Don't Drink the Water

The song criticizes the whites for throwing out the Red Indians (real owners of the land) out by force. will be a good idea to use the song as background music during your thanksgiving meals.

This song is about when the colonists came to america and started pushing the Indian's off their land. People were told not to drink the water from streams because there could be blood in it from all the fighting going on.

Did you guys know that Alanis Morrisette sings the backing vocals on this song? I saw it live on VH1, and it totally blew me away.

Although it can apply to many things and symbolize many things I have to say that I always think of it as a Native American song in particular.

Especially during live versions when he throws in:

"This land is your land, this land is my land From California, to the New York Island From the redwood forest, to the gulf stream waters"

near the end. I have heard this a couple times and particularly that I can recall during the live Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds show. And this song is partial to America.

On another note, blood in the water is just a phrase for people being killed over something like blood diamonds. Blood on your hands. I think it the phrase "blood in the water" is the simplest way to say something much more meaningful.

I'm native American... Actually onkwehonwe.. which means original people....I think the song means different things to different people.. Depending on their point of view and outlook on life..It gave me the intense feeling of truth being finally told..By a non native..No more sweeping it under the rug. I bet it means something completely different to someone else.

Brad Arnold of 3 Doors Down wrote this song in math class when he was 15! So it’s probably not about drugs, growing old, or a complicated relationship with a girlfriend. Brad says:

‘It's not just asking, “If I fall down, will you be there for me?” Because it's easy to be there for someone when they're down. But it's not always easy to be there for somebody when they're doing good. It's asking, “If I'm down, will you still be there for me?” But at the same time … [it’s] kind of asking, “If I'm doing good, will you be there for me? Will you not be jealous of me? That song is so little about Superman.’

A 15 year old guy is worrying about how he fits in with his buddies and about being tight and loyal with his buds. The music video was made in 2000, seven years after the song was written. The video has overly influenced people’s interpretation of the song, but the video doesn’t reflect the original inspiration. Brad said, “Maybe throughout the years of singing that song, I might have come up with more meanings for it than it actually might have originally had.”

I think the song is about worrying that as things change (“the sands of time”), as life goes up and down (“I watched the world float to the dark side of the moon”), will we still be there for each other as friends (“as long as you'll be my friend at the end”)? Adolescent friendships are so intense (“your secrets I will keep,” “if not for me then you'd be dead”), but then when we grow and move on, will we still mean the same thing to each other?

The singer is determined to stay loyal and steadfast (“I'll keep you by my side with my superhuman might”), but he’s worried that his friend might not (“Will you be there holding my hand?”), especially if the singer is more successful than his buddy (“If I’m alive and well”).

The meaning of the “Kryptonite!” refrain has bothered people. The singer’s loyalty and need for his friend makes him vulnerable to being disappointed by his friend. So in a way, his friend could be his Kryptonite: our loved ones have the power to hurt us in ways our enemies never could. Worrying (“my troubled mind “) about his friendship is what has him going “to the dark side” (“I knew it had to be something to do with you”). He realizes that he can’t control what life throws at them (the dark side of the moon is unknown) and that things will always change (“I feel there is nothing I can do”). But even though they may argue or have ups and downs (“You call me strong, you call me weak”), the overall message is uplifting:

“I really don't mind what happens now and then / As long as you'll be my friend at the end.”

[Edit: 01/01/1967]

Just as a side note this song is great for extra credit points in Social Studies class. I've brought the lyrics in to my teacher for 3 years and it always applies to history, be it American, European, African....ect. Besides having a great sound to it

actually...once again dave said at his concert in 01' that this song was about the devil, not any colonists, very smart look though gena, i can see where you would think it was about this, but its about satan--

okay im so stupid...i mixed this song up with the last stop, gena you are right, I AM A RETARD!

hey thanks for the meaning gena! i had no idea what it was about and it actually kinda frightened me..and thanks for the tip lissy ratz! i think im gonna try that!