Styx – Come Sail Away

Know something about this song or lyrics? Add it to our wiki.
Send "Come Sail Away" Ringtone to Cell

I'm sailing away set an open course for the virgin sea
I've got to be free free to face the life that's ahead of me
On board I'm the captain so climb aboard
We'll search for tomorrow on every shore
And I'll try oh Lord I'll try to carry on

I look to the sea reflections in the waves spark my memory
Some happy some sad
I think of childhood friends and the dreams we had
We live happily forever so the story goes
But somehow we missed out on that pot of gold
But we'll try best that we can to carry on

A gathering of angels appeared above my head
They sang to me this song of hope and this is what they said
They said come sail away come sail away
Come sail away with me
Come sail away come sail away
Come sail away with me

I thought that they were angels but to my surprise
They climbed aboard their starship and headed for the skies
Singing come sail away come sail away
Come sail away with me
Come sail away come sail away
Come sail away with me

Send "Come Sail Away" Ringtone to Cell


Lyrics submitted by kevin, edited by JamesLove

Track duration: 06:05

"Come Sail Away" as written by Dennis De Young

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

Lyrics powered by LyricFind


Come Sail Away song meanings
Add your thoughts

49 Comments

sort form View by:
  • +1
    General Comment:In the first verse he is the captian of his distiny and needs to be free of all that holds him back. Then he pledges to live a life that is a forfilling life even if it means going to all the points of the earth, every shore.
    In the second verse he realizes the dreams he and his friends have or had, and how they for whatever reason did not come true entirely, for some memories are happy some sad. Despite our short comings we will try and and carry on any way to live a life that has meaning.
    In the third verse he is finally giving up the journey for that life he and his friends dreamed of having and now in dying moving on to the heavens above were your purpose will be forfilled. hence come sail away with me.
    In the forth verse he realizes that the angels are not just an image but actually do exist and they have come to save his soul.

    The other option its one hell of a drug trip that he was on just before he wrote it.
    Flag OTTAWASENATORon September 25, 2012   Link
  • +2
    General Comment:I think this song goes hand-in-hand with Boat On A River...it's just about finding peace. Going in search of "home."
    Flag IllToast2Thaton April 09, 2012   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:Serious man? I thought it was about gettin' high on grass laced with angel dust and then he starts tripping cos he thinks he's on an alien starship like "Close Encounters of the Third Kind"...
    Dosn't matter Dennis deYoung is a great songwriter/vocalist and musician. :)
    Flag Thia007on December 05, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I can't believe not a single person actually got the meaning of this song right but its apparent that everyone here lived on the right side of the tracks their entire lives so I can understand being ignorant to its true meaning. Its about heroin use or ODing to be exact. Its a great song but yeah thats what it means when they say A gathering of angels appeared above my head, they sang this song of hope to me and this is what they said, Come sail away...because back then Heroin ODing was common back then shit even Janis Joplin OD'd on the shit.
    Flag CodyMCPon October 15, 2011   Link
  • 0
    Lyric Correction:Key correction:

    "They climbed aboard their starship and headed for the skies"

    should read

    "WE climbed aboard their starship WE headed for the skies."

    Flag JamesLoveon July 16, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I have heard this song for about 34 years and I never realized the alien twist at the end until today.
    Flag JamesLoveon July 13, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:"I've got to be free, free to face the life that's ahead of me" early on and book-ended by "I thought that they were angels, but to my surprise They climbed aboard their starship and headed for the skies" seems to be a reference to John Galt?
    Flag beenyon January 22, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:To me, this song is about doing whatever it takes to achieve your dreams. The angels are the good, aliens the bad. But good or bad, you need to achieve your dreams by yourself, not with the assistance of fictional figures.
    Flag GreatWhite76on October 17, 2010   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation:This song is totally about aliens and leaving earth for a better place. The "virgin sea" is space. It's about someone trying to find a better place and aliens help them find it not on earth.
    Flag xdanchezxon June 24, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:this song is great
    Flag somewierdhoboon April 22, 2009   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
explain