And when I wake up in the morning
To feel the daybreak on my face
There's a blood that's flowin'
Through the feeling, with a knife
To open up the sky's veins

Some things will never change
They stand there looking backwards
Half unconscious from the pain

They may seem rearranged
In the backwater swirling, there is
Something that will never change

And when I should of been gone a long time
Laughs and says, I find ways
Just when we're sheltered under paper
The rockets come at us sideways

Some things will never change
They stand there looking backwards
Half unconscious from the pain

They may seem rearranged
In the backwater swirling, there is
Something that'll never change

Hey, I'm blind
Good, fine
Roll the time
On whose dime

And when I wake up in the morning
To feel the daybreak on my face
There's a blood that's flowin'
Through the ceiling, with a knife
To open up the sky's veins

Some things will never change
They stand there looking backwards
Half unconscious from the pain

They may seem rearranged
In the backwater swirling, there is
Something that'll never change

Some things will never change
They stand there looking backwards
Half unconscious from the pain

They may seem rearranged
In the backwater swirling, there is
Something that'll never change


Lyrics submitted by typo

Backwater Lyrics as written by Curtis Mathew Kirkwood

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

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Backwater song meanings
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23 Comments

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  • +4
    General Comment

    This song is about Curt Kirkwood's heroin use and addiction. A backwater is a body of water on a river which is kept from flowing forwards by the force of a current. The imagery of "the backwater swirling" is a metaphor Curt uses to describe how his drug abuse affects him; the river represents his life's path, the current holding back the river represents heroin, and the backwater that the current creates represents how heroin has his life in a repetitive, "swirling" cycle (At the height of his addiction, Curt would only leave his house to obtain more drugs). Thus, the lines "in the backwater swirling, there is something that'll never change" is Curt's enigmatic way of admitting his heroin addiction.

    The lyrics in the bridge describe how he feels about his drug abuse: "Hey, I'm blind, good, fine" describes how he feels about heroin when he's high, as if to say "I'm high now, everything's OK." "Roll the time, on who's dime?" describes how he feels about heroin when he's sober. The words "on who's dime?" refers to the financial burden he suffers from his abuse.

    The first verse mentions a "knife to open up the sky's veins", also a possible heroin reference.

    This is an amazing song with beautiful lyrics, but people overlook the fact that its about heroin abuse.

    chinkquentacoon March 02, 2010   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    Yeah, you're right about that line. I just recently started listening to this band... they're underrated, they're amazing! As for the song's meaning... I don't really know what the song's about... haven't thought about it, but it seems a bit abstract to me.

    Eliminationon February 23, 2006   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    My apologies, this might be a little vulgar, but does anyone else think it's about someone having a massive BM in the morning?

    "Some things will never change They just stand there looking backwards Half-unconsious from the pain They may seem rearranged In the backwater swirling There is something that'll never change"

    abstractarton August 12, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    ahhh yyy arent there any comments on the meat puppets. this is horrible.annddd theres only like 5 songs.

    floppyon September 06, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    yeah i know they fucking rule

    el scorcho9on October 06, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    yeah they do fucking rule, i wish we could put up lyrics our selves

    oldblackshoeon May 05, 2003   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    you can put up lyrics. I am gonig to add some now. SAM

    slave670on May 10, 2003   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    omg nirvana and these guys are soooo dope

    endo108on July 03, 2003   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Yup, a great band indeed. But I actualy think the lyrics in the 3rd last stanza are a bit off. I think they go 'There's a blood thats flowing in the ceiling'.

    Black_Stripe_Redon June 20, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Sorry, I meant 'through the ceiling'.

    Black_Stripe_Redon June 20, 2005   Link

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