Four albums followed - Born Sandy Devotional, In the Pines, Calenture and The Black Swan - before the group disbanded in 1989. David McComb and "Evil" Graham Lee joined the Blackeyed Susans while Martyn P Casey joined Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. McComb later pursued a solo career which failed to match the success of his time with the Triffids.
In 1996 David McComb received a heart transplant, having suffered for many years from congenital heart disease. He died in 1999 due to complications arising out of the transplant. In 2006 the Triffids' back catalogue is being remastered and re-released by Domino, beginning with Born Sandy Devotional. In June a brief European tour was undertaken by the remaining members, with guest vocalists filling in for McComb.
Holy Water
The Triffids Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In a summer dress in the greenhouse
Where she overslept dreaming of an ocean
Like a meadow
But wet, wet with holy water
Blue girl
In the shallows floating completely bare
And in the dying light a kerosene sun
Burns warmer than none
Holy water, holy water
Sleeplessness
In the deepest night
Her smallest fear becomes a reef of death
And the Blue girl's maiden voyage
Is shipwrecked and sunk in holy water
We go swimming in holy water
Floating in holy water
We fell together cos good love is rare
Holy water soaked through her hair
Holy water, holy water
Blue girl
In a summer dress in the greenhouse
Where she overslept dreaming of an ocean
Like a meadow
But wet, wet with holy water
We go swimming in holy water
Lying in the shade of the tree of man
We fell together cos good love is rare
Holy water soaked through her yellow hair
Holy water, holy water
The Triffids's song "Holy Water" paints a picturesque scene of a Blue girl in a summer dress, dreaming of an ocean, while lying in a greenhouse amidst meadows, wet with holy water. The lyrics evoke a sense of calmness and serenity, with the Holy water representing purity and peace. The Blue girl then takes a maiden voyage, only to find herself shipwrecked and sunk in holy water, showcasing how even peaceful places can have hidden dangers lurking beneath the surface.
The second half of the song again references good love being rare, with the Blue girl and the singer falling together, submerged in holy water, and their love washing over them like the water. The lyrics use the metaphor of the kerosene sun burning warmer than none, indicative of the fleeting nature of love and life. The song culminates with the Blue girl and the singer swimming and lying in the shade of the tree of man, basking in holy water once again.
Overall, Holy Water is a commentary on how even the most peaceful and serene places can have hidden dangers or surprises. It also references the rarity and fleeting nature of good love, with the holy water symbolizing love and purity, and the kerosene sun representing the transitory nature of life.
Line by Line Meaning
Blue girl
The song begins with a reference to a character, a blue girl.
In a summer dress in the greenhouse
The blue girl is in a greenhouse, wearing a summer dress.
Where she overslept dreaming of an ocean
The blue girl fell asleep in the greenhouse and dreamt of an ocean.
Like a meadow
The ocean in her dream was peaceful and calm like a meadow.
But wet, wet with holy water
Despite the calmness, the ocean in her dream is full of holy water, which is likely symbolic.
In the shallows floating completely bare
Later in the song, we find the blue girl floating naked in the shallows.
We fell together cos good love is rare
The blue girl shares a moment of intimacy with someone else, likely the singer or another character.
And in the dying light a kerosene sun
As the day comes to a close, the sky turns orange and resembles an igniting kerosene.
Burns warmer than none
This fiery sun creates a unique warmth that is pure and comforting.
Holy water, holy water
The refrain repeats the phrase 'holy water,' which likely carries significant symbolic meaning.
Sleeplessness
The blue girl experiences insomnia in the 'deepest night,' which likely represents a deeper emotional struggle.
Her smallest fear becomes a reef of death
The blue girl's anxieties and fears become overwhelming and manifest into insurmountable obstacles.
And the Blue girl's maiden voyage
The blue girl's journey through life or towards self-discovery is compared to a maiden voyage.
Is shipwrecked and sunk in holy water
Her journey has met a disastrous end, drowned in the same holy water symbolized throughout the song.
We go swimming in holy water
The chorus repeats, emphasizing the importance of the holy water symbol.
Floating in holy water
The act of floating in the holy water represents surrender and acceptance.
Lying in the shade of the tree of man
The blue girl and her lover lay beneath the 'tree of man,' which may represent humanity as a whole.
Holy water soaked through her hair
The holy water continues to affect the blue girl even in her moments of rest and peace.
Holy water, holy water
The song ends on a final repetition of the 'holy water' refrain, cementing its importance and symbolic significance.
Contributed by Juliana T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
vyvienn
I'm so very happy you took the time to upload this! Totally agree, this masterpiece was missing from YouTube for way too long. Thank you!
Marko Kivi-Koskinen
Excellent band. One of their many masterpieces.
BLUE NIGHT GRINNER
What an album!
CODENAME : 💬
Calenture. In my opinion, a masterpiece.
Vincent Bowry
Such glory!
Roberto Riva
Eccellenti Triffids! Roberto from Italy 🇮🇹
04opocin
Released as a single in the UK in August 1988.
Jonatan Mattisson
beautiful beautiful song
Geert Vangenechten
Great!
Herve Mahieux
Les Triffids et les Wallabies font aimer l Australie.