Peak
39
Weeks
6
Score
421
Chart Year
2007
A music video for the song was shot in mid-December 2006, in Los Angeles, California with director Marc Webb, who has done "The Motivation Proclamation" and "Festival Song" videos for the band before, but had not directed a video for them since 2001. It features Good Charlotte performing alongside the concrete L.A. river bank that runs through the city, contrasted with classic images of the beauty and history of Los Angeles. The video clip shows the two sides of L.A., the excitement and glamour of L.A. that the band witnessed early on in their career and then the deeper/darker hidden side of L.A. that people and the band saw after living there for years. MySpace celebrity Jeffree Star and actress Megan Fox are featured in the background throughout the video.[citation needed] Synyster Gates and L.A. in the background There are two different videos for the song, one including M. Shadows and Synyster Gates, the other video is the version of the song without the members of Avenged Sevenfold featuring in it. GCTV Episode 3 shows the video shoot of "The River". The video featuring M. Shadows and Synyster Gates premiered on MTV on February 7, 2007. The original version of the video, that does not feature Avenged Sevenfold's guitarist Synyster Gates and vocalist M. Shadows, was briefly shown on TRL. The music video for "The River" was added to United Kingdom music channels Kerrang! and Scuzz on April 13, 2007, indicating that it was the second single in the UK from Good Charlotte and it was released on May 21, 2007. The video with Gates and Shadows features them morphing into one another, Benji into Joel, Shadows into Benji and so on. Synyster Gates is seen playing his Schecter Signature guitar.
This song is about sin and redemption that traverses the dark side of Los Angeles. It references Christ's parable of the prodigal son, who after running away and squandering his share of his father's inheritance, returns and is welcomed back by his forgiving dad. The father then celebrates his repentant son's homecoming by organizing a feast. Another biblical allusion in this song is the first line, "as I walk through the valley of the shadow of LA," which references a line from the 23rd ("The Lord Is My Shepherd") Psalm, "though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death." This song features the vocalist M. Shadows and guitarist Synyster Gates from Avenged Sevenfold. It was the first time Good Charlotte has officially collaborated with other artists on an album. Frontman Joel Madden explained about the collaboration on goodcharlotte.com: "We've been friends with Avenged for a long time. This wasn't planned, but it ended up working out. We were sitting around listening to some new music and they liked that song so we asked them to jump on. It felt right and sounded really cool. Aside from being friends of ours, we're also fans of their music and since this is our first collaboration, we couldn't be happier that they're a part of our record."
As I walk through the valley of the shadow of LA. The footsteps that were next to me have gone their separate ways. I've seen enough nowto know that beautiful things don't always stay that way. I've done enough now to know this beautiful place isn't everything they say. I heard that evil comes disguised Like a city of angels, I'm walking towards the light. Baptized in the river, I've seen a vision of my life, And I wanna be delivered. In the city was a sinner, I've done a lot of things wrong, But I swear I'm a believer. Like the prodigal son, I was out on my own Now I'm trying to find my way back home. Baptized in the river, I'm delivered. I'm delivered. (M. Shadows) You're from a small town, You're gonna grow up fast Underneath these lights. Down in Hollywood on the boulevard The dead come back to life. To the praying mother, The worried father Let your children go. If they come back they'll come home stronger, And if they don't you'll know. They say that evil comes disguised Like a city of angels, I'm walking towards the light. Baptized in the river, I've seen a vision of my life And I wanna be delivered. In the city was a sinner, I've done a lot of things wrong, But I swear I'm a believer. Like the prodigal son, I was out on my own, Now I'm trying to find my way back home. Baptized in the river, I'm delivered. I'm delivered. Baptized in the river (on my own). Baptized in the river (on my own). I wanna be delivered. (on my own). (on my own). Baptized in the river (on my own). I wanna be delivered. Baptized in the river (on my own). I wanna be delivered. Baptized in the river (on my own). I wanna be delivered. I confess I'm a sinner, I've seen a vision of my life, And I wanna be delivered.
| Week | Chart Date | Position | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Feb 10, 2007 | 97 | 29 |
| 8 | Mar 31, 2007 | 89 | 37 |
| 9 | Apr 7, 2007 | 68 | 58 |
| 10 | Apr 14, 2007 | 39 | 87 |
| 11 | Apr 21, 2007 | 71 | 55 |
| 12 | Apr 28, 2007 | 93 | 33 |