Water & Bodies are:
Christopher Ruff - Vocals, Piano
Aaron Tollefson - Guitar
Kelsey Kuther - Bass, Synth, Programing, Guitar
Beau Kuther- Drums
Formerly all of the musicians were members of Kaddisfly, which is now on a hiatus.
Echoes
Water & Bodies Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
If I think it then it can't be lost
An elephant with matchbox tears
Made rivers we're too scared to cross
What are we running from?
The only time we ever lied
A wager for our brittle bones
And to this day, our debt he owns
What are we running from?
And now I do
I gotta thank you for the ordinary life that I lead
Oh, it's my place and time
And now I do
I gotta thank you for this ordinary voice that echoes on
It echoes on
We were simple and concrete
And never popularly known
Until we made a fence of teeth
And it ate our home, and now it's gone
I said, what are we running from?
And now I do
I gotta thank you for the ordinary life that I lead
Oh, it's my place and time
And now I do
I gotta thank you for this ordinary voice that echoes on
It echoes on
What are we running from?
And now I do
I gotta thank you for the ordinary life that I lead
Oh, it's my place and time
And now I do
I gotta thank you for this ordinary voice that echoes on
It echoes on
It echoes on
In "Echoes" by Water & Bodies, the singer reflects on the passage of time and the consequences of their choices, taking stock of their life as they try to make sense of it all. The opening lines, "I thought it but it wasn't there / If I think it then it can't be lost," suggest a sense of confusion and uncertainty, as if the singer is struggling to grasp something that feels just beyond reach. The image of "An elephant with matchbox tears / Made rivers we're too scared to cross" is a striking and imaginative one, hinting at the idea of overwhelming emotions that can sweep us away and leave us feeling trapped or powerless.
Line by Line Meaning
I thought it but it wasn't there
Even though I had a thought, it didn't actually exist
If I think it then it can't be lost
If I have the thought, then it must exist somewhere
An elephant with matchbox tears
A metaphor for something very large crying very small tears
Made rivers we're too scared to cross
The tears produced large rivers that were too difficult to traverse
What are we running from?
A question aimed at the artist's own behavior and motivations
The only time we ever lied
Recollection of a rare past indiscretion
We made a bet with Father Time
The singer and their associates had the audacity to gamble time, something that seems to run out for everyone
A wager for our brittle bones
The bet was made in proportion to the fragility of human existence
And to this day, our debt he owns
Time never forgets anything, even though its presence is often imperceptible
We were simple and concrete
Before the artist's bet with time, their lives were straightforward and sensible
And never popularly known
But unremarkable and not acknowledged by the masses
Until we made a fence of teeth
A metaphor for creating something intimidating out of mundane things, perhaps for protection
And it ate our home, and now it's gone
The weapon of the fence turned out to be self-destructive and ruined their former ease of life
I gotta thank you for the ordinary life that I lead
The singer has a newfound appreciation for a mundane existence as a result of their experiences
Oh, it's my place and time
An acknowledgment that despite its simplicity, this ordinary life was all theirs and exists in the present
And now I do I gotta thank you for this ordinary voice that echoes on
The echoes represent the continuation of life and the human spirit that endures
It echoes on
The reverberating sound of life and the echoes of the artist's experiences
What are we running from?
A repeated questioning that calls for introspection and reflection
And now I do I gotta thank you for this ordinary voice that echoes on
A concluding statement that suggests a deep appreciation for the human experience despite its challenges
It echoes on
The final echo of the song that fades away into silence
Contributed by Allison K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.