Water is an important resource, but there are serious concerns about the contamination of drinking water with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also known as “forever chemicals.” With that in mind, the Song of the Week’s is PJ Harvey’s dark and foreboding 1995 classic “Down by the Water.”
The song is the first single from Harvey’s third album, To Bring You My Love, which marked a departure from the raw, stripped-down punk-blues sound of her first two albums. Harvey used much more electronic instrumentation on “Down by the Water,” including synthesizers and a string ensemble, to color the story of a disturbed woman who’s about to drown her child.
The whispered refrain, “Little fish, big fish swimming in the water/Come back here, man, gimme my daughter,” is based on blues legend Leadbelly’s version of the traditional American folk song “Salt Dog Blues.”
Aided by a striking video that got a lot of play on MTV, the song was a modern rock radio hit, going to #48 on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay chart and #2 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart. The album was a hit as well, reaching #40 on the Billboard 200.
Harvey has had a successful career as a musical chameleon, always changing sounds and remaining an interesting and vital artist. Her most recent album was 2023’s I Inside the Old Year Dying.