Longer Boats - Cat Stevens - KCET Live - Extra Verse

Longer Boats by Cat Stevens from Tea for the Tillerman KCET live 1971 with added verse. The simple lyrics disguise the theme. In Greek mythology, the souls of the departed were carried across the river Styx to an afterlife: heaven or hell. The passage across the river was by boat, and the pilots were Tillermen (Tea for the Tillerman). The catch is, which way were the boats going? Were they long, longer or longest boats? Stevens uses this riddle to leave uncertainty about which boat to catch.

The verses discuss the 'price' of the trip - what gets you into heaven or keeps you out. You can believe the (virgin) Mary and the parson (Rev. CL Dodgson from Alice, remember he told the story while boating) are committing the original sin if you want to, but I think Stevens is suggesting they are innocent, as is the flower in the second verse. It's just another name for God. Steven's believes that all religions serve this God: Christianity, Buddhism and Islam.

The moral of this song is, hold on to innocence, it is the 'key to the door.' It is a very old moral and Stevens isn't the only poet to use it in this (or any other) century.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Longer
• boats
• tea
• tillerman
• novim's
• nightmare
• The
• Wind
• Cat
• Stevens
• Yusuf
• Islam
• majikat
• lilywhite
• Tuesdays
• dead
• ruins
• teaser
• firecat
• here
• comes
• baby
• miles
• nowhere
• ruby
• love
• numbers
• morning
• broken
• shy
• peace
• train
• very
• young
• father
• son
• moonshadow
• catch
• bull
• four
• harold
• maude
• rushmore
• sad
• lisa
• wild
• world
• trouble
• sitting
• Katmandu
• buddha
• chocolate
• foreigner
• matthew
• mona
• bone
• jaken
• first
• cut
• deepest
• Mohammed
• portobello
• hard
• headed
• woman
• Stephen
• Demetre
• Georgiou
• folk
• pop
• hit
• british
• Muslim

[LHcountryboy1]

Well ALRIGHT!!! Man, for over 4 Decades now I've been trying to figger out just What this song was about (everything from the river Styx on). One Great way I always describe CS-just Far-Out Man. Love 'em!

[katydidscorner]

@LHcountryboy1 Wow, I think you're the first to read the meaning behind the lyrics of this song in the pull down tab. Thanks for taking the time.

[eireman]

I've LOVED CAT from the beginning of his CAREER! PHENOMENAL!

[csgoldengirl1]

what a great song and the pics are great!

[LHcountryboy1]

@katydidscorner No trouble at all. It was Cat that had me wonderin' all these years. Thank You for these fantastic Works you have done. (feels like you know him as I have felt him all this time) I just discovered your corner, look forward to getting to enjoy your artwork. Heart-felt thanx.

[birdtribes]

love this song , thank you ! Greit !

[khaadimone]

I love the extra verse. I was disappointed when I bought the album & it was missing. Thanks for posting this.

[71KAZA1]

Fantastic Photo Collection. Best Song!

[SuperMiguelin]

great version.The sound is perfect.congratulation katy.

[CatStevensAndClaudia]

@Mikevdog He's back to playing again. YOu could watch some cool youtube vids of yusuf islam playing songs like peace train live again.