Let the River Run - MASS CHOIR

"Let the River Run" by Carly Simon, arranged by Craig Hella Johnson
Performed at the Boston ChoirFest 2025, by the Mass Choir
Conducted by Barend van der Westhuizen

"Let the River Run" is a powerful, anthemic song written, composed, and performed by American singer-songwriter Carly Simon. It serves as the theme song for the 1988 film Working Girl and is most famous for achieving a historic "trifecta" of major awards.

Director Mike Nichols asked Carly Simon to score the music for his film Working Girl in 1988. The film's story of a determined secretary (Melanie Griffith) rising in the corporate world of 1980s New York City inspired Simon.
A "Hymn for New York": Simon wanted the song to be "large" and "vast," a "hymn to New York" with a "contemporary jungle beat" underneath it, juxtaposing spiritual imagery with the energy of the urban environment.
Her ideas for the lyrics, which include references to "silver cities" and the "New Jerusalem," were partly inspired by re-reading the poetry of Walt Whitman.
Film Context: The song is prominently featured during the film's opening sequence, which shows Manhattan-bound commuters on the Staten Island Ferry, perfectly capturing the spirit of ambition and striving in the city.
Awards and Recognition

"Let the River Run" made history by winning an Academy Award, Golden Globe, and Grammy Award. In 1989, it won the Oscar for Best Original Song at the 61st Academy Awards and the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song. The following year, in 1990, it won the Grammy Award for Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or Television. These wins made Carly Simon the first artist to win all three major awards for a song they wrote, composed, and performed solo.
Despite reaching a modest No. 49 on the Billboard Hot 100, "Let the River Run" is one of Simon's most recognized songs. It is considered an anthem for empowerment, symbolizing hope and resilience. The song has a strong connection to New York City and was used in a USPS Christmas advertisement after the 9/11 attacks. Simon performed it with her children at the Ground Zero memorial service in 2009. It has appeared in other films and TV shows and was ranked No. 91 on AFI's "100 Years...100 Songs" list in 2004.

The most prominent choral arrangement of Carly Simon's "Let the River Run" is by Craig Hella Johnson.
The arrangement is typically accompanied, with a "dancing keyboard and percussion accompaniment" supporting the vibrant choral textures.
The arrangement often features a powerful a cappella opening.
It builds through several "electrifying modulations" to a dramatic and full-voiced conclusion.
The arrangement is noted for its uplifting feel and is a popular concert or festival piece.

Lyrics:
Let the river run
Let all the dreamers wake the nation
Come, the New Jerusalem
Silver cities rise
The morning lights the streets that lead them
And sirens call them on with a song
It's asking for the taking
Trembling, shaking
Oh, my heart is aching
We're coming to the edge
Running on the water
Coming through the fog
Your sons and daughters
We the great and small
Stand on a star
And blaze a trail of desire
Through the darkening dawn
It's asking for the taking
Come run with me now
The sky is the colour of blue
You've never even seen
In the eyes of your lover
Oh, my heart is aching
We're coming to the edge
Running on the water
Coming through the fog
Your sons and daughters
It's asking for the taking
Trembling, shaking
Oh, my heart is aching
We're coming to the edge
Running on the water
Coming through the fog
Your sons and daughters
Let the river run (Let the river run)
Let all the dreamers (let all the dreamers)
Wake the nation (wake the nation)
Come, the New Jerusalem

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