Don't Cross the River

This song was written by Dan Peek, one of the three founding members of America. He left the band in 1977 after pledging to God that if successful with his music, he would dedicate his life to Jesus Christ, which he did until his death in 2011. Peek became a Christian recording artist, making #78 US with "All Things Are Possible" in 1979.

The lyrics are Peek's advice to a lost and lonely girl who loves life in the fast lane but feels emptiness within. He tells her, "Don't cross the river if you can't swim the tide," meaning that if she is going to live life for her own fleshly reasons, she will likely be unhappy and do not expect otherwise. He invites her to accept Jesus by reminding her that "If you want, you can ride my train and soon forget the reason that you're leaving" - leaving the old life behind, and that "You'll lose yourself but then some time, maybe even save yourself some grievin'" - you'll leave certain pleasures behind but soon forget about them and save yourself many heartaches and hours of loneliness.