He was an accomplished instrumentalist and composer, who played keyboards, guitars, drums, bass and cellos, as well as singing vocals. His talents also extended to producer. He toured with Eddie Money before winning the Yamaha songwriting competition with his progressive rock group Giraffe. Producer Patrick Leonard was impressed with Gilbert's performance at the competition and invited him to join him in forming a new band which became Toy Matinee. During this time, Gilbert worked on the projects of several established pop musicians, including Madonna, Michael Jackson and produced Keith Emerson's album Changing States.
The lone Toy Matinee album was released in 1990 but effectively shelved by the record company, so Gilbert assembled a new backing band to promote the album, eventually getting two successful singles released: "The Ballad of Jenny Ledge" and "Last Plane Out".
Later, Gilbert was part of a songwriting collective (called "The Tuesday Music Club") that met at producer Bill Bottrell's studio in Pasadena, California. After he began bringing his then girlfriend Sheryl Crow to the sessions, the result was Crow's debut album, Tuesday Night Music Club. Gilbert co-wrote many of the songs on that album, including 1995 Grammy Record of the Year "All I Wanna Do." Crow later acrimoniously split with most of the musicians in the collective and only Bottrell was involved in her follow-up album. Meanwhile the remainder of the collective worked with singer-songwriters Susanna Hoffs and Linda Perry on two more albums.
Gilbert continued to work in television and movie soundtrack work as well as studio work and producing and eventually released his first solo album Thud(1995) as well as partially reforming Giraffe to perform the Genesis masterpiece "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway" at Progfest 94. Gilbert's manager sent a copy of the recording to Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford who were searching for a new Genesis front man to replace Phil Collins. His manager was coming to Gilbert's home to tell him that he had managed to get him an audition when he discovered him dead.
Gilbert's second solo album, The Shaming of the True was released posthumously. The album was largely incomplete, but Gilbert's estate asked Spock's Beard drummer Nick D'Virgilio to complete it based on the extant tapes and Gilbert's notes. A live album (composed mostly of songs from Thud), and a compilation of Giraffe material that Gilbert had been working on and an "industrial" album with Gilbert's latest group, Kaviar have also been released in the years since his death. His estate has promised two more posthumous studio albums and a live performance from Gilbert's promotional group for Toy Matinee.
Discography:
N.R.G. - No Reasons Given (1984)
Giraffe - The Power Of Suggestion (1987)
Giraffe - The View From Here (1989)
Toy Matinee - Toy Matinee (1990; remastered & rereleased 2001)
Sheryl Crow - Tuesday Night Music Club (1993)
Kevin Gilbert - Thud (1995)
Giraffe - Giraffe (1999)
Kevin Gilbert & Thud - Live at the Troubadour (1999)
Kevin Gilbert - The Shaming of the True (2000)
Kaviar - The Kaviar Sessions (2002)
Kevin Gilbert - Nuts (2009)
Kevin Gilbert - Bolts (2009)
Kevin Gilbert - Performs Toy Matinee Live (2010)
Kevin Gilbert - Toy Matinee Acoustic Rehearsal (2014)
Water Under The Bridge
Kevin Gilbert Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
From a daughter made of glass
Frail and poised on a question
When there's nothing left to ask
Asking questions
So close to the ridge
Dirt under my feet
Dirt under my feet
Water under the bridge
So what's a drop of water
In an ocean of compromise
One more shake of my tail
And it falls away and dies
Asking questions
So close to the ridge
Dirt under my feet
Water under the bridge
Dirt under my feet
Water under the bridge
So what's a drop of water
From a storm's gentle eye
Poisoned by an envy
That a tear can't purify
Asking questions
So close to the ridge
Dirt under my feet
Water under the bridge
Dirt under my feet
Water under the bridge
It's only water!
Water under the bridge
It's only water...
Oh....
The lyrics to Kevin Gilbert's song Water Under the Bridge convey a sense of despair and resignation in the face of life's difficult questions and harsh realities. The repeated refrain of "Dirt under my feet/Water under the bridge" suggests a feeling of being stuck or trapped, unable to move forward or make meaningful progress. The opening lines describe a fragile and delicate "daughter made of glass," who is struggling to find answers in a world where none seem to exist. The image of a drop of water emphasizes the insignificance of her efforts; one small action cannot hope to make a significant difference in the face of such overwhelming problems.
As the song progresses, the lyrics delve further into the theme of helplessness and hopelessness. The singer acknowledges that even large-scale efforts, like those of a storm on the ocean, can ultimately be futile in the face of human greed and envy. Despite these dark themes, however, the singer seems to find a small measure of comfort in the reminder that it's "only water" - that is, the problems and challenges they face are ultimately ephemeral and relatively insignificant in the grand scheme of things.
Overall, the lyrics of Water Under the Bridge offer a poignant commentary on the difficulty of finding meaning and purpose in a world full of pain, suffering, and injustice. Through its vivid imagery and evocative language, the song encourages listeners to confront these challenges head-on while also acknowledging the limitations of our individual efforts.
Line by Line Meaning
What's a drop of water
The singer questions the significance of a small thing, like a drop of water.
From a daughter made of glass
The singer refers to someone fragile, like a daughter made of glass.
Frail and poised on a question
The person is vulnerable and tense, considering a question that may impact them deeply.
When there's nothing left to ask
Despite the tension, there are no more questions to be asked; the situation cannot change.
Dirt under my feet
The singer is planted firmly on the ground.
Water under the bridge
Past events, like water under a bridge, have passed and cannot be changed.
So what's a drop of water
Again, the singer questions the significance of a small thing.
In an ocean of compromise
The person feels overwhelmed by a situation where they are expected to compromise frequently.
One more shake of my tail
The person is close to losing their balance and control, represented by a shake of their tail like an animal.
And it falls away and dies
Their efforts and struggles in the situation are ultimately futile and will be forgotten.
From a storm's gentle eye
The singer refers to someone or something that appears gentle, but is actually dangerous or harmful.
Poisoned by an envy
Their judgment and actions are being negatively influenced by envy they feel towards others.
That a tear can't purify
No amount of sorrow or regret can undo the harm caused by the envy.
It's only water!
The singer reminds themselves that even though the situation is difficult, it is ultimately not as serious as it may seem.
Water under the bridge
Again, the singer emphasizes that the past cannot be changed and must be accepted.
It's only water...
The singer repeats their reminder, trying to maintain perspective and not get overwhelmed by the situation.
Contributed by Ava P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@geoffreylogsdon162
@@TheShamingoftheTrueTribute Oh my gosh, l didn't expect to get a response to my comment from a band member!! You guys are brilliant! I didn't mean to go on a tangent about NDV and Cuniberti, l really wanted to tell all of you how fantastic this performance is. I watch at least a song or two every day! Kevin would be so pleased, and actually amazed, that you gentlemen put in so much effort to play his music with such sensitivity and virtuosity!
I am not on Facebook so l don't know anything about this immense project that you undertook and achieved so brilliantly!
Were you guys already a band? Did you get together just for this project?
When and where was this performance (l am going to guess Germany, perhaps)?
How is it possible to do Certifiable #1 Smash without a teleprompter? I can't even sing the line "dreadlocked blunt rolled Buddha dope" without screwing it up!
You must know, that you guys succeeded more than "a little bit", in more ways than one. Playing and singing the music to near perfection is one thing, but it is deeper than that for me. What you did here was to bring Kevin back to life, even for just an evening. l am sure, if is somewhere to hear, that he is so happy, amazed and grateful, for what you guys did.
More questions...did you do more than one performance? Does the band have a name?
I suppose due to legal reasons there is not a DVD available of this show, l would love to have one.
You might appreciate this Kevin moment--we were about to start off Progfest 95 with Spock's Beard, with me doing lights and l told Kevin l was a little nervous. He said "Relax man, they're filming this so if you fuck up it'll be on video until the end of time. So don't worry".
That was his sense of humor, and it was so much the wrong thing to say at that moment that l burst out laughing, and totally calmed down.
I imagine you guys felt like that when you started your show, and you guys killed it! You cannot be thanked enough! I am not religious, but God bless you all.
@Albytor2112
Can't help but play this from time to time. As a fan of Kevin who never saw him play live, thank you very much for this tribute.
@mikematull229
A hidden gem. Kevin Gilbert was unbelievably talented. I wonder how great he would be today if still alive?
@RaptorV1USA
Can you imagine?? ... it virtually breaks my heard to imagine how much his genius could have grown and what he might have created & produced these last jeeezzzes 30+ years..
@mmahota
KG lives on - thank you so much for this!
@TheShamingoftheTrueTribute
in his music and in our hearts he will live forever... thank you for your kind words!
@geoffreylogsdon162
What you guys achieved here is SO amazing and appreciated. Kevin would be so happy. It is such a tragedy that recognition came to him a bit too late. Also it is VERY important to keep in mind that if it were not for Nick D'Virgilio, and engineer extraordinare John Cuniberti, we would have never heard this extraordinary album. Kevin kept copious notes while making the record but a lot of what they did was guesswork, kind of what a "what did Kevin want here" kind of thing.
And with Water Under The Bridge in particular they did a magical job, l believe Kevin recorded the basic musical track, and did one vocal run-through of the verses and chorus. Nick and John had to build the song from that. The chorus is repeated from the one time Kevin sang it, and the beautiful guitar solo is by Tommy Dunbar of The Rubinoos.
I was fortunate to work with Kevin and he was every bit the sweet guy you would expect, although imperfection could rankle him a bit! During a dead rehearsal spot at a show he told me all about the album he was working on, "The Saga Of Johnny Virgil". Kind of like having Pete Townshend describe Tommy to you before it was finished.
Anyway, if Nick and John decided to call it "The Shaming Of The True" instead, they should get credit for that as well.
We are so lucky that these guys loved Kevin so much that they finished this record for him...and again, he would not have the recognition he has if it weren't for them, and Jon Rubin, of course, and Tommy D. Remember their work while you love this great record! Kevin started it, but without them it would not have been finished.
@TheShamingoftheTrueTribute
Geoffrey, thank you so much for your kind words and your insight into the production and your history with Kevin. When we prepared for this concert we always had in the back of our heads "what would Kevin would've done here"... of course I did a lot of research over the years and this album is very close to my heart even since before it was released. I was a Spocks Beard and NDV Fan first and the name Kevin Gilbert popped up every now and then in Newsgroups or fan-forums and the first snippets of City of the sun changed my life... I really hope that our attempt to "keep the music alive" has a little bit of success :-)
@geoffreylogsdon162
@@TheShamingoftheTrueTribute Oh my gosh, l didn't expect to get a response to my comment from a band member!! You guys are brilliant! I didn't mean to go on a tangent about NDV and Cuniberti, l really wanted to tell all of you how fantastic this performance is. I watch at least a song or two every day! Kevin would be so pleased, and actually amazed, that you gentlemen put in so much effort to play his music with such sensitivity and virtuosity!
I am not on Facebook so l don't know anything about this immense project that you undertook and achieved so brilliantly!
Were you guys already a band? Did you get together just for this project?
When and where was this performance (l am going to guess Germany, perhaps)?
How is it possible to do Certifiable #1 Smash without a teleprompter? I can't even sing the line "dreadlocked blunt rolled Buddha dope" without screwing it up!
You must know, that you guys succeeded more than "a little bit", in more ways than one. Playing and singing the music to near perfection is one thing, but it is deeper than that for me. What you did here was to bring Kevin back to life, even for just an evening. l am sure, if is somewhere to hear, that he is so happy, amazed and grateful, for what you guys did.
More questions...did you do more than one performance? Does the band have a name?
I suppose due to legal reasons there is not a DVD available of this show, l would love to have one.
You might appreciate this Kevin moment--we were about to start off Progfest 95 with Spock's Beard, with me doing lights and l told Kevin l was a little nervous. He said "Relax man, they're filming this so if you fuck up it'll be on video until the end of time. So don't worry".
That was his sense of humor, and it was so much the wrong thing to say at that moment that l burst out laughing, and totally calmed down.
I imagine you guys felt like that when you started your show, and you guys killed it! You cannot be thanked enough! I am not religious, but God bless you all.
@blurredlights5235
A few years ago, when all the original recordings of Shaming were taken off the web, i somewhat resented these covers. now i see their brilliance.
January, years ago, im twisted on a mixture of painkillers and lysergic acid, filled with hope i would bring my gf happiness. she pulled The Star card that day, but I was the one who had hope.
It never came to be.
Years later, this is the only way to hear the song. Different now.
It's only water, water under the bridge.
Life, a ghetto of beautiful things.
@larrybaltz4873
Fantastic. Thank you.