Row, Row, Row Your Boat
Encyclopedia
"Row, Row, Row Your Boat" is an English language
nursery rhyme
, and a popular children's song
, often sung as a round
. It can also be an 'action' nursery rhyme where singers sit opposite one another and 'row' forwards and backwards with joined hands. It has a Roud Folk Song Index
number of 19236.
. The earliest printing of the song is from 1852, when the lyrics were published with similar lyrics to those used today, but with a very different tune. It was reprinted again two years later with the same lyrics and another tune. The modern tune was first recorded with the lyrics in 1881, mentioning Eliphalet Oram Lyte
in The Franklin Square Song Collection but not making it clear whether he was the composer or adapter.
for life's difficult choices, and many see the boat as referring to one's self or a group with which one identifies. Rowing
is a skillful, if tedious, practice that takes perfection but also directs the vessel. When sung as a group, the act of rowing
becomes a unifier, as oars should be in sync for the progression of a rowboat. The idea that human beings travel along a certain stream [time] and suggests boundaries in the path
of choices and in free will
. The third line recommends that challenges should be greeted in stride while open to joy with a smile. Some have questioned the song's implied necessity to row one's boat downstream. This may in fact be a commentary on the paradoxical nature of time's arrow
with respect to man's free will in a universe of materialistic causality
.
The final line, "life is but a dream", is perhaps the most meaningful. With a religious
point of view, life and the physical plane
may be regarded as having equivalent value as that of a dream, such that troubles are seen in the context of a lesser reality once one has awakened. Conversely, the line can just as equally convey nihilist
sentiments on the meaninglessness of man's actions. Philosopher George Berkeley
said it: a life is just a dream, one of God's many. With or without God, "life is just a dream" expresses the idealistic side of the non-decidable mind-body problem, of which the materialistic side, the "American" sense of reality, is the other: the naive view that the brain through the senses perceives reality "as it is".
, sometimes with the intent simply of extending the song, or sometimes (especially in the case of more irreverent versions) with the intent of making it funny, parodying it, or substituting another sensibility for the perceived innocent one of the original. Versions include:
and Mr. Spock at the beginning and end of the film Star Trek V: The Final Frontier
(1989), reflecting issues about the need for self discovery. In the film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
(2004), the song is used on the soundtrack and by Joel (Jim Carrey
) and Clementine (Kate Winslet
) as they try to hide from the memory erasers, reflecting issues of the importance of memory to reality. In Fringe (TV series)
the character Walter, whilst in a mental institute, remarks that he sometimes hears someone whistling the song but is not sure if it is in fact himself whistling. and later in the same episode refers to his time in a the hospital as like being asleep. In the T.U.F.F. Puppy
episode "Cruisin' for a Blusin'", Keswick has many attempts to sing this song only to fail (much to Snaptrap's dismay at the end).
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
nursery rhyme
Nursery rhyme
The term nursery rhyme is used for "traditional" poems for young children in Britain and many other countries, but usage only dates from the 19th century and in North America the older ‘Mother Goose Rhymes’ is still often used.-Lullabies:...
, and a popular children's song
Children's song
Children's song may be a nursery rhyme set to music, a song that young children invent and share among themselves, or a modern creation intended for entertainment, use in the home, or education...
, often sung as a round
Round (music)
A round is a musical composition in which two or more voices sing exactly the same melody , but with each voice beginning at different times so that different parts of the melody coincide in the different voices, but nevertheless fit harmoniously together...
. It can also be an 'action' nursery rhyme where singers sit opposite one another and 'row' forwards and backwards with joined hands. It has a Roud Folk Song Index
Roud Folk Song Index
The Roud Folk Song Index is a database of 300,000 references to over 21,600 songs that have been collected from oral tradition in the English language from all over the world...
number of 19236.
Lyrics
The most common modern version is:- Row, row, row your boat,
- Gently down the stream.
- Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily,
- Life is but a dream.
Origins
It has been suggested that the song may have originally arisen out of American minstrelsyMinstrelsy
Minstrelsy can refer to:* The music and poetry of the medieval minstrels.* The songs, dances, skits, and stagecraft of the 19th century American blackface minstrel show....
. The earliest printing of the song is from 1852, when the lyrics were published with similar lyrics to those used today, but with a very different tune. It was reprinted again two years later with the same lyrics and another tune. The modern tune was first recorded with the lyrics in 1881, mentioning Eliphalet Oram Lyte
Eliphalet Oram Lyte
Eliphalet Oram Lyte was an American teacher and author of grammar and composition textbooks. He is credited as the composer of the tune to the popular song "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" in the publication The Franklin Square Song Collection...
in The Franklin Square Song Collection but not making it clear whether he was the composer or adapter.
Meaning
The lyrics have often been used as a metaphorMetaphor
A metaphor is a literary figure of speech that uses an image, story or tangible thing to represent a less tangible thing or some intangible quality or idea; e.g., "Her eyes were glistening jewels." Metaphor may also be used for any rhetorical figures of speech that achieve their effects via...
for life's difficult choices, and many see the boat as referring to one's self or a group with which one identifies. Rowing
Watercraft rowing
Watercraft rowing is the act of propelling a boat using the motion of oars in the water. The difference between paddling and rowing is that with rowing the oars have a mechanical connection with the boat whereas with paddling the paddles are hand-held with no mechanical connection.This article...
is a skillful, if tedious, practice that takes perfection but also directs the vessel. When sung as a group, the act of rowing
Rowing (sport)
Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...
becomes a unifier, as oars should be in sync for the progression of a rowboat. The idea that human beings travel along a certain stream [time] and suggests boundaries in the path
Tao
Dao or Tao is a Chinese word meaning 'way', 'path', 'route', or sometimes more loosely, 'doctrine' or 'principle'...
of choices and in free will
Free will
"To make my own decisions whether I am successful or not due to uncontrollable forces" -Troy MorrisonA pragmatic definition of free willFree will is the ability of agents to make choices free from certain kinds of constraints. The existence of free will and its exact nature and definition have long...
. The third line recommends that challenges should be greeted in stride while open to joy with a smile. Some have questioned the song's implied necessity to row one's boat downstream. This may in fact be a commentary on the paradoxical nature of time's arrow
Arrow of time
The arrow of time, or time’s arrow, is a term coined in 1927 by the British astronomer Arthur Eddington to describe the "one-way direction" or "asymmetry" of time...
with respect to man's free will in a universe of materialistic causality
Causality (physics)
Causality is the relationship between causes and effects. It is considered to be fundamental to all natural science, especially physics. Causality is also a topic studied from the perspectives of philosophy and statistics....
.
The final line, "life is but a dream", is perhaps the most meaningful. With a religious
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
point of view, life and the physical plane
Physical plane
The physical plane , physical world, or physical universe, in emanationist metaphysics such as are found in Neoplatonism, Hermeticism, Hinduism and Theosophy, refers to the visible reality of space and time, energy and matter: the physical universe in Occultism and esoteric cosmology is the lowest...
may be regarded as having equivalent value as that of a dream, such that troubles are seen in the context of a lesser reality once one has awakened. Conversely, the line can just as equally convey nihilist
Nihilism
Nihilism is the philosophical doctrine suggesting the negation of one or more putatively meaningful aspects of life. Most commonly, nihilism is presented in the form of existential nihilism which argues that life is without objective meaning, purpose, or intrinsic value...
sentiments on the meaninglessness of man's actions. Philosopher George Berkeley
George Berkeley
George Berkeley , also known as Bishop Berkeley , was an Irish philosopher whose primary achievement was the advancement of a theory he called "immaterialism"...
said it: a life is just a dream, one of God's many. With or without God, "life is just a dream" expresses the idealistic side of the non-decidable mind-body problem, of which the materialistic side, the "American" sense of reality, is the other: the naive view that the brain through the senses perceives reality "as it is".
Additional or alternate verses
Sometimes people sing additional verses, which should probably be considered a form of Children's street cultureChildren's street culture
Children's street culture refers to the cumulative culture created by young children. Collectively, this body of knowledge is passed down from one generation of urban children to the next, and can also be passed between different groups of children . It is most common in children between the ages...
, sometimes with the intent simply of extending the song, or sometimes (especially in the case of more irreverent versions) with the intent of making it funny, parodying it, or substituting another sensibility for the perceived innocent one of the original. Versions include:
- Row, row, row your boat,
- Gently down the stream.
- Throw your teacher overboard
- And listen to her scream.
- Row, row, row your boat,
- Gently down the stream.
- Verily, verily, verily, verily,
- Life is down the drain.
In popular culture
The song has been used extensively in popular culture, often to reflect existential questions about reality. It was sung by Captain Kirk, Dr. McCoyLeonard McCoy
Leonard "Bones" McCoy is a character in the Star Trek media franchise. First portrayed by DeForest Kelley in the original Star Trek series, McCoy also appears in the animated Star Trek series, seven Star Trek movies, the pilot episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, and in numerous books,...
and Mr. Spock at the beginning and end of the film Star Trek V: The Final Frontier
Star Trek V: The Final Frontier
Star Trek V: The Final Frontier is a 1989 American science fiction film released by Paramount Pictures. It is the fifth feature in the franchise and the penultimate to star the cast of the original Star Trek science fiction television series...
(1989), reflecting issues about the need for self discovery. In the film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is a 2004 American romantic science fiction film about an estranged couple who have each other erased from their memories, scripted by Charlie Kaufman and directed by the French director, Michel Gondry. The film uses elements of science fiction, psychological...
(2004), the song is used on the soundtrack and by Joel (Jim Carrey
Jim Carrey
James Eugene "Jim" Carrey is a Canadian-American actor and comedian. He has received two Golden Globe Awards and has also been nominated on four occasions. Carrey began comedy in 1979, performing at Yuk Yuk's in Toronto, Ontario...
) and Clementine (Kate Winslet
Kate Winslet
Kate Elizabeth Winslet is an English actress and occasional singer. She has received multiple awards and nominations. She was the youngest person to accrue six Academy Award nominations, and won the Academy Award for Best Actress for The Reader...
) as they try to hide from the memory erasers, reflecting issues of the importance of memory to reality. In Fringe (TV series)
Fringe (TV series)
Fringe is an American science fiction television series created by J. J. Abrams, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci. The series follows a Federal Bureau of Investigation "Fringe Division" team based in Boston, Massachusetts under the supervision of Homeland Security...
the character Walter, whilst in a mental institute, remarks that he sometimes hears someone whistling the song but is not sure if it is in fact himself whistling. and later in the same episode refers to his time in a the hospital as like being asleep. In the T.U.F.F. Puppy
T.U.F.F. Puppy
T.U.F.F. Puppy is an American animated television series created by Butch Hartman for Nickelodeon. It premiered on October 2, 2010 on Nickelodeon after the premiere of Planet Sheen. The series' main character is a dim-witted but determined dog named Dudley Puppy , who works as a secret agent for an...
episode "Cruisin' for a Blusin'", Keswick has many attempts to sing this song only to fail (much to Snaptrap's dismay at the end).