13 replies to this topic

[Iva]

Though I drive away (or ride away, since I have no licence to drive a car, nor I know how to) from John's spiritualist views in songs (not willing to offend anyone or assume that pieces of writing are about something they're not about), I really like the songs that appear to be talking about other things, such as life and love.

The other day, I listened to Water and for the first time, I thought I caught something in its lyrics.

Water inside, we're all in water
Water, we climb and run through it
Water inside, we're all in water
Reaching inside a big death bag.

To me, this chorus suddenly appears very simple and it appears to follow the common from-womb-to-the-tomb concept. If we're all in water and there's water inside, it's refering to the mother's body. Once we're outside, "we climb and run through it", as in, we're reaching certain heights in life and battling life, running in the OPPOSITE direction from the water, to overcome or reach something. And the last line? Well, from the moment one is born, one is closer to death, but one doesn't know how close to death they are. So, take the "big death bag" as a surprise bag, which is definitely not made of nylon or transparent fabric, where you never know what you might stumble upon and, there's a certain probability it could be death, especially the more you take from it and the less stays inside.

Does this make sense to anyone?

Edited by Iva, 20 August 2010 - 03:56 AM.
I wrote something offensive in 2008 and realised it in August 2010 only. No wonder people hate me.

[lindsey_rt]

Nice interpretation. I agree

[long_way_home]

Good interpretation; this is what makes John so great, his lyrics are always interesting.

[Bories36]

Ya those lyrics always puzzle me. I did kind of have a theory like yours, with it being the journey of life. But who knows, it could be something completely different. For all we know water could be heroin.

[morven]

I think it is true. And for me this song always meant that we are connected to earth, because there is this element, present in our bodies and everywhere around us. We have water inside - we are built of water, if I remember correctly, in 60 or 70%. So we are a part of nature, a circle of life.

And this line Reaching inside a big death bag. I see it this way - we live, we die, we turn into dust and our remains form another beings in this world. So we never die, not really. This process is something greater than ourselves and we are in it together, all of us. I like this idea somehow.

Hm. It definitely sounds weird and probably I complicated it way too much. Sorry for that.

[fruscianda]

Iva, on Dec 21 2008, 07:36 AM, said:

Though I drive away (or ride away, since I have no licence to drive a car, nor I know how to ) from John's pseudo-spiritual views in songs, I really like the songs that appear to be talking about other things, such as life and love.

The other day, I listened to Water and for the first time, I thought I caught something in its lyrics.

Water inside, we're all in water
Water, we climb and run through it
Water inside, we're all in water
Reaching inside a big death bag.

To me, this chorus suddenly appears very simple and it appears to follow the common from-womb-to-the-tomb concept. If we're all in water and there's water inside, it's refering to the mother's body. Once we're outside, "we climb and run through it", as in, we're reaching certain heights in life and battling life, running in the OPPOSITE direction from the water, to overcome or reach something. And the last line? Well, from the moment one is born, one is closer to death, but one doesn't know how close to death they are. So, take the "big death bag" as a surprise bag, which is definitely not made of nylon or transparent fabric, where you never know what you might stumble upon and, there's a certain probability it could be death, especially the more you take from it and the less stays inside.

Does this make sense to anyone?

Iva, this is strange, I always understood this song like this. What was your previous interpretation of the song? Now I'm curious if I'll see it other way.

[Iva]

This is my first and only. Somehow, for 4.5 years of listening to the song, I never wondered about deeper meaning.

Glad we see it the same way.

*goes back to coding a certain site and updating the shopping cart on the other one*

[fruscianda]

Iva, on Dec 22 2008, 01:16 AM, said:

This is my first and only. Somehow, for 4.5 years of listening to the song, I never wondered about deeper meaning.

Glad we see it the same way.

*goes back to coding a certain site and updating the shopping cart on the other one*

[Automatic Writing]

fruscianda, on 22 December 2008 - 01:40 PM, said:

Iva, on Dec 22 2008, 01:16 AM, said:

This is my first and only. Somehow, for 4.5 years of listening to the song, I never wondered about deeper meaning.

Glad we see it the same way.

*goes back to coding a certain site and updating the shopping cart on the other one*

Sorry to bring up an old post but I've been listening to this song quite a bit, wondering what secrets it hides. There is a chaotic buildup of noise prior to the beginning of a very bright, happy sounding chorus. This chorus breaks into a very bass-heavy, almost funky riff over which Frusciante employs a Zappa-esque vocal style, low and serious in tone.
What really attracted me to the song was that contrast between the tone and emotion of the chorus compared to that of the verses. Eventually the contrast climaxes into an incredible solo, which we're all suckers for.
Personally, I consider it to be a drug-like experience, and the experience of false happiness that things in life can give you. I always think of the incredible contrast between John's younger era with RHCP and who he is now. The chorus rings to me of a happiness and lightness that disregards consequence, and the verse as a dark, harsh reality check.

In any case, it's a fantastic song and I was happy to read others' views on the work.

[dveri]

To me it feels like the song is about Frusciante's departure & return to the band. E.g. "Everytime I fake it/Devils crawl thru me/I'm ashamed when I ignore the voices that agree" - the voices told him to leave the band but he ignored them and went on BSSM tour and, roughly speaking, had a very tough time. John looked so happy but in some interview he said that he was not, so he was faking it.
Water means purification as in "To Record Only Water For Ten Days".
It's quite a lousy explanation, I still need to think about "big death bag".
P.S. Usually those articles are full of "tell us about leaving, tell us about drugs" crap but when I wanna find an interview where he says that going on tour was a big mistakes, they're suddenly all about songs and albums! How funny. Haha.

[hockers]

Hm, haven't posted here in a while. Well wishings to all.

I'm much in the same boat as fruscianda, though beyond that interpretation I haven't really given the song much consideration. I tend to suffer that problem with most things I analyse. I would be curious to read the interpretations of other users on this forum.

[Iva]

Automatic Writing, thank you so much for the thread bump. I had no idea that I wrote something as offensive in December 2008 which I would consider offensive and unacceptable from as soon as the next month, January 2009.

Hi Sam, nice to see you.

[Guitar_Drums]

I think it goes along with one of Johns major reoccurring themes of the album (and a lot of his music) which is that we're all the same thing and connected and possibly the same thing happens.
For example:
Water-"Water inside, we're all in water."
Every person-"Every day is each day that's passed, every person alive is everyone that's died."
The Past Recedes-"Every drop of sea is the whole ocean."

I think there is several more of these I just cant think of. I really like this style of metaphor or whatever it is called. Saying that everything is part of something bigger. Makes me think of some sort of collective consciousness.