Bring Me Some Water

"Bring Me Some Water" is a 1988 Melissa Etheridge song, released as her debut single.

"Bring Me Some Water"
Single by Melissa Etheridge
from the album Melissa Etheridge
B-side"Occasionally"
Released1988
RecordedCherokee Studio I, LA
GenreRock, blues rock
Length3:52
LabelIsland
Songwriter(s)Melissa Etheridge
Producer(s)Craig Krampf
Kevin McCormick
Melissa Etheridge
Niko Bolas
Melissa Etheridge singles chronology
"Bring Me Some Water"
(1988)		 "Don't You Need"
(1988)
Alternative covers
Cassette single cover

Song information

Melissa Etheridge wrote the song after the initial version of her debut album was rejected by the recording company, which left her only four days to provide new material and a modified edition of the album. At the time, she was residing in Los Angeles while her girlfriend, Kathleen, lived elsewhere, so Etheridge had reluctantly agreed to make theirs a non-monogamous relationship. The song tells about the pain and jealousy arising from thoughts of her lover being intimate with someone else. There are many metaphors in the lyrics describing her emotional state, principally the chorus line: "Somebody bring me some water – can't you see I'm burning alive." Many other songs on the album deal with the same subject.

Musically, "Bring Me Some Water" is a classic rock song with some blues themes. During an interview featured on the bonus DVD of Greatest Hits: The Road Less Traveled, Etheridge says:

"I remember sitting in my living room and I loved the blues. I am of the rock 'n' roll school where it comes from the rhythm and blues based music, and so there was this kind of beat that I wanted."[1]

Furthermore, she states that, of all the songs she has written, "Bring Me Some Water" is the one with the highest recognition value and that wherever she plays the song in the world, everybody at her concerts knows the song after the first seconds of the intro.[2]

Etheridge has collaborated with contemporary pop musicians on two notable recorded-live television performances of this song: Joan Osborne, who appeared as one of several guest artists on the inaugural 22 November 1995 episode of the VH1 Duets series;[3] and Kelly Clarkson on the 17 September 2009 VH1 Divas concert special.[4]

Bring Me Some Water was remade by American blues artist Koko Taylor and recorded on her 2000 album, Royal Blue.[5]

Charts

The song did not chart on the US Billboard Hot 100 but was a hit on the Album Rock Tracks chart where it reached No. 10. The single was very successful in the Canadian and Australian single charts.

Year Chart Position
1988 US Mainstream Rock Chart 10
Canadian Singles Chart 32
Australian Singles Chart 9
New Zealand Singles Chart 17
1989 UK Singles Chart 100

Track listing

All songs written by Melissa Etheridge.

  1. "Bring Me Some Water" – 3:52
  2. "Occasionally" – 2:36

Credits and personnel
  • Melissa Etheridge – acoustic guitar, guitar, vocals
  • Wally Badarou – keyboard
  • Craig Krampf – percussion, drums
  • Kevin McCormick – bass
  • Johnny Lee Schell – guitar
  • Scott Thurston – keyboard
  • Waddy Wachtel – guitar
  • Producers: Melissa Etheridge, Niko Bolas, Craig Krampf, Kevin McCormick
  • Executive producers: Chris Blackwell, Rob Fraboni
  • Engineers: Allan Blazek, Jim Nipar
  • Assistant engineer: David Kane
  • Mixing assistants: Duane Seykora, Bob Vogt
  • Mastering: Stephen Marcussen
  • Arrangers: Melissa Etheridge, Craig Krampf
  • Photography: George DuBose
  • Cover design: Tony Wright
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References
  1. Greatest Hits: The Road Less Traveled at 15:30
  2. Greatest Hits: The Road Less Traveled at 17:30
  3. "Bring Me Some Water" – via www.youtube.com.
  4. "Show Performance | VH1 Divas (2009) | VH1 Divas 2009: Kelly Clarkson and Melissa Etheridge Perform "Bring Me Some Water"". February 15, 2010. Archived from the original on February 15, 2010.
  5. "Royal Blue - Koko Taylor | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic.

Sources
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