The song is largely considered autobiographical for its writer, Kerry Livgren. He has described it as a song of “self-encouragement” during a time when he felt he was a “wayward son” who was “alienated from the ultimate reality” and searching for truth and meaning in his life.

While the lyrics and themes of spiritual searching often lead to religious interpretations, Livgren, who became an evangelical Christian a few years after writing the song, has stated it wasn’t a specifically religious statement at the time of writing. Instead, it was about his personal spiritual journey and struggle to find his place in the world. The positive ending, “surely heaven waits for you,” felt premature to him then, but he felt “impelled to include it” and later viewed it as prophetic.