Just a Wave Not the Water
Jimmie Dale Gilmore Lyrics

Thirst is not the answer, oceans come and go
Trying to quench thirst with finite sources is futile, as vast oceans sometimes recede without warning.

I loved her seven seas worth, Lord I loved her so
I loved her with all my heart, beyond measure or limit.

But she let me down so easy, one slow drop at a time
She broke my heart gradually and gently, almost imperceptibly.

I would've killed myself but it made no sense
Suicide seemed like an option, but I realized it was useless and only defensive.

Committing suicide in self defense
Taking one's own life to avoid pain inflicted by others is a misguided form of self-preservation.

But I lost everything I brought her
I lost all the love, gifts, and devotion I offered her.

When she said babe, you're just a wave, you're not the water
She made me realize that I was just a momentary expression of her bigger, deeper emotional ocean, and not the source or essence of it.

Centuries ago we were living on the gold coast
A long time ago, we lived a life of luxury and abundance.

She was still in love with a long, gone, cold ghost
She was still emotionally attached to someone who was no longer alive, present, or loving her back.

I was only trying to turn back the tide of her tears
I was trying to comfort her and ease her pain by drying up her tears and erasing her sorrowful memories.

I felt like an endless ocean, rolling through the fog
I felt like a vast and powerful force, but lacked direction or clarity.

Full emotion drifting like a weather beaten log
My intense feelings were aimlessly drifting like a lonely and battered log floating in the sea.

I even thought that I out-thought her
I deluded myself into believing that I was smarter or more clever than she was.

Till she said babe, you're just a wave, you're not the water
She broke my illusion by telling me that I was just a transient ripple in her bigger, more complex life story.

I said someday we'll love again, then you'll know the score
I hoped that someday we would rekindle our love and she would understand my true worth and value.

I've taught you everything I know and maybe even more
I believed I had taught her all I had to offer and given her more than she deserved or imagined.

That's true she said, more than you ever will
She acknowledged that I had taught her things, but also hinted that there were deeper and richer layers of meaning and knowledge that I might never comprehend.

I've said I've been your raging river, precious African queen
I compared myself to a powerful river that nourished and sustained her, and to an exotic queen who deserved my admiration and devotion.

I've shown you everything that I've ever seen
I claimed that I had shared with her all my experiences, insights, and wisdom.

But she knew more than I had taught her
She realized that there were things she had learned or discovered on her own, without my help or guidance.

When she said babe, you're just a wave, you're not the water
She reiterated her earlier realization that I was just a small and transient part of her larger emotional landscape.

Well I followed her far and wide with all of my will
I pursued her relentlessly and passionately, using all my energy and determination.

Water on the move, you know it never stands still
I compared myself to water, which is fluid and dynamic, always changing and adapting to its environment.

And I moved every muscle, just to prove it can be done
I exerted myself to the fullest in order to prove my worth and capabilities to her.

Then up some old sad river, where snow white lilies float
I followed her to a melancholy and desolate place, where fragile and pure flowers seemed out of place.

I came to her for mercy, but I hardly rocked the boat
I asked her to show me leniency and compassion, but I did not want to disrupt her life or disrupt the status quo.

She seemed surprised that I have caught her
She did not expect me to find her or confront her in that vulnerable moment.

But she said babe, you're just a wave, you're not the water
She repeated her earlier realization that I was just a temporary and insignificant aspect of her life, no matter how hard I tried or how much I loved her.