All sorts of meanings. The direction of flow of river is always one way, like time, and the river has no choice in this regard, but to merge with the ocean losing its identity as also it's freshness and its purity, in lines like, "Water turns cold and ..". All of us are born innocent but die guilty. The boat is suggestive of a rescue vessel or ship, some kind of a savior leading it's passengers to shores of safety battling and weathering the storms in their life, but eventually the ship also has to retire and be broken and torn down and has to go the way of the river, in lines like, which is sad , expressed in lines like, "Cause she has won so many battles that I hate to see her loose". Finally, resignation to the fact that all things as also all people must go the way they go. "A little good bye , a little I'll do what I must do".
All sorts of meanings. The direction of flow of river is always one way, like time, and the river has no choice in this regard, but to merge with the ocean losing its identity as also it's freshness and its purity, in lines like, "Water turns cold and ..". All of us are born innocent but die guilty. The boat is suggestive of a rescue vessel or ship, some kind of a savior leading it's passengers to shores of safety battling and weathering the storms in their life, but eventually the ship also has to retire and be broken and torn down and has to go the way of the river, in lines like, which is sad , expressed in lines like, "Cause she has won so many battles that I hate to see her loose". Finally, resignation to the fact that all things as also all people must go the way they go. "A little good bye , a little I'll do what I must do".