Cold Water
Kathleen Brennan/Tom Waits Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With the cold water, with the cold water
Woke up this morning with the cold water
With the cold water, with the cold
Well, the police at the station and they don't look friendly
Well, they don't look friendly, well they don't look friendly
Police at the station and they don't look friendly
Blind or crippled, sharp or dull
I'm reading the Bible by a forty-watt bulb
What price freedom, dirt is my rug
Well, I sleep like a baby with the snakes and the bugs
Well, I
Stores are open but I ain't got no money
Well, I ain't got no money, well I ain't got no money
Stores are open but I ain't got no money
Well, I ain't got no money, well, I ain't
Found an old dog and he seems to like me
Seems to like me, well, he seems to like me
Found an old dog and he seems to like me
Well, he seems to like me, well, he seems
Seen them fellows with the cardboard signs
Scrapin' up a little money to buy a bottle of wine
Pregnant women and the Vietnam vets
I say beggin' on the freeway 'bout as hard as it gets
Well, I slept in the graveyard, it was cool and still
Cool and still, it was cool and still
Slept in the graveyard, it was cool and still
Cool and still and it was cool
Slept all night in a Cedar grove
I was born to ramble, born to rove
Some men are searchin' for the Holy Grail
But there ain't nothin' sweeter than ridin' the rails
I look forty-seven but I'm twenty-four
Well, they shooed me away from here the time before
Turned their backs and they locked their doors
I'm watchin' TV in the window of a furniture store
And I woke up this morning with the cold water
With the cold water, with the cold water
I woke up this morning with the cold water
With the cold water, with the cold
Well I woke up this morning with the cold water
Cold water, with the cold water
Woke up this morning with the cold water
Cold water, with the cold
The lyrics of Kathleen Brennan and Tom Waits’s song Cold Water depict a man who has woken up to a trying day. From the very beginning, he mentions waking up to cold water, which could be literal or metaphorical. The cold water might signify a challenging transition in his life or a change in his emotional state. We can see that his day doesn’t get any better as he proceeds through the lyrics. He mentions the police, who don’t look friendly, and the fact that he is reading the Bible using a forty-watt bulb. He then goes on to share that he has nowhere to sleep, no money, and is living among snakes and bugs, emphasizing his difficult living conditions. The lyrics further highlight the plight of the homeless in America, with the reference to the “fellow with cardboard signs” and the Vietnam vets begging on the freeway. The song continues to describe him taking refuge in the graveyard, finding an old dog who takes a liking to him, and sleeping in a Cedar grove.
The lyrics to Cold Water are profoundly emotive, and Tom Waits’ raspy voice adds to the sense of despair and hopelessness that the man feels. The song’s melody is simple, and the arrangement is sparse, emphasizing the lyrics’ rawness and vulnerability. The song captures the pain and hardship of those living on the fringes of society, and the guitar melody has a mournful tone that evokes emotion in the listener. It is a song that compels compassion towards the marginalized and the downtrodden.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, I woke up this morning with the cold water
The singer starts off describing his rough morning, waking up only to find himself drenched in cold water
Well, the police at the station and they don't look friendly
The singer encounters unfriendly police officers at the station
Blind or crippled, sharp or dull
The singer considers and recognizes all types of physical limitations and challenges
I'm reading the Bible by a forty-watt bulb
The artist is reading the Bible under dim light, which could symbolize his tough circumstances or search for spiritual guidance
What price freedom, dirt is my rug
The artist ponders the cost of freedom and acknowledges that he is living in squalor
Well, I sleep like a baby with the snakes and the bugs
Despite the challenging living conditions, the singer sleeps soundly without fear
Stores are open but I ain't got no money
The singer has no money to purchase things at open stores
Found an old dog and he seems to like me
The artist finds comfort and companionship in a dog who seems to bond with him
Seen them fellows with the cardboard signs
The artist notices people begging with cardboard signs and acknowledges the struggle they face
Pregnant women and the Vietnam vets
The artist highlights two specific groups of people who are struggling and begging
Well, I slept in the graveyard, it was cool and still
Despite the eerie environment, the singer finds solace in the cool and quiet cemetery
Slept all night in a Cedar grove
The artist spent the night sleeping peacefully in a Cedar grove
Some men are searchin' for the Holy Grail
The singer recognizes that some people are on a never-ending quest for something unattainable
But there ain't nothin' sweeter than ridin' the rails
The singer finds joy and freedom in riding trains, even though it may be a dangerous or difficult mode of transportation
I look forty-seven but I'm twenty-four
The singer's appearance is older than his age implies
Well, they shooed me away from here the time before
The artist has been rejected from a place previously
Turned their backs and they locked their doors
The artist experiences rejection and abandonment from other people
I'm watchin' TV in the window of a furniture store
The singer watches TV from outside of a store, unable to afford to be inside
Well I woke up this morning with the cold water
The singer repeats the opening line, emphasizing the harshness of his waking circumstances
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind