“The Ark” by Gerry Rafferty is, to me, about becoming fully conscious. This ‘journey’ was a major emphasis of Jesus, although he would not have used this term.  Carl Jung and other psychoanalysts understand the image of a large body of water to represent the unconscious part of ourselves, which needs to be explored and known before we can become fully human and before we can really know God.

Life is a journey into consciousness.  Many, perhaps most, of our choices in life are unconscious, and the result of them is often not what our highest self would choose.  In a sense, we are living, in Rafferty’s word, ‘in a dream’.   However, if we can take the risk, become vulnerable, leave the safe land behind, and set sail  to explore the sea of unconsciousness, then…

I think it is a brilliant song!