“River Wide Ocean Deep” is a track from Fates Warning’s FWX album, released in 2004. The music builds in intensity to pair with some of Jim Matheos’ most poetic lyrics and Ray Alder’s highly emotional vocals. It’s one of those perfect combinations that elevates the song to a higher artform.

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Fates Warning - River Wide Ocean Deep

Her, with her loving eyes
Her, with her open arms
A shelter in the night
As we drift into sleep
A soothing voice singing
River wide ocean deep

Her, with her vacant eyes
Her, with her withered arms
A vague promise of rain
Overhead storm clouds creep
A distant voice thundering
River wide ocean deep

Her, with her wild eyes
Her, with her clutching arms
A tempest pouring down
A flood no wall can keep
A drowning voice crying
River wide ocean deep

“I don’t know what’s happening…
Excuse me, I’m babbling.”

The ties that bind are the ties we keep
And she cried river wide ocean deep
The ties that bind are the ties we keep
Until we sleep, until we sleep

The seemingly simple but non-traditional song structure packs in tons of imagery in four short verses (no repeated chorus). The words themselves relay intense emotions even if the overall interpretation is rather elusive. Jim has never discussed the lyrics, so these are just my personal thoughts on them. I’m sure there are many other ways to interpret them, so leave your thoughts below.

To me, the first three verses outline three stages of someone succumbing to a metal illness or emotional breakdown. Many repeated themes between the three verses; eyes (loving — vacant — wild), arms (open — withered — clutching), and a voice (singing — distant — drowning / crying). There is also the progression from shelter / safety to an oncoming storm to the tempest / flood.

The rain can even be seen as the original person’s self coming back through the fog of an illness. Much how dementia sufferers can have moments of clarity. The second verse could be interpreted as their real self hidden (vacant / withered), with a hint of it still there and returning (vague promise of rain / distant voice). The third verse would be that moment of clarity and their real self bursting forth.

All of these themes within the first three verses paint the picture of the journey, backed by the building intensity of the music and Ray’s spine tingling vocals (especially towards the end of the third verse) really bring the words to life.

There is even the beautifully sung female vocal sample in the beginning, bookended by the spoken piece, that drives the descent into emotional distress home.

The fourth verse brings the feeling of the title line, that was present in each of the other verses, to fruition. The common thread of a connection that is large and vast, that still persists throughout the different stages of the first three verses and ultimately triumphs in the end. A connection that is there from the beginning, binding us together through anything, until that final sleep.

I initially thought that the title line, “river wide ocean deep” was some old idiom, but I could never find any instance of it in my searches. So, perhaps it is just something Jim created.

This is what makes a great lyric, so much implied through so few words. Every listen of this song can reveal something new or mirror the thoughts of each listener differently. New and varied meanings are uncovered, the more the words are studied.

Jim is one of my favorite lyricists, so there will be many more examples of his genius on this site in the future.

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Below is an excerpt from the amazing Fates Warning biography, “Destination Onward” by Jeff Wagner that sums up the track nicely.

“While no lengthy epic is found on FWX, “River Wide Ocean Deep” represents the more ambitious facet of the Fates character. It unfolds slowly, brooding darkly throughout its 6:10 running time. This is where Matheos’s keyboards are most welcome, laying down a chilly slab of electronics as Alder creates tension with yearning, soaring vocals that are some of the best of his career. Guitar work is sparse at times, dynamically playful and even surprising in the song’s sedate moments. Zonder performs a remarkably aggressive, martial salvo in the song’s final two minutes as Vera’s bass growls with menace and everything is brought together in a climactic finale. Somewhat akin to “Island in the Stream” in its slow build, chilled-out aesthetic, and water theme, “River Wide Ocean Deep” reminds that the best Fates always carries with it a wistful, evocative undercurrent.”

Jeff Wagner from “Destination Onward” The Story of Fates Warning.