Listen "Thunder River / Afon Tarannon"
Episode Synopsis
This is a song I wrote in October / November 2019 from the point of view of rivers that are trapped underground, particularly the River Adda, which mostly flows in a culvert under Bangor. It was put underground between the 1930s and 1960s. Before the 19th century it was called Afon Tarannon or Thunder River, which is where the name of this song comes from. So this is a song for rivers, or anything or anybody else who feels trapped.
This recording features me singing and accompanying myself on the guitar, and I play the guitar and cavaquinho in the instrumental section. The recording starts and ends with sounds of the River Adda, which I found on YouTube: https://youtu.be/cp3rB18joww
Here are the words:
Have you heard the water rushing
down beneath your feet?
Do you know a river's still here?
Long forgotten and ignored
down here in the dark
Still flowing down to the sea
Let me flow where I will
Let me flood when I need
Let me feel the sunshine once more
Let me free, let me out
Is what I would shout
If only I had a voice
But I was in the way,
at least that's what they'd say
and couldn't stay where I was
So they put me in this pipe
And buried it deep
But you can still hear me roar
The photo shows the Afon Adda - not the one that flows under Bangor, but a nearby one, and comes from https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/364382
There is actually an art project, rAdda, related to the River Adda that involves observing and thinking about the river and its relationship with the city through walks, performances, visual art and text: http://bangoradda.org/
This recording features me singing and accompanying myself on the guitar, and I play the guitar and cavaquinho in the instrumental section. The recording starts and ends with sounds of the River Adda, which I found on YouTube: https://youtu.be/cp3rB18joww
Here are the words:
Have you heard the water rushing
down beneath your feet?
Do you know a river's still here?
Long forgotten and ignored
down here in the dark
Still flowing down to the sea
Let me flow where I will
Let me flood when I need
Let me feel the sunshine once more
Let me free, let me out
Is what I would shout
If only I had a voice
But I was in the way,
at least that's what they'd say
and couldn't stay where I was
So they put me in this pipe
And buried it deep
But you can still hear me roar
The photo shows the Afon Adda - not the one that flows under Bangor, but a nearby one, and comes from https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/364382
There is actually an art project, rAdda, related to the River Adda that involves observing and thinking about the river and its relationship with the city through walks, performances, visual art and text: http://bangoradda.org/
More episodes of the podcast Simon Ager
When The Cat's Away
12/10/2025
It's All Greek To Me
17/08/2025
Discombobulation
29/07/2025
Mind The Gap
29/06/2025
Pie In The Sky
29/06/2025
What Are You Waiting For?
23/03/2025
Llamas In Pyjamas
02/03/2025
Terms & Conditions
01/11/2024
Cats and Dogs
15/09/2024
Off To Sea
31/05/2024
ZARZA We are Zarza, the prestigious firm behind major projects in information technology.