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Water Lyrics

Water, walking
Walking on water
Walking
Walking on
For years and years and years
Taking it into my head
Living by the right lines
Reading what the very man said
Water
I'm walking
Walking on
Water
Walking
Walking on
*Lying on eleven years
Taking it into my head
Mary Mary drunk it soft
Living reading what your very man said
Lying on eleven years
Taking it into my head
Leave my clothes on the beach
I'm walking down into the sea

And prove it to me
And prove it to me
And prove it to me

Now the water to my ankles
Now the water to my knees
Think of him all waxy wings
Melted down into the sea
Mary Mary what your man said
Washing it all over my head
Mary Mary hold on tightly
Over water
Under the sea
Water
Water
I'm walking
Walking on
Water
Walking
Walking on
Water
Walking
Walking on
Water
Walking
Walking on
Water
Song Info
Submitted by
shut On Dec 05, 2001
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6 Meanings

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Cover art for Water lyrics by PJ Harvey

I'm amazed no one got the religious references. I'm not trying to be snooty - it's just painfully obvious, not to mention that so much of PJ's early work is fraught with biblical references. The lyrics imho come from the perspective of someone who has been taught religion for years and years but not entirely believed it ("Mary, what your man said" (ie. Jesus), and the defiant repetition of "prove it to me!") and in the end has a divine experience of her own. There is also a blatant reference to the legend of Icarus and Daedalus ("waxy wings melted down into the sea"). I think this is thrown in there because, as she is walking into the water to see what happens, she is remembering other stories she has been told and how miracles failed those characters.

There was a story in the bible of some guy's daughter walking on a frozen pond, falling in, and getting decapitated. I'm agreeing with you and adding that in there as a theme. I can't remember her name though.

@scrimshaw Agree but it sounds more like she is let down by the experience, she is in her ankles, knees over her head in actuality even if ending chorus goes back to walk on water. Makes more sense with the references mentioned to prior “failures” In the sea. At least this is the mood I felt. (You guys wrote on same date and me on night of Oct 13 but it’s after midnight )

Cover art for Water lyrics by PJ Harvey

Spot on chogg.

And there's the notion of testing faith - 'Leave my clothes on the beach, I'm walking down into the sea' - with echoes of suicide. She's walking into the sea, and leaving it to / testing God's will.

Cover art for Water lyrics by PJ Harvey

lyrics seem to be about using the ocean to clean onesself of bad memories of a past love. Still, the ending is really fantastic. I would sing along if I knew that no one was around to hear me.

Cover art for Water lyrics by PJ Harvey

I fucking love this song :-) I think it's talking about a women who was invincible(Walking on For years and years and years) then she falls in love (Now the water to my ankles Now the water to my knees Think of him all waxy wings) and she listen and does what ever the man says(Mary Mary what your man said ) This is definitely one of my favortie songs of all time

Cover art for Water lyrics by PJ Harvey

I fucking love this song :-) I think it's talking about a women who was invincible(Walking on For years and years and years) then she falls in love (Now the water to my ankles Now the water to my knees Think of him all waxy wings) and she listen and does what ever the man says(Mary Mary what your man said ) This is definitely one of my favortie songs of all time

Cover art for Water lyrics by PJ Harvey

PJ is like the female version of Frank Black. But still with her own style.