The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
I remember being richer than a king
The minutes of the day were golden
I recall that when the joint passed round
My body felt a little colder
But now I'm like a sewer channel - running lime and scag
Let me get at the master panel - let me at my stack
The sea refuses no river
And right now this river's banks are blown
The sea refuses no river
Whether stinking and rank
Or red from the tank
Whether pure as a spring
There's no damned thing stops the poem
The sea refuses no river
And this river is homeward flowing
I have seen a trace of strain
In other's eyes not spoken
I must admit that I enjoyed their pain
But this time it's me that's broken
I demand for you and His
This must be the time
When we decide what freedom is
Turn water into wine
For the sea refuses no river
We're polluted now but in our hearts still clean
The sea refuses no river
We tried not to age
But time had it's rage
We're washed over stones
From babes into clones of the mean
The sea won't refuse this muddy river
Nor deny the sulfurous stream
There was a fool in a dressing robe
Riding out the twilight hour
Lonely and cold in an empty home
Trying to assess his power
But now he's like a stream in flood
Swollen by the storm
He doesn't care if he sheds his blood
Let him be reborn
For the sea refuses no river
Remember that when the beggar buys a round
The sea refuses no river
And rain fills the gutters
No time for stutters
This is our chance
To sing and to dance and to clown
The sea refuses no river
And rivers were sprung to drown
The sea refuses no river
No pecking code respected for the damned
The sea refuses no river
Whether starving or ill
Or strung on some pill
Just ''cause you own the land
There's no unique hand plugs the dam
The sea refuses no river
And the river is where I am
The river is where I am
The minutes of the day were golden
I recall that when the joint passed round
My body felt a little colder
But now I'm like a sewer channel - running lime and scag
Let me get at the master panel - let me at my stack
The sea refuses no river
And right now this river's banks are blown
The sea refuses no river
Whether stinking and rank
Or red from the tank
Whether pure as a spring
There's no damned thing stops the poem
The sea refuses no river
And this river is homeward flowing
I have seen a trace of strain
In other's eyes not spoken
I must admit that I enjoyed their pain
But this time it's me that's broken
I demand for you and His
This must be the time
When we decide what freedom is
Turn water into wine
For the sea refuses no river
We're polluted now but in our hearts still clean
The sea refuses no river
We tried not to age
But time had it's rage
We're washed over stones
From babes into clones of the mean
The sea won't refuse this muddy river
Nor deny the sulfurous stream
There was a fool in a dressing robe
Riding out the twilight hour
Lonely and cold in an empty home
Trying to assess his power
But now he's like a stream in flood
Swollen by the storm
He doesn't care if he sheds his blood
Let him be reborn
For the sea refuses no river
Remember that when the beggar buys a round
The sea refuses no river
And rain fills the gutters
No time for stutters
This is our chance
To sing and to dance and to clown
The sea refuses no river
And rivers were sprung to drown
The sea refuses no river
No pecking code respected for the damned
The sea refuses no river
Whether starving or ill
Or strung on some pill
Just ''cause you own the land
There's no unique hand plugs the dam
The sea refuses no river
And the river is where I am
The river is where I am
Lyrics submitted by ButNeverOutgunned
The Sea Refuses No River Lyrics as written by Peter Dennis Blandfor Townshend
Lyrics © SPIRIT MUSIC GROUP
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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I believe we are all rivers and the sea is death. We are all equal and the same because no one here is immortal. If we all just realized this ultimate equality then we would no longer judge each other by our differences because we are all the same in the end.
I'm partial to @angryrobot 's interpretation. It's the feeling the song gave to me and is more universal than the very specific concepts that are posted here to-date. Those sound personal to the people posting them, of course. No less valid. Poetic Interpretation, much like the sea in question, truly refuses no river.
I think its pretty clear that it is about always finding salvation in god. "The Sea Refuses no River" = "God denys no one salvation. The "turn water into wine" and the....
There was a fool in a dressing robe Riding out the twilight hour Lonely and cold in an empty home Trying to assess his power But now he's like a stream in flood Swollen by the storm He doesn't care if he sheds his blood Let him be reborn
....section is about Jesus.
@Mickyfinn so...are you saying that Jesus was a fool? I personally think this verse is about somebody who is so poor, all they have is money...he's been "right around on a golden ring" and has nowhere to go - but down...he has nobody...he's in an "empty home" - this ain't Jesus! No sir!
It's about drug use.. specifically heroin. He's eluded to as much in concert. No matter how pure of a person you are, heroin won't refuse you, and even good people can be trapped by it. This is him hitting rock bottom and trying to figure out where to go next. He's losing everything and assessing his life. There is a "Come to God" moment where he realizes that we only have one life to live, and he ultimately decides to clean up his life.
Remember, Pete is spiritual but not a Christan, so that 'God' refers to a higher power but not necessarily in the Christian sense.
Though for "Let My Love Open the Door" he describes it as 'Jesus Sings'.
@EmeraldFox He says that every song he ever wrote is about Jesus being the savior he just doesn’t state his name in every song in order to get played on Christian Radio. You need to stop listening to Bill Wilson and start listening to the real thing.
I believe this song\'s about quitting drugs, overcoming depression, and returning to a normal life. Would also work brilliantly as a sequel to Quadrophenia IMHO. If only Keith Moon had pulled it through like Pete!\r\n\r\nThe spiritual reference is probably Meher Baba, re-phrased in Christian ways so an average English-speaking listener will find it easier to understand.
It is based on Meher Baba's teachings. If you picture God as an infinite ocean, a soul is a drop of the ocean that believes it has a separate existence. But it is really part of the ocean. All rivers flow to the ocean, and the ocean accepts all rivers, no matter the state of the water, just as God accepts all humans, whether king or begger, sinner or saint.