Harvey began her career in 1988 when she joined local band Automatic Dlamini as a vocalist, guitarist and saxophonist. The band's frontman, John Parish, became her long-term collaborator. In 1991, she formed an eponymous trio called PJ Harvey and subsequently began her career as PJ Harvey. The trio released two studio albums called Dry (1992) and Rid of Me (1993) before disbanding, after which Harvey continued as a solo artist. Since 1995, she has released a further nine studio albums with collaborations from various musicians including Parish, former bandmate Rob Ellis, Mick Harvey and Eric Drew Feldman, and has also worked extensively with record producer Flood.
Among the accolades Harvey has received are both the 2001 and 2011 Mercury Prize for Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea (2000) and Let England Shake (2011), respectively, making her the only artist to have been awarded the prize twice. She has also garnered eight Brit Award nominations, seven Grammy Award nominations and two further Mercury Prize nominations. Rolling Stone awarded her three accolades: 1992's Best New Artist and Best Singer Songwriter, and 1995's Artist of the Year. Rolling Stone also listed Rid of Me, To Bring You My Love and Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea on its list of their 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. In 2011, she was awarded for Outstanding Contribution To Music at the NME Awards. In the 2013 Birthday Honours, she was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to music.
Water
PJ Harvey Lyrics
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Walking
Walking on water
Walking
Walking on for years and years and years
Taking it into my head
Living by the right lines
Reading what the very man said
Water
I'm walking
Walking on water
Walking
Walking on
Lying on eleven years
Taking it into my head
Mary, Mary drop me softly
Been reading what your very man said
Lying on eleven years
Taking it into my head
Leave my clothes on the beach
I'm walking down into the sea
Prove it to me
Prove it to me
Prove it to me
Now the water to my ankles
Now the water to my knees
Think of him, all waxy wings
Melted down into the sea
Mary, Mary, what your man said
Washing it all over my head
Mary, Mary, hold on tightly
Over water, under the sea
Wa-wa-wa-water
Wa-wa-wa-water
I'm walking
Walking on wa-wa-wa-water
I'm walking
Walking on wa-wa-wa-water
Walking
Walking on wa-wa-wa-water
Walking
Walking on wa-wa-wa-water
The lyrics of PJ Harvey's "Water" portray an individual who appears to walk on water while simultaneously referencing the biblical account of Jesus walking on water. The song is somewhat ambiguous as to whether the singer is truly walking on water, as it is possible that this may be a metaphor for confidence, power, or even delusion. The first verse refers to the singer walking on water "for years and years and years" and living by the "right lines," potentially implying a sense of self-righteousness or a belief in being justified in their actions. The second verse addresses the passing of time, with the singer lying on the beach for "eleven years" and taking in the words of Mary's "very man." The chorus ("Prove it to me") repeats several times, seemingly challenging the idea of someone walking on water or the validity of those messages.
The third verse begins with the water reaching the singer's ankles and gradually rising to their knees. The lyric "Think of him, all waxy wings/Melted down into the sea" can be interpreted as a reference to Icarus of Greek mythology, who flew too close to the sun with wings made of wax and plummeted into the sea as a result. This could possibly suggest the singer is about to meet a similarly disastrous fate, as they continue to walk into the water. The final verse returns to Mary's words, implying that they are washing over the singer as they go further into the sea, with Mary herself holding on tightly "over water, under the sea."
Line by Line Meaning
Water
The song is about being surrounded by water and walking on water.
Walking
The act of physically walking.
Walking on water
The singer in the song imagines themselves walking on water.
Walking
The act of physically walking.
Walking on for years and years and years
The artist has been dreaming of walking on water for many years.
Taking it into my head
The singer has strongly committed to the idea of walking on water.
Living by the right lines
The singer has been paying close attention to instructions or mantras that they believe will help them achieve their goal.
Reading what the very man said
The artist has been reading instructions or mantras that they believe will help them achieve their goal.
Lying on eleven years
The artist has been dreaming of walking on water for eleven years.
Taking it into my head
The artist is committed to achieving their goal of walking on water.
Mary, Mary drop me softly
The singer is asking for guidance or support, possibly from a loved one named 'Mary'.
Been reading what your very man said
The artist has been paying close attention to the advice or mantras from Mary's significant other.
Leave my clothes on the beach
The singer is preparing to walk on water and leaves their clothes on the beach.
I'm walking down into the sea
The singer is determined to achieve their goal and walks into the sea.
Prove it to me
The singer may be asking for proof that they can walk on water.
Now the water to my ankles
The artist is making progress and the water has reached their ankles.
Now the water to my knees
The artist is still making progress and the water has reached their knees.
Think of him, all waxy wings
The singer may be thinking of someone (possibly Icarus from Greek mythology) who tried to fly and fell.
Melted down into the sea
This person 'melted down' after trying to fly and drowned.
Mary, Mary, what your man said
The artist may be seeking guidance or support from Mary's significant other again.
Washing it all over my head
The artist is still paying close attention to advice or mantras that they believe will help them achieve their goal.
Mary, Mary, hold on tightly
The artist is asking for guidance or support from Mary again.
Over water, under the sea
The singer is still determined to achieve their goal and is moving further out into the water.
Wa-wa-wa-water
An onomatopoeic way to describe the sound of water.
Wa-wa-wa-water
An onomatopoeic way to describe the sound of water.
I'm walking
The singer is still determined to achieve their goal and is still walking.
Walking on wa-wa-wa-water
The singer continues to imagine themselves walking on water, with an onomatopoeic water sound in the background.
Walking
The act of physically walking.
Walking on wa-wa-wa-water
The artist continues to imagine themselves walking on water, with an onomatopoeic water sound in the background.
Walking
The act of physically walking.
Walking on wa-wa-wa-water
The singer continues to imagine themselves walking on water, with an onomatopoeic water sound in the background.
Walking
The act of physically walking.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: POLLY HARVEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind