The song “The River of Dreams by Billy Joel” focuses on the issues about life confronting the person who has lost something precious that they cannot remember. The singer tells us:

“In the middle of the night, I go walking in my sleep, through the desert of truth, to the river so deep.”

The “river” represents something that must be crossed to find spiritual fulfillment. It is an obstacle preventing him from reaching this goal, and he has to travel it to
find out what he’s been looking for. He seems to seek life’s true meaning, but his search will eventually end in the ocean, perhaps in the afterlife.

Inspiration comes as truth for the seeker who seeks the issues about life confronting them, blind to everything else. We hear the song, and it becomes our truth.

Why didn’t it find us first? Was it because we didn’t seek? Does inspiration play favorites picking only a few, or are only a few able to search as if in a dream?

In the middle of the night

I go walking in my sleep

From the mountains of faith

To the river so deep

I must be looking for something

Something sacred I lost

But the river is wide

And it's too hard to cross

Even though I know the river is wide

I walk down every evening and I stand on the shore

I try to cross to the opposite side

So I can finally find out what I've been looking for

In the middle of the night

I go walking in my sleep

Through the valley of fear

To a river so deep

I've been searching for something

Taken out of my soul

Something I'd never lose

Something somebody stole

I don't know why I go walking at night

But now I'm tired and I don't want to walk anymore

I hope it doesn't take the rest of my life

Until I find what it is that I've been looking for

In the middle of the night

I go walking in my sleep

Through the jungle of doubt

To a river so deep

I know I'm searching for something

Something so undefined

That it can only be seen

By the eyes of the blind

In the middle of the night

I'm not sure about a life after this

God knows I've never been a spiritual man

Baptized by the fire, I wade into the river

That runs to the promised land

In the middle of the night

I go walking in my sleep

Through the desert of truth

To the river so deep

We all end in the ocean

We all start in the streams

We're all carried along

By the river of dreams

In the middle of the night