Whether you seek out the live versions or enjoy the original, “The River Song” is a highlight, especially vocally.

Track: “The River Song”
Album: Martial Arts Weekend (2002)

Eighteen years ago in Paris, John Darnielle and Peter Hughes “winged it” and played “The River Song” by request. Someone recorded, closer than you’d expect to be possible, and you can see it here. Given that it’s a song by The Extra Glenns, a band Peter Hughes isn’t in, John Darnielle initially says they can’t play it. John Darnielle, on stage, shares the chords with Peter Hughes and they go for it. This is extra notable because Peter Hughes even picks up the backing vocals. These guys have been in a band together for decades by now, but in 2003, watching them go for (and nail) a song that Peter has never played is really something.

It’s a sweet one, in tone if not entirely in message. John Darnielle hits a few high notes, as he does, but mostly speaks this one in low, gentle tones. It’s very wordy, even for an Extra Glenns song, and you get a real sense of who this character is as a result. The intro is over a minute and spreads out to set the stage. Martial Arts Weekend bounces around a few themes, but most of the songs can be read as love songs if that’s your thing. “The River Song” is the one that “feels” most like a love song, even with the mention of the water distribution plant failing. One must accept some things when one listens to The Extra Glenns.