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Bring Me Some Water

{{Short description|1988 single by Melissa Etheridge}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2022}}

{{Infobox song

| name = Bring Me Some Water

| cover = Bring me some water.jpg

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = Melissa Etheridge

| album = Melissa Etheridge

| B-side = Occasionally

| released = 1988

| recorded =

| studio = Cherokee I (Los Angeles)

| genre = Rock

| length = 3:52

| label = Island

| writer = Melissa Etheridge

| producer =

  • Craig Krampf
  • Kevin McCormick
  • Melissa Etheridge
  • Niko Bolas

| prev_title =

| prev_year =

| next_title = Don't You Need

| next_year = 1988

| misc = {{Extra album cover

| header = Alternative covers

| type = single

| border =

| alt =

| caption = Cassette single cover{{deletable file-caption|Tuesday, 17 December 2024|PROD}}

}}

}}

"Bring Me Some Water" is a song by American singer Melissa Etheridge. 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 Album Rock Tracks 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 while her girlfriend, Kathleen, lived elsewhere, so Etheridge had reluctantly agreed to make theirs a non-monogamous relationship.{{cn|date=July 2020}} 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:

{{quote|"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."Greatest Hits: The Road Less Traveled at 15:30}}

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.Greatest Hits: The Road Less Traveled at 17:30

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 November 22, 1995, episode of the VH1 Duets series;{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QhzuR1SYlw |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/4QhzuR1SYlw| archive-date=December 12, 2021 |url-status=live|title=Bring Me Some Water|date=April 13, 2008 |via=www.youtube.com}}{{cbignore}} and Kelly Clarkson on the September 17, 2009 VH1 Divas concert special.{{Cite web|url=http://www.vh1.com/video/shows/vh1-divas-2009/438081/vh1-divas-2009-kelly-clarkson-and-melissa-etheridge-perform-bring-me-some-water.jhtml#id=1621663|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100215090200/http://www.vh1.com/video/shows/vh1-divas-2009/438081/vh1-divas-2009-kelly-clarkson-and-melissa-etheridge-perform-bring-me-some-water.jhtml#id=1621663|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 15, 2010|title=Show Performance | VH1 Divas (2009) | VH1 Divas 2009: Kelly Clarkson and Melissa Etheridge Perform "Bring Me Some Water"|date=February 15, 2010}}

"Bring Me Some Water" was remade by American blues artist Koko Taylor and recorded on her 2000 album, Royal Blue.{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/royal-blue-mw0000608906|title=Royal Blue - Koko Taylor | Songs, Reviews, Credits|website=AllMusic}}

Track listings

All songs were written by Melissa Etheridge.

7-inch and Australian cassette single{{cite AV media notes|title=Bring Me Some Water|others=Melissa Etheridge|year=1988|type=US 7-inch single sleeve|publisher=Island Records|id=7-99287}}{{cite AV media notes|title=Bring Me Some Water|others=Melissa Etheridge|year=1988|type=Australian cassette single sleeve|publisher=Island Records|id=C 645}}

:A. "Bring Me Some Water" – 3:52

:B. "Occasionally" – 2:36

UK 12-inch and CD single{{cite AV media notes|title=Bring Me Some Water|others=Melissa Etheridge|year=1988|type=UK 12-inch single sleeve|publisher=Island Records|id=12 IS 393}}{{cite AV media notes|title=Bring Me Some Water|others=Melissa Etheridge|year=1988|type=UK CD single liner notes|publisher=Island Records|id=CID 393}}

  1. "Bring Me Some Water" – 3:52
  2. "Occasionally" – 2:36
  3. "I Want You" – 4:07

Australian 12-inch single{{cite AV media notes|title=Bring Me Some Water|others=Melissa Etheridge|year=1988|type=Australian 12-inch single sleeve|publisher=Island Records|id=X 14669}}

:A1. "Bring Me Some Water"

:B1. "Occasionally"

:B2. "Similar Features" (live)

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

Charts

{{col-begin}}

{{col-2}}

=Weekly charts=

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

!Chart (1988–1989)

!Peak
position

{{single chart|Australia|9|artist=Melissa Etheridge|song=Bring Me Some Water|rowheader=true|access-date=October 22, 2020}}
{{single chart|Canadatopsingles|34|chartid=8683|rowheader=true|access-date=October 22, 2020}}
{{single chart|New Zealand|17|artist=Melissa Etheridge|song=Bring Me Some Water|rowheader=true|access-date=October 22, 2020}}
scope="row" |Quebec (ADISQ){{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151129063315/http://bibnum2.banq.qc.ca/bna/palmares/2010-Anglo-Allophone/Anglo-Compilation_succes_ordre_alpha_interpretes.pdf|url=http://bibnum2.banq.qc.ca/bna/palmares/2010-Anglo-Allophone/Anglo-Compilation_succes_ordre_alpha_interpretes.pdf|title=Palmarès de la chanson anglophone et allophone au Québec|publisher=BAnQ|date=19 November 1988|access-date=22 June 2025|archive-date=29 November 2015|language=fr|url-status=dead}}

|align="center"|28

{{single chart|UK|100|date=19890506|rowheader=true|access-date=October 22, 2020}}
{{single chart|Billboardmainstreamrock|10|artist=Melissa Etheridge|rowheader=true|access-date=October 22, 2020}}

{{col-2}}

=Year-end charts=

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

!Chart (1989)

!Position

scope="row"|Australia (ARIA){{cite book|last=Ryan|first=Gavin|title=Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010|year=2011|publisher=Moonlight Publishing|location=Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia}}

|82

{{col-end}}

References

{{Reflist}}

{{Refbegin}}

  • Melissa Etheridge and Laura Morton: The truth is..., Random House 2002
  • Greatest Hits: The Road Less Traveled bonus DVD
  • [http://musicmoz.org/Bands_and_Artists/E/Etheridge,_Melissa/Discography/Singles/Bring_Me_Some_Water/ "Bring Me Some Water" at musicmoz.com]

{{Refend}}

{{Melissa Etheridge}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:1988 songs

Category:1988 debut singles

Category:Island Records singles

Category:Melissa Etheridge songs

Category:Song recordings produced by Niko Bolas

Category:Songs written by Melissa Etheridge