This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
Day by day
Whistle while you work
Our backs are breaking
Up from hollow earth
From end to end
The noise begins
In the human battle stations
And the big one's coming in
Work, work, work, work
Work till holes are filled
Work, work, work, work
Bags of bone and skin
Lovers hold hands
Tossing their heads
Tangled in hair
Tied to earth
With skin and glue
But their skin is the same as yours
Coming in for the world to see
They can sit at the table, too
The same blood as you and me
Speak very softly
Hold my hand
Someone is sleeping in my bed
Priests pass by
Worms crawl in
One dreams to be
One dream for all
His skin is the same as yours
Is he not made the same as you?
And some have fallen down
And blood spilled on the ground
Work, work,work
Till his life is done
The old man is at our door
And he's knocking...knocking
As his neighbors weep
Each day repeats
Are we nothing in your eyes?
Someone answer, someone answer
This rusted garden gate
Can barely even stand
Their work is over now
And rest will be at hand
Is their skin not the same as yours?
Can they sit at the table to drink
Cool water
Cool water
And his lungs are filled with rain...
And the water's rushing in...
Whistle while you work
Our backs are breaking
Up from hollow earth
From end to end
The noise begins
In the human battle stations
And the big one's coming in
Work, work, work, work
Work till holes are filled
Work, work, work, work
Bags of bone and skin
Lovers hold hands
Tossing their heads
Tangled in hair
Tied to earth
With skin and glue
But their skin is the same as yours
Coming in for the world to see
They can sit at the table, too
The same blood as you and me
Speak very softly
Hold my hand
Someone is sleeping in my bed
Priests pass by
Worms crawl in
One dreams to be
One dream for all
His skin is the same as yours
Is he not made the same as you?
And some have fallen down
And blood spilled on the ground
Work, work,work
Till his life is done
The old man is at our door
And he's knocking...knocking
As his neighbors weep
Each day repeats
Are we nothing in your eyes?
Someone answer, someone answer
This rusted garden gate
Can barely even stand
Their work is over now
And rest will be at hand
Is their skin not the same as yours?
Can they sit at the table to drink
Cool water
Cool water
And his lungs are filled with rain...
And the water's rushing in...
Lyrics submitted by weezerific:cutlery
Cool Water Lyrics as written by David Byrne Chris Frantz
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
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.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
god this is such a dark song Talking Heads. Talking Heads is more known for their more upbeat songs and weird lyrics (probably becuse thats most of what they did, not that im complaining), but "cool Water" and even "the overload" off of Remain In Light reach such a level of darkness that none of their other songs even come close to, i love it, it is one of the few song ever, led along Talking Heads songs to ever make me cry
@RyanDeason <br /> <br /> This song is apocalyptic, but it's a really dark album that it ends. Listen to the 2 tracks before it, Big Daddy and Bill. Then, listen to all of Naked from the beginning, especially 'Facts of Life', and 'Mommy Daddy you and I'. Then, song pairs start to emerge, like totally nude/nothing but flowers and blind/democratic circus.
This song is the culmination of the album its on, Naked. My perspective on the whole album, and how each song fits in, is in my lengthy comments on the first song, 'Blind'.