Friends told her she was better off
At the bottom of a river
Than in a bed with him
He said until you try both
You won't know what you like better
Why don't we go for a swim?
Well, friends told her this and friends told her that
But friends don't choose what echoes in your head
When she got bored with all the idle chitchat
Kept thinking about what he said

I'll swim even when the water's cold
That's the one thing that I know
Even when the water's cold

She remembers it fondly, she doesn't remember at all
But what she does, she sees clearly
She lost his number, and he never called
But all she really lost was an earring
The other's in a box with others she has lost
I wonder if she still hears me

I'll swim even when the water's cold
That's the one thing that I know
Even when the water's cold

If you believe in love
Then you know that sometimes it isn't
Do you believe in love?
Then save the bullshit questions
Sometimes it is and sometimes it isn't
Sometimes it's just how the light hits their eyes
Do you believe in love?

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of !!!'s song Even When the Water's Cold reflect the emotion of a person who is recalling a past relationship that was not ideal. The song’s protagonist seems to be reliving conversations with friends who told her that she would be better off in a river than with the partner she was seeing at the time. However, her partner convinces her that until she tries both, she won't know what she likes better. She remembers this fondly and decides to go for a swim even when the water is cold.

Throughout the song, the singer recalls various fragments of her past, such as losing her partner’s number but carrying a lost earring. The lyrics depict a sense of emotional turmoil and uncertainty woven through layers of hindsight and nostalgia. The line "If you believe in love, then you know that sometimes it isn't" conjures up a feeling of existential awareness, understanding that even if you believe in the concept of love, it doesn't always last.

Overall, the lyrics of Even When the Water's Cold suggest a deep sense of yearning and a desire to move on, but also to hold on to the memories of passion and carefree moments. The song encourages listeners to be brave and take risks, even when it feels like the world is against you.

Line by Line Meaning

Friends told her she was better off
Her friends advised her that she was better when drowning in a river than in bed with him.

At the bottom of a river
Her friends suggested that she should end her life instead of being with him.

Than in a bed with him
Her friends disliked him so much that they wanted her to choose death rather than being with him.

He said until you try both
He suggested that she should experience life with him before making any assumptions.

You won't know what you like better
Only through experience can she determine what makes her happy.

Why don't we go for a swim?
He proposed going for a swim to prove that he's worth being with over drowning in the river.

But friends don't choose what echoes in your head
Despite her friends' opinions, she has to make her own choices in life.

When she got bored with all the idle chitchat
She was tired of hearing her friends criticize her relationship and wanted to focus on her own thoughts.

Kept thinking about what he said
His words stuck with her, and she couldn't get them out of her head.

She remembers it fondly, she doesn't remember at all
She has mixed feelings about the relationship and has some good memories and some bad ones.

But what she does, she sees clearly
The memories that she has of their relationship are vivid and stand out to her.

She lost his number, and he never called
She lost contact with him, and he never tried to reconnect with her.

But all she really lost was an earring
Losing him didn't impact her life as much as she thought it would.

The other's in a box with others she has lost
The missing earring is just one of many things that she has lost over the years.

I wonder if she still hears me
He wonders if she still thinks about him and their relationship.

If you believe in love
Believing in love requires faith and trust.

Then you know that sometimes it isn't
Love doesn't always work out perfectly, and sometimes it fails.

Do you believe in love?
He questions whether love is real and worth pursuing.

Then save the bullshit questions
If you truly believe in love, then you don't need to ask pointless questions.

Sometimes it is and sometimes it isn't
Love is unpredictable and can be both good and bad.

Sometimes it's just how the light hits their eyes
Sometimes the smallest things can make someone fall in love, like the way their eyes catch the light.

Lyrics © WARP MUSIC LIMITED
Written by: Mario G Andreoni, Nicholas Joseph Offer, Rafael Cohen

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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