PJ Harvey is one of the great storytellers of modern pop-rock music. A gentle soul who often records songs focused on terrible violence and sin, the English songwriter is one of a kind, and “Down by the Water” is one of the greatest alternative rock songs of the 1990s.
But was there any truth to all of the numerous rumours started by the song? And how did PJ Harvey come to develop this song and such a striking sound? I’m trying to answer these questions here and not shying away from complimenting the artist’s incredible talent.
PJ Harvey’s Journey to Making “Down by the Water”
There was hardly ever a time when the critics did not love PJ Harvey. However, her commercial success is still an oddity, I think.
Polly Jean Harvey’s origin story is a famous one. She grew up on a farm in England, taught herself to play several instruments and by her teen years was active in several artsy alt-rock bands.
In the early ‘90s, she developed a rock trio that she called PJ Harvey and became an underground sensation with the album “Dry,” and its follow-up “Rid of Me.”
By the time of 1995’s “To Bring You My Love,” Harvey had reshaped both her band and her style of songwriting. She embraced a histrionic style of performing and opted to tell the stories of characters very much at the end of their ropes.
Of course, her personal charisma and the public’s interest made many, I think, assume that all of Harvey’s songs were written about herself. One of the defining compositions from that record, “Down by the Water,” has made many think it’s an autobiographical work. Is this true?
Meaning of the Lyrics to “Down by the Water”
PJ Harvey is easily one of the bravest songwriters in alternative rock, certainly, I think, one of the most courageous of the ones who achieved considerable fame.
By 1995, the singer-songwriter, partly inspired by Frank Black’s Pixies, was writing interesting, sadistic tales of murder and lack of repentance.
On “Down by the Water,” the main character tells of having an illegitimate daughter, drowning her and going mad. She sings “little fish, big fish swimming in the water, come back here, man, gimme my daughter” while returning to the scene of the crime.
The success of the song, produced by Flood, who worked with U2, and frequent collaborator John Parish, made many assume the worst about PJ Harvey. She laments the order by saying that “Down by the Water” is “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. To be quite honest, I don’t really know what it is for me, myself, yet – which I don’t mind because I’d much rather leave it for other people to do what they want with anyway.“
Later, she recalled the bizarre attention she received during this period, telling Spin in 2005 that: “Some critics have taken my writing so literally to the point that they’ll listen to ‘Down by the Water’ and believe I have actually given birth to a child and drowned her.“
PJ Harvey’s Music Video for “Down by the Water”
The music video for “Down by the Water” was directed by Maria Mochnacz and was integral to the song’s success. A high-budget production, the promo features Harvey dancing in a red satin dress while wearing a heavy amount of make-up and doing what she later called “Joe Crawford on acid” impression.
MTV played the song often during 1995 and even nominated it for the 1995 MTV Video Music Awards.
The song was also nominated for a Grammy for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance in 1996 and greatly increased PJ Harvey’s profile.
“Down by the Water” and PJ Harvey’s Legacy
I think that Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain would’ve gladly switched careers with PJ Harvey. While the English songwriter is highly respected, she achieved the kind of success that offered her both a career and a measure of anonymity.
“To Bring You My Love” sold 125.000 copies, mainly in England. It was a Top 40 hit, also, in Australia and the U.S.A. However, you’ll be hard-pressed to find one single piece of rock criticism unfavourable to PJ Harvey.
And while the artist continued to do excellent, challenging, occasionally darkly funny work, the dark psycho-blues of “Down by the Water” is, perhaps, her shining moment.
