Boat on the River

Boat on the River
Written by Tommy Shaw
Lead Vocals by Tommy Shaw

Take me down to my boat on the river
I need to go down, I need to come down
Take me back to my boat on the river
And I won't cry out any more

Time stands still as I gaze in her waters
She eases me down, touching me gently
With the waters that flow past my boat on the river
So I won't cry out anymore

Oh the river is deep
The river it touches my life like the waves on the sand
And all roads lead to Tranquility Base
Where the frown on my face disappears

Take me back to my boat on the river
And I won't cry out anymore

Oh the river is wide
The river it touches my life like the waves on the sand
And all roads lead to Tranquility Base
Where the frown on my face disappears

Take me back to my boat on the river
And I won't cry out anymore
And I won't cry out anymore
And I won't cry out anymore

Interpretation

Tommy has said that this song refers to the peace one finds in death. In Greek mythology, souls would cross from the land of the living to the the land of the dead separated by the river Styx on a boat piloted by a ferryman named Charon.

Tranquility Base is the name of the site of the first manned moon landing in July 1969. It is also the name of Tommy Shaw's ranch in Michigan at the time he wrote this song.

Considering that the song was written just a few years in to a meteoric rise from Styx as a regional band to a global phenomenon, the rigors of life as a superstar would no doubt leave Tommy drained and ready to go home and considering what eternal rest could be like.