Type O Negative was a gothic / doom metal band formed in Brooklyn, New York… Read Full Bio ↴Type O Negative was a gothic / doom metal band formed in Brooklyn, New York, US in 1990. They are well known for their dry, morbid and ironic sense of humor and their often slow and brooding music. "The Drab Four" (the nickname Type O Negative gave themselves) always succeeded in keeping their own unique style, mixing melodic, classic rock 'n' roll with slow, doom-like vibes, and down-tuned heavy metal guitar riffs with dark soundscapes. They were also known for doom metal riffs, deep bass lines, heavy but usually slow drums and bass-range vocals of gothic metal. Lead singer Peter Steele described their music as "bad songs written on a Tuesday night."

The two main influences on the band are the Beatles and Black Sabbath, and keyboardist Josh Silver has expressed a love of Pink Floyd--evidence of which can be heard in the atmospherics of his production techniques.

The band arose from the ashes of the band Carnivore and gained popularity with their songs "Black No. 1" and "Christian Woman" from the Bloody Kisses album. The album was the first in Roadrunner Records' catalog to go both gold and platinum. They have successfully toured with Pantera, Life of Agony, and dozens of other established and up-and-coming bands, as well as taking part in Ozzfest. The band had VHS and DVD documentary releases in addition to their CD releases and contributions to movie soundtracks and compilations.

Steele died of sepsis caused by diverticulitis (initially reported as heart failure) on April 14 2010 at the age of 48.

Singles and video-featured songs

Black No. 1 - 1993
Christian Woman - 1993
Cinnamon Girl - 1996
Everyone I Love Is Dead - 1999
Everything Dies - 1999
I Don't Wanna Be Me - 2003
Love You to Death - 1996
My Girlfriend's Girlfriend - 1996
Profits of Doom - 2007
September Sun - 2007
Summer Breeze - 1993

Discography

Slow, Deep and Hard - 1991
Origin of The Feces - 1992
Bloody Kisses - 1993
October Rust- 1996
World Coming Down - 1999
Life Is Killing Me - 2003
Dead Again - 2007

Members

Peter Steele - Vocals, bass guitar and songwriting (1990-2010)
Josh Silver - Keyboards (1990-2010)
Kenny Hickey - Guitar and backing vocals (1990-2010)
Johnny Kelly - Drums (1994-2010)
Sal Abruscato - Drums (1990-1993)

Red Water
Type O Negative Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Wake up, it's Christmas mourn
Those loved have long since gone
The stockings are hung but who cares
Preserved for those no longer there
Six feet beneath me sleep
Black lights hang from the tree
Accents of dead holly
Whoa mistletoe

(It's growing cold)
I'm seeing ghosts
(I'm drinking old)
Red water
Red water

Red water chase them away
My tables been set for but seven
Just last year I dined with eleven
Goddamn ye merry gentlemen
Whoa mistletoe
(It's growing cold)
I'm seeing ghosts
(I'm drinking old)
Red water

Red water
Red water chase them away.

Overall Meaning

The song "Red Water" by Type O Negative is a haunting and melancholic depiction of the holiday season, with the lyrics showing a sense of mourning and loss. The song begins with the singer waking up on Christmas morning, with loved ones who have long since passed away. The stockings are still hung, but nobody cares about them anymore; they are preserved as a reminder of those who are no longer there.

The mood of the song is somber, as the singer reflects on how all the people he used to celebrate the holidays with are now six feet underground. The imagery is haunting, with black lights hanging from the tree and accents of dead holly. The chorus of the song repeats the words "Red water" several times, suggesting that the singer is haunted by these memories and perhaps drinking to forget them.

The second verse of the song reinforces the sense of loss and emptiness, with the singer stating that his table is only set for seven people, despite having dined with eleven just the previous year. The final lines of the song, "Red water chase them away," suggest that the singer is trying to drown out the memories of his lost loved ones by drinking and numbing his senses.

Line by Line Meaning

Wake up, it's Christmas mourn
It's Christmas morning, but it feels more like a time of mourning

Those loved have long since gone
The people we loved have been gone for a long time

The stockings are hung but who cares
Even though we hung up stockings, it doesn't really matter because those we loved aren't here to fill them

Preserved for those no longer there
The stockings are preserved as symbols for those who are no longer with us

Six feet beneath me sleep
Our loved ones are six feet under the ground, at rest

Black lights hang from the tree
Even though it's Christmas, there's a sense of darkness and mourning in the air

Accents of dead holly
Even the holly, associated with Christmas and life, seems dead and lifeless

Whoa mistletoe (It's growing cold) I'm seeing ghosts (I'm drinking old) Red water Red water
The artist is feeling the effects of alcohol and reminiscing about the past, while the mistletoe and red water suggest death and mourning

Red water chase them away
The red water is symbolic of death and the artist wants it to chase away the ghosts and sad memories

My tables been set for but seven Just last year I dined with eleven
The artist's table is set for only seven people this year, compared to last year when they had eleven people around the table. The loss of loved ones is felt deeply

Goddamn ye merry gentlemen
The singer curses the idea of 'merry gentlemen' during this time of sadness and mourning

Red water chase them away
Once again, the artist desires the red water to chase away the ghosts and memories that are plaguing them

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: PETER THOMAS STEELE

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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