Water
Carlos St. John Lyrics


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Got wooden ships
On shaky waters
Tell me secrets
I don't think you oughta
Say you are
A friend of mine
Then you lie to me
Time after time after time
Say your life's
An open book
See your eyes
Forget to look
Talk to me
In sweet surrender
Your blue forever
Lives in cloudy skies
Talk and talk some more
Very easy to see
Why cracks are opening
Each day more and more
Smoke in your eyes
Smoke in your cries
Every word you spit out
Adds to your tree of lies
Got wooden ships
On shaky waters




Tell me secrets
I don't think you oughta

Overall Meaning

The opening lines of Carlos St. John's song Water set a foreboding tone, as he describes "wooden ships on shaky waters." The imagery here is suggestive of fragile relationships, adrift on an uncertain sea. The following lines add to the sense of tension, as St. John addresses someone who has betrayed his trust: "Tell me secrets / I don't think you oughta / Say you are / A friend of mine / Then you lie to me / Time after time after time." Here, we get a sense of the singer's anger and disappointment as he confronts the duplicity of someone he had considered a friend.


As the song progresses, St. John paints a picture of someone who is deceptive and self-deluding, "talk[ing] to me / In sweet surrender / Your blue forever / Lives in cloudy skies." The use of color imagery here, with the "blue forever" of the person's life contrasted with the "cloudy skies" in which it is lived, suggests a kind of unattainable luxury that is ultimately empty. The chorus repeats the opening lines, emphasizing the unstable nature of the relationships within the song.


The final verses of the song bring the themes of deception and instability to a head, with St. John describing how "cracks are opening / Each day more and more." The repetition of the phrase "smoke in your eyes / Smoke in your cries" is particularly striking, as it highlights the way in which the person's lies have begun to consume them, making them unable to see clearly or express themselves honestly. The final chorus brings the song to a close with a sense of unresolved tension, as the "wooden ships" remain "on shaky waters" and the secrets remain unspoken.


Line by Line Meaning

Got wooden ships
I am in a vulnerable place, trying to navigate through life


On shaky waters
I am struggling with keeping myself afloat


Tell me secrets
I am a confidant for those who seek shelter in me


I don't think you oughta
I am aware that the secrets being shared with me are not meant to be out in the open


Say you are
You claim to be something you are not


A friend of mine
You try to be a part of my inner circle


Then you lie to me
But you break my trust with the lies you tell me


Time after time after time
Your dishonesty is not a one-time thing, you keep lying repeatedly


Say your life's
You try to portray your life to be


An open book
Completely transparent and honest


See your eyes
However, your eyes reveal the truth


Forget to look
You overlook the fact that your deceit is transparent


Talk to me
You use my trusting nature against me


In sweet surrender
Making it easier for you to manipulate me


Your blue forever
Your sadness seems to be never-ending and profound


Lives in cloudy skies
Making it difficult for you to see the light and hopefulness in the world


Talk and talk some more
Your words never cease


Very easy to see
It's not hard to see


Why cracks are opening
Your untruthfulness is causing an irreparable damage


Each day more and more
With each passing day the fallout is worsening


Smoke in your eyes
You can't see clearly due to your own misdeeds


Smoke in your cries
You have a troubled conscience and your pain is only overshadowing your misdeeds


Every word you spit out
Each lie you tell is only making the situation worse for yourself


Adds to your tree of lies
Your lies are only branching out and causing more problems instead of resolving the issue


Got wooden ships
I am still trying to hold on and stay afloat


On shaky waters
Despite the challenges I am facing and the betrayal I am experiencing, I'm doing my best to persevere


Tell me secrets
I am still willing to listen and provide shelter, even though it may not be the best for me


I don't think you oughta
I am fully aware of the potential harm that comes along with being a witness to someone's deceit




Lyrics © DistroKid
Written by: John Revitte

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

Kristian Kolbjørnsrud

damn, this is nearly the exact flow jay z had in the 2000s + the chorous is so fucking kid cudi omfg

Krem de la kRem

Yup. Almost entire album he emulates Jay

yamont'e

We all get our true selves from someone we looked up to in life remember that..

yamont'e

We all get our true selves from someone we looked up to in life remember that

Tércio Soares

need a remix with his news vibes

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