The band's best known lineup consisted of Paul Westerberg (vocals, guitar), Bob Stinson (guitar), Tommy Stinson (bass) and Chris Mars (drums). They were infamous for their abrasive, hard drinking lifestyles and their ragged stage performances, notorious for coming to some shows too drunk to play very well at all. Sometimes, they just performed entire sets of covers, their picks showing their debt to 70s hard rock outfits.
The sound of this band showed off what their many fans saw as the very best of independent rock n' roll. More than possibly any other band since The Rolling Stones and the the Ramones, the Replacements embodied the spirit of rock, from their raucous performances, drug addictions, charismatic and romantic frontman, and wild, sometimes basic and sometimes powerfully confessional songs. At any given time, almost any list of 'The Best Rock Albums Of All Time' will include either the album 'Let It Be' or 'Tim', sometimes both.
Their sound started off as a classic rock influenced shade of punk, mutating to a melodic hardcore sound reminiscent of local buddies Hüsker Dü. They also progressed into a relatively straightforward but heartfelt rock style, with a number of highly soulful ballads from the heart of Westerberg to round out the mix.
The band broke up in 1991. Bob Stinson, who was fired from the band in 1986 (and was subsequently replaced by Slim Dunlap), died in 1995. Westerberg and Mars both have solo careers, and Tommy Stinson formed several bands, like Perfect and Bash and Pop, and now plays bass for Guns and Roses and Soul Asylum.
In 2012, Paul Westerberg and Tommy Stinson reformed the Replacements and recorded an EP, "Songs for Slim" as a benefit for former member Slim Dunlap, who had suffered a stroke. The band played their first show since 1991 on August 24, 2013 at RiotFest in Toronto, and has since played at several festivals since. The band also currently includes Josh Freese on drums and Dave Minehan on guitar. The band played its final show in June 2015.
Cool Water
The Replacements Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Without the taste of water
Cool water
All day and night, our throats burn dry
And our souls, they cry
For water
Cool, clear water
The nights are cool and I'm a fool
Cool water
And with the dawn, I wake and yawn
And carry on
To water
Cool, clear water
Say Dan, can you see that big green tree
Where the waters run free
And it's waiting there for me
The shadows sway and they seem to say
Tonight we pray for water
Cool water
And way up there, He'll hear our prayer
And show us where
There's water
Cool, clear water
Cool, clear water
The Replacements’ song “Cool Water” is a melancholic track that speaks to the struggle of being dehydrated in a dry, harsh landscape. The song is built around a series of images and motifs that explore the idea of thirst and the desperate need for water. The opening passages speak of facing “barren ways” without the taste of water, a metaphor that evokes the struggle of living in a world without compassion or love. The repetition of the phrase “cool water” creates a sense of longing that runs throughout the song, a yearning for something fresh and pure in the face of overwhelming hardship.
As the song progresses, the lyrics shift towards a more spiritual tone. The singer speaks of the shadows swaying as if in prayer and asking for water. The imagery is biblical in nature, suggesting that the search for water is a search for something more profound and meaningful. The reference to “big green tree” suggests a vision of a paradise, a place where the thirst will finally be quenched. The final chorus repeats the phrase “cool, clear water” several times, evoking the sound of a prayer or a hymn.
Overall, “Cool Water” is a powerful song that speaks to the human need for basic sustenance and more profound meaning. By creating a series of vivid images and evoking the sense of longing that accompanies thirst, The Replacements have created a track that is both deeply personal and universal.
Line by Line Meaning
All day I face the barren ways
I spend my whole day surrounded by barren lands with no source of water in sight.
Without the taste of water
There is no water to drink in this area, and I am getting increasingly dehydrated.
Cool water
I yearn for a drink of refreshing, cool water to quench my thirst.
All day and night, our throats burn dry
Both day and night, my companions and I suffer from the dryness of our throats due to the lack of water.
And our souls, they cry
The continued deprivation of water has caused a deep sense of sadness and despair within us.
For water
We are longing and hoping for a source of water to appear.
Cool, clear water
We are not only searching for any water, but specifically for clean, cool water that can fully satisfy our thirst.
The nights are cool and I'm a fool
Although the nights are cool, I may still foolishly seek out pools of water in the starry sky.
Each star's a pool of water
I am fantasizing about each of the stars in the sky as if they were pools of water that I could drink from.
Cool water
Despite the unrealistic nature of my idea, I long for cool water to drink all the same.
And with the dawn, I wake and yawn
When the sun rises, I awaken feeling tired and thirsty, constantly yawning in exhaustion.
And carry on
Despite my tiredness and thirst, I must continue searching for water to survive.
To water
I must devote my time and energy to finding water in order to quench my thirst and survive.
Cool, clear water
Once again, it is clear water that I am seeking to survive.
Say Dan, can you see that big green tree
Addressing Dan, I am pointing out a tree in the distance, hoping that it means there is water nearby.
Where the waters run free
I hope that the presence of the tree indicates a nearby water source that can be accessed.
And it's waiting there for me
I imagine the water source being easily accessible and waiting specifically for me to find it.
The shadows sway and they seem to say
I am imagining that the swaying shadows are conveying a message to us, perhaps to encourage us to find water soon.
Tonight we pray for water
As night falls and the need for water becomes more pressing, we gather together to pray for water to appear soon.
Cool water
Once again, we are seeking cool, clean water to drink and quench our thirst.
And way up there, He'll hear our prayer
We believe that God is listening to our prayers and will provide us with water here in this desolate land.
And show us where
We are hoping that God will guide us to the location of the nearest water source.
There's water
We are optimistic that there may be water nearby and are eagerly searching for it.
Cool, clear water
We remain focused on finding a clean, cool source of water to satisfy our thirst and ensure our survival.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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