“The Sails of Charon” (1977) – Scorpions * Written by Uli Jon Roth * Produced by Dieter Dierks * LP: Taken by Force * Label: RCA Victor
With “The Sails of Charon,” the Scorpions give the ancient Greek myth about the ferryman who carries deceased souls to the land of the dead a New Thought twist. Are they addressing Charon or someone doomed to ride with him? It doesn’t matter, because the song’s overriding messages are “Throw out your evil desire, the dark king’s kingdom is made out of mire” and “Keep on for the kingdom of light, there is no darkness, there is no night.” A possible translation: you have the power to break out of cyclical patterns and to move toward enlightenment. Even you, Charon. As for the track itself, it ranks as high on the metal scorecard as it possibly could, with adrenaline, fantasy, and shred factors all maxed out. Although there’s reason to suspect guitarist Uli John Roth had been listening to Duke Ellington’s “Caravan,” his fretwork and chord choices otherwise strengthen the song’s enlightenment theme by reaching toward the musical language of the East. (The original cover art for the Scorpions’ Taken By Force album, shown above, was replaced with an alternate cover in most markets. Also, the version of the track below is edited, without the minute’s worth of wind noise at the intro.)