"Bring Me Some Water" is a song by American singer

Melissa Etheridge Melissa Lou Etheridge (born May 29, 1961) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and guitarist. Her Melissa Etheridge (album), eponymous debut album was released in 1988 and became an underground success. It peaked at No. 22 on the Billbo ...

. It was released in 1988 as her debut single and became a hit in several countries, reaching the top 20 in Australia, New Zealand, and on the US ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

Album Rock Tracks Mainstream Rock is a music chart published by ''Billboard'' magazine that ranks the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations in the United States. It is an administrative category that combines the " active rock" and " heritage rock" fo ...

chart.

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 Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of 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: 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. Etheridge has collaborated with contemporary pop musicians on two notable recorded-live television performances of this song:

Joan Osborne Joan Elizabeth Osborne (born July 8, 1962) is an American singer, songwriter, and interpreter of music, having recorded and performed in various popular American musical genres including rock, pop, soul, R&B, blues, and country. She is best kn ...

, who appeared as one of several guest artists on the inaugural November 22, 1995, episode of the ''VH1 Duets'' series; and

Kelly Clarkson Kelly Brianne (born Kelly Brianne Clarkson, April 24, 1982), known professionally as Kelly Clarkson, is an American singer, songwriter, and television personality. Rising to fame after winning the American Idol season 1, first season of ''Ameri ...

on the September 17, 2009 ''

VH1 Divas VH1 hosted the first annual ''VH1 Divas'' concert in 1998. ''VH1 Divas Live'' was created to support the channel's Save the Music Foundation and subsequent concerts in the series have also benefited that foundation. The ''VH1 Divas'' concerts wer ...

'' concert special. "Bring Me Some Water" was remade by American blues artist Koko Taylor and recorded on her 2000 album, ''Royal Blue''.

Track listings

All songs were written by Melissa Etheridge. 7-inch and Australian cassette single :A. "Bring Me Some Water" – 3:52 :B. "Occasionally" – 2:36 UK 12-inch and CD single # "Bring Me Some Water" – 3:52 # "Occasionally" – 2:36 # "I Want You" – 4:07 Australian 12-inch single :A1. "Bring Me Some Water" :B1. "Occasionally" :B2. "Similar Features" (live)

Credits and personnel

* Melissa Etheridge –

acoustic guitar An acoustic guitar is a musical instrument in the string family. When a string is plucked, its vibration is transmitted from the bridge, resonating throughout the top of the guitar. It is also transmitted to the side and back of the instrument, ...

guitar The guitar is a stringed musical instrument that is usually fretted (with Fretless guitar, some exceptions) and typically has six or Twelve-string guitar, twelve strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming ...

vocals Singing is the art of creating music with the voice. It is the oldest form of musical expression, and the human voice can be considered the first musical instrument. The definition of singing varies across sources. Some sources define sing ...

Wally Badarou Waliou Jacques Daniel Isheola "Wally" Badarou (born 22 March 1955) is a French musician. Born in France with ancestry from Benin, West Africa, Badarou is known for his close association with the English group Level 42, and for his prolific wor ...

–

keyboard Keyboard may refer to: Text input * Keyboard, part of a typewriter * Computer keyboard ** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping ** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware Music * Mus ...

* Craig Krampf –

percussion A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a percussion mallet, beater including attached or enclosed beaters or Rattle (percussion beater), rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or ...

drums The drum is a member of the percussion instrument, percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel–Sachs classification system, it is a membranophones, membranophone. Drums consist of at least one Acoustic membrane, membrane, c ...

* Kevin McCormick –

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Wood * Bass or basswood, the wood of the tilia americana tree Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in th ...

* Johnny Lee Schell – guitar * Scott Thurston – keyboard *

Waddy Wachtel Robert "Waddy" Wachtel (born May 24, 1947) is an American musician, composer and record producer, most notable for his guitar work. Wachtel has worked as session musician for other artists such as Linda Ronstadt, Beth Hart, Stevie Nicks, Miranda ...

– 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

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

References

* Melissa Etheridge and Laura Morton: ''The truth is...'', Random House 2002 * ''Greatest Hits: The Road Less Traveled'' bonus DVD
"Bring Me Some Water" at musicmoz.com
{{Authority control 1988 songs 1988 debut singles Island Records singles Melissa Etheridge songs Song recordings produced by Niko Bolas Songs written by Melissa Etheridge