Down To The Well

Pixies

Down to the well
Betty always knows
Betty always tells
She laughing desperately
She said it felt like a river inside her bones
When she went down to the well
Gonna be with her
She is gonna take me there
Lead me by my hand
Her body a rocking chair for my soul
I can hardly wait, baby
I can hardly wait
'Til we go down to the well
Down to the well
Been thinking to myself
And if a life's not long
What matter does it make
If there'll be favorite songs playing in my head
When we go down to the well
I can hardly wait, Betty
I can hardly wait
'Til we go down to the well
Down to the well


Lyrics submitted by riffic

Down to the Well Lyrics as written by Charles Thompson

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group

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Down To The Well song meanings
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20 Comments

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  • +1
    General CommentPeople really think that the pixies ripped off these latter bands? What sense of r&r history do they have?

    i once saw a nirvana freak saying how they invented that 4 chord thing on so many of their songs . What a nit - if it wasn't actually borrowed from the pixies then it was from the who originally ('i can't explain').
    patchwork caton July 23, 2007   Link
  • +1
    General CommentI think he was saying Radiohead ripped off the Pixies, not the other way around. If he was saying it the other way around, than he was seriously mistaken. Not only did the Bossanova version come out two years before "Creep" and Pablo Honey, but this is one of the Pixies' earliest songs, recorded during their initial "Come On Pilgrim" sessions and performed live since the beginning.
    HyperBullyon March 10, 2011   Link
  • +1
    General CommentAm I the only one who sees a connection between sex and religious experience in this song? Compare the idea phrase "down to the well" being used to refer to sexual experience to John 4's story of the woman at the well, wherein water from the well is used as a symbol of religious enlightenment. To me, it adds a layer of cheekiness to the song, since it makes it essentially sacrilegious.
    magicshoemonkeyon March 23, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General CommentIt's about sex.
    feinsteinon July 01, 2003   Link
  • 0
    General Commentfeinsteins probably right.
    oidimedon April 26, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Commenti dunno. i have to go with (linelineline)debaser(linelineline)'s opinion. It makes the most sense to me.
    pumkinhedon December 05, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General CommentThe drug thing makes the most sense, but I always thought the whole "Down to The Well" thing was kind of like Jack and Jill going to fetch a pail of water, but they end up having sex... I guess that doesn't make much sense though.
    lactosefreemanon December 27, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General CommentI am with sansmilk and feinsteins on this one. I believe "going down to the well" is synonymous with "having an orgasm." I think he is singing about conversing with a sexually experienced girlfriend figure, and he is curious about the actual feeling, being a virgin himself.

    "what matter does it make, if there'll be favorite songs playing in my head" I think might be referring to a traditional desire to have your "first time" be special. Like maybe have some romantic music setting the mood, etc.

    Incidentally, I don't think Charles Thompson sings about drugs much at all. And certainly not from some post addiction perspective. He mentions smoking pot, which he says he does occasionally, but, unlike those of so many "artists" whose lives are basically defined by self-imposed debauchery and addiction, I believe Charles' topics are rarely as uninteresting as "man, being addicted to ________ sucks."
    edbankyon September 01, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General CommentLOL, fucking exactly! So who 'ripped off' who, eh?
    rkpetersenon April 21, 2007   Link
  • 0
    Song Meaningdefinitely about sex between an experienced girl and a virgin guy. (kinda reminds of "i've been tired", eh?)

    it seems to me the lyrics actually go "and if a LOVE's not long"... he sings "and if a love ain't long" on the BBC version. and this makes perfect sense with the sex interpretation. i might be wrong about the lyrics tho
    dukepeteron July 19, 2009   Link

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