Paul Kelly — Deeper Water
Album: Deeper WaterAvg rating:
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Total ratings: 45
Length: 4:19
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On a crowded beach in a distant time
At the height of summer see a boy of five
At the water's edge so nimble and free
Jumping over the ripples, looking way out to sea
Now a man comes up from amongst the throng
Takes the young boy's hand and his hand is strong
And the child feels safe, yeah, the child feels brave
As he's carried in those arms up and over the waves
Deeper water,
Deeper water,
Deeper water, is calling him on
Let's move forward now and the child's seventeen
With a girl in the back seat tugging at his jeans
And she knows what she wants, she guides with her hand
As a voice cries inside him - "I'm a man, I'm a man!"
Deeper water,
Deeper water,
Deeper water, is calling him on.
Now the man meets a woman unlike all the rest
Well, he doesn't know it yet but he's out of his depth
And he thinks he can run, it's a matter of pride
But he keeps coming back like a cork on the tide
Well, the years hurry by and the woman loves the man
Then one night in the dark she grabs hold of his hand
Says 'There, can you feel it kicking inside?!'
And the man gets a shiver right up and down his spine
Deeper water,
Deeper water,
Deeper water, is calling him on.
So the clock moves around and the child is a joy
But Death doesn't care just who it destroys
Now the woman gets sick, thins down to the bone
She says 'Where I'm going next, I'm going alone'
Deeper water,
Deeper water
On a distant beach lonely and wild
At a later time see a man and a child
And the man takes the child up into his arms
Takes her over the breakers
To where the water is calm
Deeper water,
Deeper water,
Deeper water, is calling them on
At the height of summer see a boy of five
At the water's edge so nimble and free
Jumping over the ripples, looking way out to sea
Now a man comes up from amongst the throng
Takes the young boy's hand and his hand is strong
And the child feels safe, yeah, the child feels brave
As he's carried in those arms up and over the waves
Deeper water,
Deeper water,
Deeper water, is calling him on
Let's move forward now and the child's seventeen
With a girl in the back seat tugging at his jeans
And she knows what she wants, she guides with her hand
As a voice cries inside him - "I'm a man, I'm a man!"
Deeper water,
Deeper water,
Deeper water, is calling him on.
Now the man meets a woman unlike all the rest
Well, he doesn't know it yet but he's out of his depth
And he thinks he can run, it's a matter of pride
But he keeps coming back like a cork on the tide
Well, the years hurry by and the woman loves the man
Then one night in the dark she grabs hold of his hand
Says 'There, can you feel it kicking inside?!'
And the man gets a shiver right up and down his spine
Deeper water,
Deeper water,
Deeper water, is calling him on.
So the clock moves around and the child is a joy
But Death doesn't care just who it destroys
Now the woman gets sick, thins down to the bone
She says 'Where I'm going next, I'm going alone'
Deeper water,
Deeper water
On a distant beach lonely and wild
At a later time see a man and a child
And the man takes the child up into his arms
Takes her over the breakers
To where the water is calm
Deeper water,
Deeper water,
Deeper water, is calling them on
Comments (5)add comment
i don't care for this guy's voice in the least.
like it. but i have to say it makes me think of warren zevon.
Brilliant!!! I got turned onto Paul Kelly by an Aussie friend a couple of years ago, and had the pleasure of seeing him in a small venue here in the States (Aussies can't be so lucky nowadays). Huge downunder, and virtually unknown here - shame.
Been a fan for years, back to the "Darlinhurst" (sic?) days.
The man has done a bunch of real fine stuff.
Thanks for adding my upload! This is one of my all time favorite songs - the full cycle of life divided into a handful of vivid moments, each step representing how we find ourselves in "deeper water." If I listen to this song in the right mood, it sends shivers through me. It might sound a bit simple and repetitive if you're not really paying attention, but there's a point to the repetition, and after more than a decade since this track came out, I've listened to it consistently and never tired of it.
If you haven't heard Paul Kelly before, I highly recommend him. Australian singer-songwriter, very highly regarded down under. He's equally adept at folk and rock, with the occasional jazzy number thrown in. He's been around for over 20 years, including time as front man of Paul Kelly and the Messengers (earlier known as Paul Kelly and the Coloured Girls, as in Lou Reed's lyric, "and the colored girls go doo-d-doo..."). His most recent solo work just came out this summer. He also does soundtrack work, including the outstanding score for the movie "Lantana."