The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
High and dry in the long hot day
Lost and lonely every way
Got the flats all around me sky up above
Yes I need a little water of love
I've been too and long lonely and my heart feels pain
Crying out for some soothing rain
I believe I have taken enough
Yes I need a little water of love
Water of love deep in the ground
But there ain't no water here to be found
Some day baby when the river runs free
It's gonna carry that water of love to me
There's a bird up in a tree sitting up high
Just waiting for me to die
If I don't get some water soon
I'll be dead and gone in the afternoon
Water of love deep in the ground
But there ain't no water here to be found
Some day baby when the river runs free
It's gonna carry that water of love to me
Once I had a woman I could call my own
Once I had a woman now my woman she gone
Once there was a river now there's a stone
You know it's evil then you're living alone
Water of love deep in the ground
But there ain't no water here to be found
Some day baby when the river runs free
It's gonna carry that water of love to me, carry that
Water of love deep in the ground
But there ain't no water here to be found
Some day baby when the river runs free
It's gonna carry that water of love to me
Lost and lonely every way
Got the flats all around me sky up above
Yes I need a little water of love
I've been too and long lonely and my heart feels pain
Crying out for some soothing rain
I believe I have taken enough
Yes I need a little water of love
Water of love deep in the ground
But there ain't no water here to be found
Some day baby when the river runs free
It's gonna carry that water of love to me
There's a bird up in a tree sitting up high
Just waiting for me to die
If I don't get some water soon
I'll be dead and gone in the afternoon
Water of love deep in the ground
But there ain't no water here to be found
Some day baby when the river runs free
It's gonna carry that water of love to me
Once I had a woman I could call my own
Once I had a woman now my woman she gone
Once there was a river now there's a stone
You know it's evil then you're living alone
Water of love deep in the ground
But there ain't no water here to be found
Some day baby when the river runs free
It's gonna carry that water of love to me, carry that
Water of love deep in the ground
But there ain't no water here to be found
Some day baby when the river runs free
It's gonna carry that water of love to me
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Light Up The Sky
Van Halen
Van Halen
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
"Fast car" is kind of a continuation of Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run." It has all the clawing your way to a better life, but in this case the protagonist never makes it with her love; in fact she is dragged back down by him.
There is still an amazing amount of hope and will in the lyrics; and the lyrics themselve rank and easy five. If only music was stronger it would be one of those great radio songs that you hear once a week 20 years after it was released. The imagery is almost tear-jerking ("City lights lay out before us", "Speeds so fast felt like I was drunk"), and the idea of starting from nothing and just driving and working and denigrating yourself for a chance at being just above poverty, then losing in the end is just painful and inspiring at the same time.
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
A great song starting the first album of what was to become a classic band.
its simple, love is water, and he''s dieing of a lack of it.
Simplistic though they are, and relatively obvious in meaning, the lyrics convey the sadness and loneliness of being without love in a harsh world. I love the extended metaphor of drought to show the depth of the narrator's despair.
This is a great song from a great band... a little disappointed that this is only the fourth comment its got!
This an absolutely Gem of a song. The reference to despair, loneliness are almost palpable. I too am disappointed that this song has only 5 comments. This song is very underrated.
One of my favorite songs. Like mentioned above, an absolute gem, seemingly hidden in plain sigh. I didn't discover this song till many years after I first became a fan of the Dire Straits.
I highly recommend the live version that Mark performed in '96 on the Golden Heart tour in Vaison. This song just does a fantastic job at relaying that strange melancholy feeling of lonesome longing for company, the desire to fill a void that even time can't close up.
Amazing song! Can't believe there aren't more comments. In my opinion, one of Dire Straits' top 5. The mechanics of the song are amazing: the grueling monotony of the drums, and the emotion in the guitar depict the exact feeling of a "love drought". Awesome! Dire Straits is the best!
I think that the "speakers" woman has died.. At the end he says: "Once I had a woman I could call my own Once I had a woman now my woman is gone Once there was a river now there's a stone".
The stone could be the tombstone which is the only thing replacing the river of love..
Water of love deep in the ground - could be a dead lover?