The Sea Refuses No River

Pete Townshend

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


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

The Sea Refuses No River song meanings
Add Your Thoughts

4 Comments

sort form View by:
  • +1
    General CommentI 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.
    angryroboton April 11, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General CommentI 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.
    Mickyfinnon June 27, 2011   Link
  • 0
    Song MeaningIt'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.
    EmeraldFoxon December 19, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General CommentI 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.
    jbj15on February 09, 2022   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

Back to top