This is a song about crossing to a different shore and how the Boatman is the guiding spirit who ferries people across the river. It talks about how the boatman is the only beacon of light amidst the swirling darkness of the river. And about how his presence gives migrants a sense of hope & calm.
This is a recurring theme in Nitin's set because he was brought up in different countries and considers his parents to have migrated similarly; wherein they were taken across the river to start afresh in a new land..