I could be completely off base with this one, but it's my favorite Yo La Tengo song so I thought I'd at least attempt to relay my interpretation. I've always thought that the lyrics described two people who are at the end of a relationship and are desperately clinging on to eachother because they don't want to be alone. They're afraid to face the world without the constant companionship that the other person provided. The narrator is reassuring his partner that everything will be okay, that she needs someone to help her through her crisis but he simply cannot fit the bill. I'm assuming that the title is a reference to fear. She's afraid to go out into the "open water" because there may be "sharks" which could be a metaphor for other men who will hurt her or lead her to another unsuccessful relationship.
I could be completely off base with this one, but it's my favorite Yo La Tengo song so I thought I'd at least attempt to relay my interpretation. I've always thought that the lyrics described two people who are at the end of a relationship and are desperately clinging on to eachother because they don't want to be alone. They're afraid to face the world without the constant companionship that the other person provided. The narrator is reassuring his partner that everything will be okay, that she needs someone to help her through her crisis but he simply cannot fit the bill. I'm assuming that the title is a reference to fear. She's afraid to go out into the "open water" because there may be "sharks" which could be a metaphor for other men who will hurt her or lead her to another unsuccessful relationship.