Down By The Water

Down By The Water a song by PJ Harvey on Foxsoundi

Down By The Water by PJ Harvey

About Down By The Water

PJ Harvey's mainstream breakthrough in the US was this menacing tune about a woman who drowns her daughter and returns to the scene of the crime, whispering, "little fish, big fish swimming in the water, come back here, man, gimme my daughter." The first part of the haunting refrain was taken from Lead Belly's blues rendition of the folk standard "Salty Dog Blues." Harvey was hesitant to reveal the meaning behind the song, saying it was "a song I didn't want to put a label on too much, like this isn't a song about some woman drowning her baby. .

Text from Last.fm, available under CC BY-SA.

Looking for the lyrics of Down By The Water? Read the lyrics on Genius

About this song

Credited to: PJ Harvey
Album: 80s & 90s Gothic Vibes · Track 27 of 50
Released: March 21, 2025
Duration: 3:14
On Last.fm: 594,521 listeners on Last.fm

More from PJ Harvey

This Mess We're In · 3 plays
The Words That Maketh Murder · 2 plays
Voyager · 2 plays

Similar artists

From the album: 80s & 90s Gothic Vibes

Goo Goo Muck by The Cramps ,
Eyes Without A Face by Billy Idol ,
Spellbound by Siouxsie and the Banshees ,
The End Of The World by The Cure ,
London Dungeon by Misfits ,
Tainted Love by Soft Cell ,
Shout by Tears For Fears ,
The Great Commandment by Camouflage ,
Love Song by Simple Minds ,
Town Called Malice by The Jam ,
Fade To Grey by Visage ,
Violet by Hole ,
White Wedding - Pt. 1 / Remastered 2002 by Billy Idol ,
Don't You Want Me by The Human League ,
Perfect by The Smashing Pumpkins ,
Message In A Bottle - Remastered 2003 by The Police ,
Obsession by Animotion ,
Human Fly by The Cramps ,
Happy House by Siouxsie and the Banshees ,
An Honest Mistake by The Bravery ,
Incinerate by Sonic Youth ,
Let Forever Be by The Chemical Brothers ,
Enola Gay - Remastered 2003 by Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark ,
I Heard It Through The Grapevine by The Slits ,
Out Of Control by She Wants Revenge ,
Head Over Heels by Tears For Fears ,
Down By The Water by PJ Harvey ,
Underneath The Stars by The Cure ,
Emerge by Fischerspooner ,
I Can't Hardly Stand It by The Cramps ,
This Is Hardcore by Pulp ,
Wasteland by The Mission ,
Bloodletting (The Vampire Song) by Concrete Blonde ,
Candyman by Siouxsie and the Banshees ,
Swamp Thing by The Chameleons ,
Anvil Night Club School by Visage ,
Mad World by Tears For Fears ,
Sleeper In Metropolis by Anne Clark ,
Mexican Radio by Wall Of Voodoo ,
Black Steel by Tricky , Martina Topley-Bird ,
Reward by The Teardrop Explodes ,
Take Me I'm Yours - Single Edit by Squeeze ,
Street Of Dreams by The Damned ,
Dance With Me by Lords Of The New Church ,
Bedsitter by Soft Cell ,
Mental Hopscotch by Missing Persons ,
Blood And Roses by The Smithereens ,
Gothic Girl by The 69 Eyes ,
In The Name Of The Father by Black Grape ,
I Don't Know Why I Love You by The House of Love ,