"Charon Retires" lyrics

I met a man out by the river
His eyes were sunk from some defeat
His boat had washed up on the beachhead
The oar was broken at his feet

He told me he's no longer sailing
There's too much love he couldn't keep
"I'm tired of taking out a full boat
And coming back with only me

Keep your eyes out on the distance, my boy
You can live in just the outline, you know?

You think that things are changing
They're really moving on
You can chase them on this river
But you can't catch what is gone

Just turn around and run
Run, run."

I walked right past and pushed the boat in
And grabbed the oar next to his feet
"I'm not here searching for advice now
Your ship is everything I need

I'm gonna take this broken ferry
I'll make it float with parts of me
I'll never rescue the whole forest
But I can save a single leaf

I know that things are changing
I know they're moving on
That's why I'm at this river
I can't catch what is gone

But I'll chase them as they go
I'll chase them as they go."

The ferryman was left in silence
With water leaking through the hull
A sense of purpose spoke first softly
Until it shouted from the boat

If I can learn to take this journey
I'll finally navigate my grief
I'll catch a glimpse of what's still left here
And finally tell her she's been seen

And if I fail to reach the shoreline
Or if I break beneath the breeze
Let it be known I offered something
I gave up all the love in me

So, then the boat hit the horizon
As Charon sat there on the beach
For the first time in all his memory
He smiled and stared out at the sea