Cool Water
Hank Williams Lyrics
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Without the taste of water
Cool, clear water
Ole Dan and I, with throats burned dry
And souls that cry for water
Cool, clear water.
The nights are cool and I'm a fool
Cool, clear water
And with the dawn I'll wake and yawn
And carry on to water
Cool, clear water.
The shadows sway and seem to say
Tonight we pray for water
Cool, clear water
And way up there He'll hear our prayer
And show us where there's water
Cool, clear water.
Keep a-movin' Dan don't you listen to him Dan
He's the devil, not a man
He spreads the burnin' sand with water
Say Dan can't you see that big green tree
Where the water's runnin' free
It's waiting there for you and me and water
Cool, clear water.
Dan's feet are sore he's yearnin' for
Just one thing more than wa-ter
Cool, clear water
Like me I guess he'd like to rest
Where there's no quest for water
Cool, clear water...
The lyrics to Hank Williams's song Cool Water depict the struggle of a weary cowboy (probably Hank Williams himself) and his horse, Ole Dan, as they journey through a barren wasteland searching for water. They haven't had any water to drink all day and are desperately thirsty, their throats are burned dry, and their souls are crying out for cool, clear water. As the night falls, the cowboy sees every star as a pool of water, but he knows they cannot reach them.
The next morning, as they carry on their search, the cowboy prays for water and he and Ole Dan come across a big green tree with water running free. The cowboys urge Ole Dan to keep moving, not to be tempted by the devil that spreads the burning sand, and to come to the tree where water is waiting for them. Dan is tired and sore, yearning for water, just like the cowboy. They both want to rest where there's no more quest for water, where they can drink cool, clear water to their hearts' content.
The song is a poignant tribute to the perseverance and determination of cowboys in the American West, where finding water was a constant struggle. It's also a metaphor for the search for peace and happiness in life, as we all struggle and search for something we need.
Line by Line Meaning
All day I've faced the barren waste
I've been in a dry, unproductive place all day
Without the taste of water
I haven't had any water to drink
Cool, clear water
I crave water that is cool and clear
Ole Dan and I, with throats burned dry
My horse and I are both dehydrated and thirsty
And souls that cry for water
Our thirst is so great, it feels like our souls are crying out for water
The nights are cool and I'm a fool
The nights are cool, but I am foolish for traveling without enough water
Each star's a pool of water
I see stars and wish each one was a pool of cool water
And with the dawn I'll wake and yawn
When dawn comes, I will wake up and yawn
And carry on to water
I will continue on my journey in search of water
The shadows sway and seem to say
The shadows move and it feels like they are urging us to find water
Tonight we pray for water
We are praying for water tonight
And way up there He'll hear our prayer
God will hear our prayer for water up in the sky
And show us where there's water
God will guide us to find water
Keep a-movin' Dan don't you listen to him Dan
Keep moving, Dan, don't listen to the voice tempting you to stop
He's the devil, not a man
The voice is not human, but rather the devil
He spreads the burnin' sand with water
The devil creates an illusion of water in the midst of the burning sand
Say Dan can't you see that big green tree
Dan, can't you see the big green tree over there?
Where the water's runnin' free
The tree is a sign of water flowing freely
It's waiting there for you and me and water
The tree is waiting for us and it signifies water too
Dan's feet are sore he's yearnin' for
Dan's feet are sore and he's yearning for something
Just one thing more than wa-ter
He's yearning for something more than just water
Like me I guess he'd like to rest
Like me, he probably wants to rest
Where there's no quest for water
He wants to rest in a place where he doesn't have to look for water
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Bob Nolan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Davi
All day I've faced the barren waste
With out the taste of water... cool, water.
Ole Dan and I, with throats burned dry,
and souls that cry
for water... cool, clear water.
The nights are cool and I'm a fool.
Each star's a pool of water... cool, clear water.
And with the dawn I'll wake and yawn
and carry on
to water... cool, clear water.
The shadows sway and seem to say
Tonight we pray for water.... cool, clear water
And way up there He'll hear our prayer
and show us where
there's water... cool, clear water.
Keep a-movin' Dan. Don't you listen to him Dan.
He's the devil, not a man.
He spreads the burnin' sand with water.
Say Dan can't you see that big green tree,
where the water's runnin' free.
It's waiting there for you and me
and water.... cool, clear water.
Dan's feet are sore he's yearnin' for
Just one thing more than water.... cool, clear water.
Like me I guess he'd like to rest
where there's no quest
for water... cool, clear water.
Seaweed Hero
All day I've faced the barren waste
With out the taste of water... cool, water
Ole Dan and I, with throats burned dry
And souls that cry
For water... cool, clear water
The nights are cool and I'm a fool
Each star's a pool of water... cool, clear water
And with the dawn I'll wake and yawn
And carry on
To water... cool, clear water
The shadows sway and seem to say
Tonight we pray for water.... cool, clear water
And way up there He'll hear our prayer
And show us where
There's water... cool, clear water
Keep a-movin' Dan. Don't you listen to him Dan
He's the devil, not a man
He spreads the burnin' sand with water
Say Dan can't you see that big green tree
Where the water's runnin' free
It's waiting there for you and me
And water.... cool, clear water
Dan's feet are sore he's yearnin' for
Just one thing more than water.... cool, clear water
Like me I guess he'd like to rest
Where there's no quest
For water... cool, clear water
MrPjw5
I'll never be able to hear this song without thinking of anthropomorphic desert animals dressed in 19th century regalia joining in a ritual dance for water.
MoeRockha
I gotta tip my hat to Tim Blake Nelson. Buster Scruggs was great.
arch stanton
@Sandy Blue watch the movie Rango, it's animated movie with Johnny Depp as a voice actor. Kids movie, but enough references to old west cowboy movies very enjoyable for a adult
Sandy Blue
@arch stanton the fart thing???
Sandy Blue
@johnr7717 S yeah i remembered
Sandy Blue
True!!!
Darryl C Preston
All time greatest, most heartfelt, version of this often recorded masterpiece. Hank's timing was absolutely perfect; no one ever meshed their voice and guitar better.
Berry J. Greene
He had the "X" factor alright. A superb measured delivery. You have to wait for this and its so compelling that's what you do. Then I play it again..... I do!
Darrell Poitra
You get that way from constantly having a guitar in your hand. I think this man was born with one.
ionlydreamofyou
Totally agree. Hank is the best, and his version of this great song is nothing less than magic!