPaul Epworth for the 2012James Bond filmSkyfall.
Let the River Run gained a deeper meaning for many listeners after theSeptember 11 attacks. The line "Silver cities rise" could now be interpreted as a reference to theTwin Towers,[8] which were featured on the song's music video, as well as the opening scene ofWorking Girl.[10] The song was used for a Christmastime advertisement for theUnited States Postal Service in the wake of 9/11 and the2001 anthrax attacks.[8][16] Acknowledging its association with the attacks and New York City,[8] Simon performed the song with her children,Sally and Ben Taylor, during the September 11 memorial service atGround Zero in 2009.[17]
In 2004, the song was twice featured in the filmLittle Black Book,[18] Simon herself also appeared at the end of the film. That same year, the song was ranked at No. 91 inAFI's 100 Years...100 Songs.[19]
In 2009, Simon re-recorded the song for her albumNever Been Gone.[20]
In 2014, Simon released a single of the song covered byMáiréad Carlin andDamian McGinty which had been the anthem forDerry~Londonderry'sUK City of Culture celebrations. McGinty and Carlin sang the song with Simon during the Oceana Partners Awards Gala in Beverly Hills, Ca.[21][22]
In January 2019, the song was the subject of an episode ofBBC Radio 4'sSoul Music, examining the song's cultural influence.[23]
In October 2019, the song was used behind the closing credits ofSeason 31, Episode 2 of theFox TV showThe Simpsons.[24]
In October 2019, as well as being the episode title, the song was used during several key moments during the first episode of Season 2 ofCastle Rock.[25]
| Chart (1989) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA Charts)[27] | 91 |
| UK Singles Chart (Official Charts Company)[28] | 79 |
| USBillboardHot 100[29] | 49 |
| USBillboardAdult Contemporary[30] | 11 |
| Canada Top Singles (RPM)[31] | 50 |
| Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 10)[32] | 6 |
This thrilling number that mixes gospel, pop, and rock captures the New York City of the ambitious characters in Working Girl.
