It was a hit single in parts of Europe in 1981; it reached No. 25 in the Netherlands, and the top 10 in both Sweden and Norway.
The song itself was recorded at The Power Station in New York City in July or August 1979.
In the first live performance of the song in 1979, Springsteen cited the inspiration as "my brother-in-law and my sister".
"The River" makes use of a haunting harmonica part.
"The River" was not released as a single in the U.S., but was released as a single in May 1981 in several countries in western Europe.