Harvey was hesitant to reveal the meaning behind the song, saying it was "a song I didn't want to put a label on too much, like this isn't a song about some woman drowning her baby. To be quite honest, I don't really know what it is for me, myself, yet - which I don't mind because I'd much rather leave it for other people to do what they want with anyway."
She does point out, however, that her songs aren't strictly autobiographical, especially this one. She lamented in a 2005 Spin interview. "Some critics have taken my writing so literally to the point that they'll listen to 'Down by the Water' and believe I have actually given birth to a child and drowned her."
The music video, directed by Maria Mochnacz, features Harvey's over-the-top glam look she dubbed "Joan Crawford on acid." Wearing a flowing dark wig, false eyelashes, a slinky red dress, and bright red lipstick, the singer embodies the song's murderous mother as she swims through green waters searching for her dead daughter. Harvey said the exaggerated makeover reflected her love of dressing up and trying new styles, but she admitted to The Guardian, "There was confusion with myself at that time as to who or what I was, and it was a way of looking for answers."
Harvey's new duds were nearly her downfall. She told MTV: "Making that video was very scary for me. I think it was most frightening because the wig was so heavy that when I went under the water, it really was hard to get to the surface again. Especially after spending the whole day of jumping in and out of the pool, and it was cold and I was wearing clothes and high heels trying to swim around. It was pretty scary."
The video got lots of airplay on MTV, which helped boost the single to #2 on the Modern Rock chart.
Harvey co-produced the track with U2 producer Flood and her former Automatic Dlamini bandmate John Parish, giving the song a bluesy electronica treatment with a synthesized organ and string orchestra.
This was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance in 1996, but lost to Alanis Morissette's "You Oughta Know."
The music video was nominated for Best Female Video at the 1995 MTV Video Music Awards, but lost to Madonna's "Take A Bow."
This was used in the 1995 movie The Basketball Diaries, starring Leonardo DiCaprio.
This was used on several TV shows, including CSI: NY in the 2008 episode "Like Water For Murder," Numb3rs in the 2009 episode "Trouble In Chinatown," and My Mad Fat Diary in the 2014 episode "Radar."
PJ Harvey adopted her look in the song's video of a red satin dress with a large wig and excessive make-up for touring To Bring You My Love. Director Maria Mochnacz told Uncut magazine:
"The key is to set a stage for Polly. Down by the water, like 'Man-size' and '50ft Queenie' is basically a performance video. For 'Down By The Water' she asked me to find her something red and strappy and I went to TK Maxx in Bristol and got her a nightgown. It was an image she liked and felt comfortable with, and that became what she wore every night on stage."
Down by the Water
PJ Harvey Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Under the bridge
To that little girl
So much to me
And now I moan
And now I holler
She'll never know
Just what I found
She said "No more" (she said "No more")
That blue eyed girl (that blue eyed girl)
Became blue eyed whore (became blue eyed whore)
Down by the water (down by the water)
I took her hand (I took her hand)
Just like my daughter (just like my daughter)
I'll see her again (I'll see her again)
Oh help me Jesus
Come through this storm
I had to lose her
To do her harm
I heard her holler (I heard her holler)
I heard her moan (I heard her moan)
My lovely daughter (my lovely daughter)
I took her home (I took her home)
Little fish, big fish, swimming in the water
Come back here, man, gimme my daughter
Little fish, big fish, swimming in the water
Come back here, man, gimme my daughter
Little fish, big fish, swimming in the water
Come back here, man, gimme my daughter
Little fish, big fish, swimming in the water
Come back here, man, gimme my daughter
Little fish, big fish, swimming in the water
Come back here, man, gimme my daughter
Little fish, big fish, swimming in the water
Come back here, man, gimme my daughter
Little fish, big fish, swimming in the water
Come back here, man, gimme my daughter
Little fish, big fish, swimming in the water
Come back here, man, gimme my daughter
Little fish, big fish, swimming in the water
PJ Harvey's "Down by the Water" tells the tragic story of a man who falls in love with a blue-eyed girl under a bridge. He loses his heart to her, but she ultimately rejects him and becomes a "blue-eyed whore," causing him to do her harm. The song starts with the man reflecting on his lost heart under the bridge and moaning and hollering in despair. He reminisces about the blue-eyed girl and how much she meant to him. However, she turns into someone he perceives as a whore, and he takes his daughter's hand down by the water, vowing to see her again.
The tone of the song is haunting and desperate, as if the man is wrestling with his demons and trying to make sense of his feelings. The repetition of the line "little fish, big fish, swimming in the water" creates a sense of urgency, as if the man is frantically searching for his lost love. The final plea for someone to return his daughter adds a layer of tragedy to the already heart-wrenching tale.
Overall, "Down by the Water" is a powerful song that explores the complexities of love and obsession, as well as the destructive paths they can lead us down.
Line by Line Meaning
I lost my heart
I fell deeply in love
Under the bridge
We met in a secluded spot and spent time together there
To that little girl
To the woman who captured my heart
So much to me
She meant everything to me
And now I moan
I am filled with pain and regret
And now I holler
I cry out for her
She'll never know
She will never understand how much I loved her
Just what I found
The love and connection we shared
That blue eyed girl (that blue eyed girl)
The woman I fell in love with
She said "No more" (she said "No more")
She ended our relationship
That blue eyed girl (that blue eyed girl)
The woman I fell in love with
Became blue eyed whore (became blue eyed whore)
She became someone I could no longer respect or love
Down by the water (down by the water)
Where we first met
I took her hand (I took her hand)
I offered her my love and protection
Just like my daughter (just like my daughter)
I loved her as if she were my own child
I'll see her again (I'll see her again)
I hope to reconnect with her someday
Oh help me Jesus
I am praying for help and guidance
Come through this storm
Guide me through this rough time
I had to lose her
I lost her in order to harm her
To do her harm
I caused her pain and suffering
I heard her holler (I heard her holler)
I caused her pain and I heard her cry out in agony
I heard her moan (I heard her moan)
I caused her pain and I heard her moaning in despair
My lovely daughter (my lovely daughter)
The woman I loved and cared for like my own child
I took her home (I took her home)
I took her away from the water and the pain
Little fish, big fish, swimming in the water
The innocence and vulnerability of youth
Come back here, man, gimme my daughter
I want to protect and care for her again
Little fish, big fish, swimming in the water
The fragility of love
Come back here, man, gimme my daughter
I want to redeem myself and make it right
Little fish, big fish, swimming in the water
The uncertainty and risk of love
Come back here, man, gimme my daughter
I want to make amends and start anew
Little fish, big fish, swimming in the water
The fleeting nature of love and life
Come back here, man, gimme my daughter
I want to make things right and hold onto love
Little fish, big fish, swimming in the water
The beauty and fragility of love
Come back here, man, gimme my daughter
I want a second chance to love and protect her
Little fish, big fish, swimming in the water
The dangers and risks of love
Come back here, man, gimme my daughter
I want to repair the damage I have done and make it right again
Little fish, big fish, swimming in the water
The joy and wonder of love
Come back here, man, gimme my daughter
I want to be a better person and earn her respect and love again
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Polly Jean Harvey
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@bernardovisconti9340
Lyrics:
I lost my heart
Under the bridge
To that little girl
So much to me
And now I moan
And now I holler
She'll never know
Just what I found
That blue eyed girl
She said "no more"
That blue eyed girl
Became blue eyed whore
Down by the water
I took her hand
Just like my daughter
I'll see her again
Oh help me Jesus
Come through this storm
I had to lose her
To do her harm
I heard her holler
I heard her moan
My lovely daughter
I took her home
Little fish, big fish, swimming in the water.
Come back here, man, gimme my daughter.
Little fish, big fish, swimming in the water.
Come back here, man, gimme my daughter.
@Occitania26
One of the most underrated female singers in the modern age.
@polly9429
P.J. and Haley Reinhart!
@outsidesounds
million percent
@JeremiahHartmanPhotography
Totally agree... If we didn't have PJ i don't think we'd have St Vincent.
@andymcdonald8922
I don't know about underrated. If you mean underrated by commercial success then maybe, yes, but anyone that knows anything about music knows and appreciates her.
@corvideity
i fucking hate how people insinuate she ruined nick cave lmao... like nick wasn't fully capable of doing that to himself
@winilula
This has always felt like a re-telling of a folk tale
@alicekranyk4173
Maybe it is one
@corinnae.7877
I can imagine it being an actual one. I mean the story the lyrics tell are plausible thinking about obscure religious people. I bet children were killed in the same selfish matter like "the daughter" here.
@anastasiamurawski6179
@@corinnae.7877 Wow, never thought of it that way. It's a work of art, with multiple interpretations I think.