By 2008 The Blackwater Fever had gained national radio exposure from youth radio station Triple J, on the Home & Hosed (October) and Roots 'n' All (November) segments,and from that station's Unearthed competition for new unsigned bands. In November 2008 they released their debut studio album, Sweet Misery, where DeMarco had been replaced by Andrew Walter on drums.
By late 2010 the line-up was a trio with Hicks and Walter joined by Jed A. Walters on bass guitar and keyboards. However their second album, In Stereo (June 2011), had been recorded before Walters had joined, "[Jed] didn't contribute to this album but he'll definitely be making a big contribution to the next one." Their third album, The Depths, appeared in March 2013 Luke Saunders of Reverb Street Press compared it with the previous two albums "[its] another intriguing step forward following the solid foundations the band laid on their dark and gritty debut, Sweet Misery (2009) and its more refined, equally accomplished follow-up, In Stereo (2011).
Blackwater
The Blackwater Fever Lyrics
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She killed my dying daddy oh rest his soul
But he was running the fever, the fever from the water hole
Blackwater
Preacher man was crying, set his faith loose
His sweet wife was dying so he saved her with a noose
Cause she was running the fever, the fever from the water hole
Oh baby you don't look so good
Come lay beside me in my dead bed
I think we're the fever, fever from the water hole
Blackwater
The Blackwater Fever's song "Blackwater" tells a haunting story of a town plagued by a deadly fever caused by their water source. The first verse introduces "Mummer," a killer who took the life of the singer's father, who was suffering from the fever. The second verse describes a preacher who, in desperation to save his dying wife, hangs her. Both individuals are driven to commit heinous acts as a result of the fever's effects on their minds. The third verse features a distraught lover who invites their sick partner to lay beside them in their own deathbed, both acknowledging that they too have fallen victim to the fever's grip.
The lyrics paint a picture of a time and place where people are desperate and willing to do whatever it takes to survive, even if it means sacrificing loved ones or committing murder. The repetition of the phrase "fever from the water hole" emphasizes the notion that the source of the town's ailments is their very own water supply. Overall, the song explores themes of desperation, sorrow, and the lengths people will go to stay alive in dire circumstances.
Line by Line Meaning
Mummer was a killer, stone cold
Mummer was a ruthless killer without any pity
She killed my dying daddy oh rest his soul
She killed my father who was already dying and may his soul rest in peace
But he was running the fever, the fever from the water hole
He was suffering from blackwater fever, a fatal disease caused by drinking water from stagnant ponds/sources.
Preacher man was crying, set his faith loose
A preacher man was crying because he had lost his faith
His sweet wife was dying so he saved her with a noose
His wife was also suffering from blackwater fever and so he decided to end her pain by hanging her to death.
Cause she was running the fever, the fever from the water hole
She, too, was suffering from blackwater fever caused by stagnant water.
Oh baby you don't look so good
You don't look healthy/fine.
Come lay beside me in my dead bed
Come lie with me on my deathbed.
I think we're the fever, fever from the water hole
I suspect that both of us are suffering from blackwater fever contracted by drinking stagnant water.
Contributed by Wyatt P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.