Waterstrider, a five-piece band from Oakland, California, is at its core a … Read Full Bio ↴Waterstrider, a five-piece band from Oakland, California, is at its core a spectacular tightrope act. On the group’s debut LP, Nowhere Now, they embrace a wide range of styles and sounds, from arena-sized choruses to mesmerizing string arrangements; all the while balancing them with precision and elegance.

Although opening track “White Light” has one foot planted in the Afro-pop foundation of the group’s Constellation EP, it also points the way forward, shining a light on the kaleidoscope of ideas to come: Zeppelin-sized riffs, shimmering hooks and, at the album’s heart, Nate Salman’s falsetto; tracing nuanced melodies as if drawing with a fine-point pen.

It’s Salman’s voice that unifies Nowhere Now’s ten songs. On “Redwood” his delicate falsetto provides a counterpoint to the thundering toms, while “Passing Ships” finds him effortlessly riding a slinky RnB groove. On the album’s culminating title track, he takes the group to soaring heights with his defining statement: “In the hurricane of love and hate, I still remain.” Exploring a range of emotions that leaps between blunt fear and visceral joy, Salman’s falsetto is the perfect glue for a band with such a wide-ranging sound.

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Nowhere Now
Waterstrider Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

You were right:
the city looks brighter from here
I recognize:
like the city, my thoughts were unclear
Fallen down
Keeps me down

Nowhere now

but I'll come and find you

Years and years
I wait for the kick drum
I felt your fears
but I'll never leave them

Fallen down
Keeps me down
Nowhere now
but I'll come and find you
Nowhere now
but I'll be there for you
I'll come and find you
I'll be there for you

Fallen down
Keeps me down
Nowhere now
but I'll come and find you
Nowhere now
but I'll be there for you
I'll come and find you
I'll be there for you
I'll come and find you

In the hurricane

of love and hate
I still remain

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Waterstrider's song "Nowhere Now" are open to interpretation but they reflect a sense of hope and longing. The opening line "You were right, the city looks brighter from here" suggests that the singer is feeling more positive about the city – the world around them – from a new perspective. This could suggest that the singer is going through a change in their life, either physically or emotionally. The next line "Like the city, my thoughts were unclear" can be interpreted as the singer having had unclear thoughts previously until they gained a new perspective. The singer seems to be speaking to someone (perhaps a lover, friend or family member) who they believe they will find again.

The repeated phrase "Fallen down, Keeps me down" could be hinting at the singer struggling with something that is preventing them from moving forward, but they want to overcome it. The chorus "Nowhere now, but I'll come and find you" indicates that they are taking action to find this person. The second verse expresses the fatigue and uncertainty the singer has experienced, having waited for years and years for something elusive. But they reassure the person they are speaking to that they won't leave them, even with their fears.

The song seems to suggest that the singer is taking a risk to find someone or find a new part of themselves. The final line "In the hurricane of love and hate, I still remain" suggests that despite everything, the person speaking is still there or still exists – they haven't given up on themselves, on love or on finding the person they are searching for.

Line by Line Meaning

You were right:
I acknowledge that you were correct in your observation

the city looks brighter from here
I can see the city more clearly from my current location

I recognize:
I understand and accept the truth of the situation

like the city, my thoughts were unclear
My thoughts, like the city, were hazy and uncertain

Fallen down
I have experienced failure or defeat

Keeps me down
It is difficult for me to recover from my defeat

Nowhere now
At the moment, I am feeling lost and aimless

but I'll come and find you
I will seek comfort in your presence

Years and years
It has been a very long time

I wait for the kick drum
I eagerly anticipate the start of the music

I felt your fears
I have sensed and empathized with your anxieties