The famed “meeting of waters,” near the city of Manaus, Brazil. Rivers wind their way through American music. Beyond lyric and metaphor, what can physical rivers tell us about what makes a great song?

Lykke Li has revealed she genuinely thought someone was winding her up when word first reached her that Drake planned to sample her 2011 dance hit I Follow Rivers for his Iceman track Janice STFU. The ...