Waterfalls (TLC song)

"Waterfalls" is an R&B song, written by TLC band member Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes with Marqueze Etheridge and Organized Noize, who also produced the song. Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas and Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins perform the song with Lopes, who also provides a rap verse (which is removed from some edits). The members of TLC, as well as Debra Killings and CeeLo Green, provide background vocals, while the improvised bass line is provided by LaMarquis "ReMarqable" Jefferson.{{cite web|url=https://basslessons.be/transcriptions.php?i=298|title=TLC - Waterfalls|last=www.basslessons.be|date=March 18, 2018}}{{cite web|url=https://vimeo.com/175445860|title=TLC - Waterfalls (Bass Cover) [Pedro Zappa]|first=Pedro|last=Zappa|date=July 19, 2016}}{{cite news|url=https://www.talkbass.com/threads/tlc-waterfalls-bassist.143584/|title=TLC "Waterfalls" bassist?|newspaper=Talkbass.com |date=September 14, 2004}} Of Green's involvement, Watkins noted, "He was in Goodie Mob, we grew up together, we go way back. He (sang on the track) and it was amazing! I love his voice."{{ cite web | url=http://www.fuse.tv/videos/2013/10/tlc-waterfalls-interview-ceelo | title=TLC Reflect on No. 1 Hit "Waterfalls," Detail Cee Lo's Involvement | first=Jeff | last=Benjamin | work=Fuse | publisher=The Madison Square Garden Company | date=October 22, 2013 | access-date=October 25, 2013 }} Green later recalled to The Guardian on March 22, 2008, "I was working at the same studio and of course I know the girls too, because we were on the same label, so they just asked me. I didn't realize at the time what a big song it was going to be."{{cite web|url= https://www.songfacts.com/facts/tlc/waterfalls|title=Waterfalls by TLC|website= Songfacts|accessdate= December 31, 2023}}{{cite magazine|last= Walthall| first= Catherine| date= March 18, 2022| title= The Meaning Behind TLC's "Waterfalls"| url= https://americansongwriter.com/meaning-behind-tlcs-waterfalls/| magazine= American Songwriter| location= Nashville, Tennessee| publisher= Savage Media Holdings| access-date= December 31, 2023}}

The song's lyrics refer to 1990s issues such as the HIV/AIDS epidemic and violence associated with the illegal drug trade.{{ cite web | url=http://buzzworthy.mtv.com/2011/06/17/tlc-waterfalls-video/ | title=Flashback Friday: TLC, 'Waterfalls' | first=Jamie | last=Peck | work=MTV Buzzworthy | publisher=Viacom | date=June 17, 2011 | access-date=October 25, 2013 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029193443/http://buzzworthy.mtv.com/2011/06/17/tlc-waterfalls-video/ | archive-date=October 29, 2013 | df=mdy-all }} Watkins said that it was important for the group to "get the message across without seeming like preaching."{{ cite web | url=http://www.vh1.com/music/tuner/2013-10-23/behind-the-song-tlc-waterfalls/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131025210941/http://www.vh1.com/music/tuner/2013-10-23/behind-the-song-tlc-waterfalls/ | url-status=dead | archive-date=October 25, 2013 | title=Behind The Song: TLC's "Waterfalls" + "No Scrubs" + "Unpretty" | first=Stacy | last=Lambe | work=VH1 | publisher=Viacom | date=October 23, 2013 | access-date=October 25, 2013 }}

The TLC song shares elements with Paul McCartney's song of the same name, which opens with the line "Don't go jumping waterfalls, please keep to the lake." McCartney himself noted the resemblance, stating "In fact, somebody had a hit, a few years ago, using the first line...then they go off into another song. It's like, 'Excuse me?'"{{cite news |url=https://www.avclub.com/paul-mccartney-1798211806 |title=Paul McCartney|newspaper=The A.V. Club|last= Siegal|first= Robert|date= June 27, 2007|access-date=July 17, 2024}}

Lopes' rap expresses personal problems that she was dealing with at the time. She had a very turbulent relationship with Atlanta Falcons football player Andre Rison, and on June 9, 1994, she burned numerous pairs of Rison's newly purchased tennis shoes in his fiberglass bathtub, which set his entire $2 million mansion ablaze. She pled guilty to arson and was sentenced to five years of probation and a $10,000 fine, but eventually reconciled with Rison.

"Waterfalls" received universal acclaim from music critics. J.D. Considine from The Baltimore Sun described it as "tuneful and intoxicating".{{cite news|first=J.D.|last=Considine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XrFJAAAAIBA|title=Books & Music: Album Reviews|work=The Baltimore Sun|via=Bangor Daily News|date=April 7, 1995|page=MW2|access-date=January 7, 2023|author-link=J.D. Considine}}{{Dead link|date=June 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} Entertainment Weekly viewed it as a "Prince-inspired ballad" that "hint[s] at the artistic greatness TLC might achieve if freed from commercial concerns".{{Cite magazine | url=https://ew.com/article/1994/11/18/music-review-crazysexycool/ | title=Music Review: 'CrazySexyCool' | magazine=Entertainment Weekly | date=November 18, 1994 | access-date=October 25, 2013 | archive-date=October 5, 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121005144320/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,304518,00.html | url-status=live }} Simon Price from Melody Maker felt the song "is worthy of the symbolic sex dwarf himself."{{cite magazine|first=Simon|last=Price|url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/nothingelseon/53459679266/|title=Albums|magazine=Melody Maker|date=May 13, 1995|page=38|access-date=January 13, 2024|author-link=Simon Price}} In a separate review, Price named it Single of the Week, writing, "'Waterfalls' is nothing we haven't already heard in 'Sign O' the Times' or 'The Message': a cautionary, moral tale about a bad livin' young brother who upsets his mom by gangbanging and ends up with Aids, and personally, I left all that behind with Aesop's fables. I'm more interested in the sonics here, the opulent Paisley Park-ish production, the way the freeze-dried, shrink-wrapped street soul beats are wickedly at odds with T-Boz's languorous, husky vocals and Left Eye and Chilli's river-of-clear-honey harmonics."{{cite magazine|first=Simon|last=Price|url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/nothingelseon/53486975156/|title=Singles|magazine=Melody Maker|date=June 24, 1995|page=34|access-date=January 26, 2024|author-link=Simon Price}} A reviewer from Music Week gave it four out of five, calling it "yet another radio-friendly hit", remarking that "TLC swap wackiness for a more mature affair".{{cite magazine|title= Reviews: Singles |magazine= Music Week |date= July 8, 1995 |page= 10 |access-date= May 10, 2021 |url= https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1995/Music-Week-1995-07-08.pdf}}

James Hamilton from the Record Mirror Dance Update deemed it a "slinkily croaking and cooing girls' US smash rolling slow sombrely worded message song".{{cite magazine|first= James |last= Hamilton |title= Dj directory |magazine= Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert) |date= August 5, 1995 |page= 11 |access-date= May 11, 2021 |url= https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1995/Music-Week-1995-08-05.pdf |author-link= James Hamilton (DJ and journalist)}} Charles Aaron from Spin described it as "a Princely cautionary groove, in which pop's most intriguing trio offers a more harshly vivid portrait—that of a loved one (who should have known better) gone wanna-be dopeman. When T-Boz croons, "She gives him loving that his body can't handle / But all he can say is baby it's good to me", her resigned frustration is palpable. And every time Left Eye raps, "Dreams are hopeless aspirations in hopes of comin' true", I wince a little."{{cite magazine|first=Charles|last=Aaron|title=Singles|magazine=Spin|date=October 1995|page=122|access-date=January 28, 2023|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rV8XFH6DQVcC&pg=PA122|author-link=Charles Aaron}} Nigel Butler of Sputnikmusic compared it to esteemed artists such as Sly and the Family Stone, Ray Charles and Stevie Wonder.{{cite web | url=https://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/2610/TLC-CrazySexyCool/ | title=Review: TLC – CrazySexyCool | first=Nick | last= Butler | work=Sputnikmusic | date=June 26, 2005 | access-date=October 25, 2013 }} Butler wrote, "The arrangement and instrumentation is absolutely fantastic - if a bunch of great melodies had an orgy, the result would something a little like this - and the lyrics are the best on an album that maintains a shockingly high standard of songwriting. Left-Eye drops the album's best rap on this track too."

The song was nominated for two Grammys at the 1996 Grammy Awards: Record of the Year and Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. Billboard named it No. 11 on their list of "100 Greatest Girl Group Songs of All Time".{{cite magazine|title=100 Greatest Girl Group Songs of All Time: Critics' Picks|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/7857816/100-greatest-girl-group-songs|magazine=Billboard|access-date=July 11, 2017}} It was also ranked 13th in VH1's "100 Greatest Songs of the Past 25 Years" and 8th on VH1's "100 Greatest Songs of the 1990s".{{cite web|url=http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news.aspx?id=20071212vh101 |title=Breaking News – VH1's '100 Greatest Songs of the 90s' Grunges Up as Nirvana's 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' Takes the No. 1 Spot |publisher=The Futon Critic |access-date=January 12, 2012}} In 2010, Billboard awarded the song the top position of summer songs in 1995.

The accompanying music video for "Waterfalls", directed by American director and producer F. Gary Gray and filmed at Universal Studios Hollywood from June 8–9, 1995, visualizes the two verses of the song, particularly during extended instrumental breaks after each verse:

• An inner-city teen (played by Shyheim) ignores the pleas of his mother (played by Ella Joyce) to quit selling drugs; her spirit stands in front of him silently begging him to stop, but he is shot dead by a rival dealer (played by Bokeem Woodbine) as he is about to make a sale on a street corner. At the end of the video, the dead teen's own spirit is futilely trying to embrace his mother as she walks down the street, but as she can no longer see him, she walks through his ghostly form each time.
• A woman (played by Gabrielle Bramford) eschews protection as she and her boyfriend (played by Paul J. Alessi) have sex. Over time, looking in a mirror, he notices that his face shows early symptoms of AIDS. A small twin photo frame nearby shows her picture in the left while a rapid montage of all her previous lovers flashes in the right. At the end, the two wordlessly sit at the edge of her bed as the man and his picture both fade away; the woman briefly sits alone until she and her picture also fade away, after which the unused condom appears in front of the now-empty frames.

The video also intercuts scenes of liquefied versions of TLC performing to the song while standing atop an ocean and performing in front of a real waterfall. Watkins later admitted that filming the group's scenes atop an ocean was very frightening, as they were standing on an unstable plastic platform and she was unable to swim;{{cite web | url=https://www.stereogum.com/2180357/the-number-ones-tlcs-waterfalls/columns/the-number-ones/| title=The Number Ones: TLC's "Waterfalls"| first=Tom | last= Breihan | work=Stereogum| date=March 25, 2022 | access-date=December 31, 2023 }} she recalled, "I thought I was gonna fall in. That's why my feet are planted wide and still. You never see my feet move ever. You couldn't move to the front or back, you could only go side to side." The numerous computer-generated effects were created by the visual design company Homer & Associates, which used motion capture technology to generate the images. The company used the same technique in their previous work on the video for "Steam" by Peter Gabriel and in the 1992 movie The Lawnmower Man.

In an interview with Billboard in 2021, Thomas explained that when discussing the video with Gray, she imagined the trio performing as water spirits, similar to the 1989 James Cameron movie The Abyss; Watkins conceptualized the storylines described in the verses, while Lopes pictured the trio traversing through outer space, passing planets before arriving on Earth; Gray modified Lopes' idea to show the trio coming straight from the sky.{{cite magazine|title=TLC Talk CrazySexyCool Celebration Tour and Remember Filming Iconic 'Waterfalls' Video: 'I Was So Scared'|url=https://www.billboard.com/pro/tlc-interview-crazy-sexy-cool-tour-waterfalls/|magazine=Billboard|date=August 16, 2021|access-date=December 31, 2023}}

As Clive Davis, the president of Arista at the time, initially disliked the song, TLC had to force their mentor L.A. Reid to convince Davis to allow release as a single and promotion for the song as well as the budget for the music video; the video went on to win four awards at the 1995 MTV Video Music Awards: Video of the Year, Best Group Video, Best R&B Video, and the Viewer's Choice Award. Watkins stated in retrospect that the "video spoke for a whole epidemic."

The song was performed at many awards shows, including the 1995 MTV Video Music Awards and the 1996 Grammy Awards. The group performed "Waterfalls" at the 1995 MTV Movie Awards wearing black tops and silver pants. The performance "was theatrical and kept true to the lyrical story."{{ cite web | url=http://popcrush.com/mtv-movie-awards-performances-tlc-waterfalls/ | title=MTV Movie Awards Performances: TLC, 'Waterfalls' | work=MTV | date=May 28, 2012 | publisher=Viacom | access-date=October 25, 2013 }} They also performed the song at MTV's 20th Anniversary on August 1, 2001, making it Left Eye's final performance with the group before her death. In September 1995, TLC performed "Waterfalls" in a medley with "Creep" and "Diggin' on You" on the British TV chart show Top of the Pops, aired on BBC One in the United Kingdom.

Remaining members T-Boz and Chilli performed the song along with Alicia Keys and fellow girl groups En Vogue and SWV at the 2008 BET Awards. Thomas and Watkins appeared on Good Morning America on October 15, 2013, to perform the song during promotion for the greatest hits 20 and the VH1 biopic CrazySexyCool: The TLC Story.{{ cite web | url=http://blog.zap2it.com/pop2it/2013/10/tlc-performs-waterfalls-other-hits-on-good-morning-america---watch.html | archive-url=https://archive.today/20131025050724/http://blog.zap2it.com/pop2it/2013/10/tlc-performs-waterfalls-other-hits-on-good-morning-america---watch.html | url-status=dead | archive-date=October 25, 2013 | title=TLC performs 'Waterfalls', other hits on 'Good Morning America' | first=Chris | last=Hayner | work=Zap2it | publisher=Tribune Media Services | date=October 15, 2013| access-date=October 25, 2013 }}

On November 24, 2013, TLC performed at the 2013 American Music Awards with special guest Lil Mama, who performed Left Eye's rap as a tribute to her.

In December 1995, NME ranked "Waterfalls" number 10 in their list of "NME Writers' Top 50 Singles of 1995".{{cite magazine|url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/nothingelseon/53619749750/|title=One Cup: NME Writers' Top 50 Singles|magazine=NME|date=December 23, 1995|page=25|access-date=May 9, 2024}} In 2009, the song was ranked number 32 on Entertainment Weekly's "The 100 Greatest Summer Songs", saying, "Sad stories from the ghetto, a buoyant hook, and a water image — '90s summer hits don't get any more timely or irresistible."{{cite web|url=http://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0,,20202850_18,00.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090629171640/http://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0,,20202850_18,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2009-06-29|title=The 100 Greatest Summer Songs: Nos. 50-26|work=Entertainment Weekly|date=2009|access-date=April 2, 2025}} In 2019, About.com included it in their ranking of "The Best 100 Songs From the 1990s". Bill Lamb stated that "slinky, gently insistent backing horns and guitar combine with smooth, languid vocals to create an instant R&B classic." He also felt that the song is "a disturbing commentary on street violence and its impact on the lives of young black men."{{cite web|author=Lamb, Bill|url=https://www.liveabout.com/top-songs-from-the-90s-3245307|title=The Best 100 Songs From the 1990s|publisher=About.com|date=September 7, 2019|access-date=April 7, 2020}} Same year, Daryl McIntosh from Albumism said it is "a rare example of perfect production, poignant songwriting, and flawless vocal delivery." McIntosh added, "The lyrics offer cautionary tales of the allure of street life and uncontrolled sexual exploration. Interwoven by the melodic chorus".{{cite web|first= Daryl |last= McIntosh |title= TLC's 'CrazySexyCool' Turns 25: Anniversary Retrospective |publisher= Albumism |date= November 14, 2019 |access-date= November 17, 2020 |url= https://www.albumism.com/features/tlc-crazysexycool-turns-25-anniversary-retrospective}} AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine wrote that "Waterfalls, "with its gently insistent horns and guitar lines and instantly memorable chorus, ... ranks as one of the classic R&B songs of the '90s."{{ cite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/crazysexycool-mw0000120130 |title=CrazySexyCool – TLC |work=AllMusic |publisher=All Media Network |access-date=October 25, 2013 }}

Christine Werthman from Complex wrote that it "is drenched in water-droplet synth notes, live drums, rising horns, and a bass line that walks wherever it pleases." She noted that "it's a heavy song, but the warnings in the verses are buoyed by a rich, singable chorus, which certainly helped it get radio play."{{cite magazine|first1= Christine |last1= Werthman |title= The Best 90s R&B Songs |magazine= Complex |date= October 8, 2019 |access-date= April 8, 2020 |url= https://www.complex.com/music/best-90s-r-b-songs/}} Jeff Benjamin of Fuse felt that the track was "far more than just another pop hit: The track told a cautionary tale of HIV and AIDS, and its video depicted a man who didn't wear a condom with his girlfriend and later watched his body degenerate in the mirror." Sputnikmusic's Butler asserted that "any list of the best singles of the 90s that does not include this in the top 15 — at least — is among the worst lists ever written." Australian music channel Max placed the song at No. 196 on their list of "1000 Greatest Songs of All Time" in 2012.{{cite web |title= Top 1000 Greatest Songs Of All Time – 2012 |publisher= Max |date= 2012 |access-date= April 27, 2020 |url= https://www.maxtv.com.au/top-1000-greatest-songs-of-all-time-2 |archive-date= April 25, 2020 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200425172245/https://www.maxtv.com.au/top-1000-greatest-songs-of-all-time-2 |url-status= dead }} In 2017, Paste ranked the song number two on their list of the 10 greatest TLC songs,{{cite web|url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/tlc/the-10-best-tlc-songs/#3-creep-|title=The 10 Best TLC Songs|first=Jon|last=O'Brien|work=Paste|date=June 30, 2017|access-date=March 11, 2022}} and in 2022, The Guardian ranked the song number one on their list of the 20 greatest TLC songs.{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2022/feb/24/tlcs-20-greatest-songs-ranked|title=TLC's 20 greatest songs - ranked!|first=Alexis|last=Petridis|work=The Guardian|date=February 24, 2022|access-date=March 11, 2022}} In October 2023, Billboard magazine ranked it among the "500 Best Pop Songs of All Time".{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/lists/best-pop-songs-all-time-hits/267-tlc-waterfalls/|title=The 500 Best Pop Songs: Staff List|magazine=Billboard|date=October 19, 2023|access-date=October 20, 2023}}

After Lopes' tragic death in a car crash in La Ceiba, Honduras on April 25, 2002, the lyrics to her verse were engraved upon her casket.

(*) indicates the list is unordered.

{{Unreferenced section|date=October 2018}}

{{col-begin}}

{{col-2}}

• US 7-inch and cassette single{{cite AV media notes|title=Waterfalls|others=TLC|year=1995|type=US 7-inch single vinyl disc|publisher=LaFace Records|id=73008-24107-7}}{{cite AV media notes|title=Waterfalls|others=TLC|year=1995|type=US cassette single sleeve|publisher=LaFace Records|id=73008-24107-4}}

:A. "Waterfalls" (single edit) – 4:19

:B. "Waterfalls" (album instrumental) – 4:42

• US 12-inch single{{cite AV media notes|title=Waterfalls|others=TLC|year=1995|type=US 12-inch single vinyl disc|publisher=LaFace Records|id=73008-24108-1}}

:A1. "Waterfalls" (single edit) – 4:19

:A2. "Waterfalls" (DARP remix) – 4:27

:A3. "Waterfalls" (album instrumental) – 4:42

:B1. "Waterfalls" (ONP remix) – 4:34

:B2. "Waterfalls" (ONP remix instrumental) – 5:19

:B3. "Waterfalls" (acappella) – 4:05

• US, Australian, and Japanese CD single{{cite AV media notes|title=Waterfalls|others=TLC|year=1995|type=US CD single liner notes|publisher=LaFace Records|id=73008-24108-2}}{{cite AV media notes|title=Waterfalls|others=TLC|year=1995|type=Australian CD single liner notes|publisher=LaFace Records|id=73008241082}}{{cite AV media notes|title=Waterfalls|others=TLC|year=1995|type=Japanese CD single liner notes|publisher=LaFace Records|id=BVCA-8804}}

1. "Waterfalls" (single edit) – 4:19
2. "Waterfalls" (ONP remix) – 4:34
3. "Waterfalls" (DARP remix) – 4:27
4. "Waterfalls" (album instrumental) – 4:42

• UK CD single{{cite AV media notes|title=Waterfalls|others=TLC|year=1995|type=UK CD single liner notes|publisher=LaFace Records, Arista Records, BMG|id=74321 29881 2}}

1. "Waterfalls" (no rap radio edit) – 3:32
2. "Waterfalls" (single version) – 4:19
3. "Waterfalls" (ONP remix) – 4:34
4. "Waterfalls" (DARP remix) – 4:27
5. "Waterfalls" (album instrumental) – 4:42

{{col-2}}

• UK 12-inch single{{cite AV media notes|title=Waterfalls|others=TLC|year=1995|type=UK 12-inch single sleeve|publisher=LaFace Records, Arista Records, BMG|id=74321 29881 1}}

:A1. "Waterfalls" (ONP remix) – 4:34

:A2. "Waterfalls" (single version) – 4:19

:B1. "Waterfalls" (DARP remix) – 4:27

:B2. "Waterfalls" (album instrumental) – 4:42

• UK cassette single{{cite AV media notes|title=Waterfalls|others=TLC|year=1995|type=UK cassette single sleeve|publisher=LaFace Records, Arista Records, BMG|id=74321 29881 4}}

1. "Waterfalls" (no rap radio edit) – 3:32
2. "Waterfalls" (DARP remix) – 4:27

• European CD single{{cite AV media notes|title=Waterfalls|others=TLC|year=1995|type=European CD single liner notes|publisher=LaFace Records, Arista Records, BMG|id=74321 29569 2}}

1. "Waterfalls" (no rap radio edit) – 3:32
2. "Waterfalls" (ONP remix) – 4:34

• Australian cassette single{{cite AV media notes|title=Waterfalls|others=TLC|year=1995|type=Australian cassette single sleeve|publisher=LaFace Records|id=73008241084}}

:A1. "Waterfalls" (single edit)

:A2. "Waterfalls" (DARP remix)

:A3. "Waterfalls" (album instrumental)

:B1. "Waterfalls" (ONP remix)

:B2. "Waterfalls" (ONP remix instrumental)

:B3. "Waterfalls" (album version)

{{col-end}}

{{col-begin}}

{{col-2}}

{{col-2}}

{{col-end}}

{{Certification Table Top}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Australia|artist=TLC|certyear=1995|type=single|award=Platinum|certref=}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Canada|type=single|artist=TLC|title=Waterfalls|award=Platinum|certyear=2019|access-date=September 29, 2020}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Denmark|type=single|artist=TLC|title=Waterfalls|award=Gold|id=12223|certyear=2023|access-date=March 16, 2023}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Germany|artist=TLC|title=Waterfalls|type=single|award=Gold|relyear=1999|relmonth=1|access-date=September 28, 2011}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=New Zealand|artist=TLC|title=Waterfalls|relyear=1995|certyear=2024|type=single|award=Platinum|number=3|source=radioscope|access-date=April 10, 2025|refname=nzcer}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Norway|relyear=1995|certyear=1996|nosales=true|artist=TLC|title=Waterfalls|type=single|award=Platinum|access-date=December 28, 2017}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|artist=TLC|title=Waterfalls|type=single|award=Platinum|number=2|relyear=1995|certyear=2025|id=8067-157-1}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|artist=TLC|title=Waterfalls|type=single|relyear=1999|award= Platinum|salesamount=1,200,000|salesref={{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3g4EAAAAMBAJ&q=best+selling+record+1995&pg=PA56|first=Don (January 20, 1996)|last=Jeffrey|title=Best-selling Records of 1995|magazine=Billboard|date=January 20, 1996|access-date=January 5, 2014}}}}

{{Certification Table Bottom|streaming=true|nosales=true}}

{{Infobox song

| name = Waterfalls

| cover =

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = Bette Midler

| album = It's The Girls!

| B-side =

| released = January 21, 2015

| recorded =

| studio =

| venue =

| genre = Pop

| length = 3:23

| label =

• Warner Bros.
• Eastwest

| writer =

• Marqueze Etheridge
• Lisa Lopes
• Organized Noize

| producer = {{hlist|Marc Shaiman|Scott Riesett}}

| prev_title = Be My Baby

| prev_year = 2014

| next_title = One Fine Day

| next_year = 2014

}}

"Waterfalls" was recorded by singer and actress Bette Midler for her fourteenth album, It's The Girls! (2014). The track was made into a ballad and has a much slower tempo and its production is stripped down with a piano and a soft drum beat echoing in the background. Midler's cover does not include the rap part of the song.

British girl band Stooshe recorded "Waterfalls" in November 2012. The band turned the track's rap, performed by Lisa Lopes, into a three-part harmony. A music video was released alongside the recording, which included a cameo from the two surviving members of TLC, Rozonda Thomas and Tionne Watkins.{{Cite AV media |url=https://m.imdb.com/title/tt9632478/fullcredits/cast?ref_=m_ttfc_2 |title=Stooshe: Waterfalls (Music Video 2012) - IMDb |language=en |access-date=2024-10-07 |via=m.imdb.com}} The music video featured Stooshe in a warehouse, standing on the top of a stage made of graffitied scaffolding. A group of modern and breakdancers performed below, acting out the storyline of the lyrics. Coloured water was used during the music video, and was sprayed over the set and dancers during the chorus of the song. Green Screen technology was also used on some of the lower scaffolding, to make it look like the graffiti was moving.{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?si=CXmHsEuRs9a26Au1&v=-BvFd5JLpxw&feature=youtu.be |title=Stooshe - Waterfalls (Official Video) |date=2012-10-07 |last=Stooshe |access-date=2024-10-07 |via=YouTube}} Stooshe later "disowned" their cover of Waterfalls, claiming that recording their version of the song wasn't their decision, and "wasn't supposed to happen."{{Cite web |date=2013-04-03 |title=Stooshe drop 'Waterfalls' from album |url=https://www.digitalspy.com/music/a470238/stooshe-disown-waterfalls-were-pretending-it-didnt-happen/ |access-date=2024-10-07 |website=Digital Spy |language=en-GB}}{{Clear}}

The song was referred to in the film The Other Guys as one of many references to songs by TLC made by one of the characters. Thomas and Watkins rerecorded "Waterfalls" with Japanese pop and R&B singer Namie Amuro in 2013 for the song's twentieth anniversary.{{cite web |url=http://instinctmagazine.com/post/heart-it-or-hate-it-tlc-re-record-iconic-waterfalls-track-namie-amuro |title=Heart It Or Hate It: TLC Re-Record Iconic 'Waterfalls' Track With Namie Amuro |first=Nigel |last=Campbell |work=Instinct |publisher=Instinct Publishing Inc. |date=June 14, 2013 |access-date=October 25, 2013 |archive-date=June 24, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180624035946/http://instinctmagazine.com/post/heart-it-or-hate-it-tlc-re-record-iconic-waterfalls-track-namie-amuro |url-status=dead }} The song peaked at No. 12 on Japan's Hot 100 chart. That same year, the song was referred to in the film We're the Millers as Will Poulter performs Lopes's rap.{{cite web |url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/earshot/tlc-were-millers-use-waterfalls-614570 |title=TLC on 'We're the Millers' Use of 'Waterfalls': 'It Warmed My Heart' The group TLC reunited and performed it for the 2013 American Music Awards with Lil' Mama |first=Michele Amabile |last=Angermiller |work=The Hollywood Reporter |date=August 26, 2013 |access-date=October 25, 2013 }} The song also appears in the film's end credits. In 2015, the horror-comedy show Scream Queens featured the song in the pilot and is referred to numerous times in other episodes. It appears in the 2019 Marvel Studios film Captain Marvel, which is set in 1995,{{cite web |last1=Shepherd |first1=Jack |title=Captain Marvel soundtrack: All the 90s songs featured in MCU film starring Brie Larson |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/captain-marvel-soundtrack-songs-90s-nirvana-hole-elastica-r-e-m-a8815461.html |website=The Independent |date=March 9, 2019 |access-date=March 23, 2019}} and in the 2009 film Couples Retreat.

{{Reflist}}

• The Billboard Book of Number 1 Hits (fifth edition)

• {{YouTube|8WEtxJ4-sh4|"Waterfalls" Music video}}

{{TLC songs}}

{{Stooshe}}

{{Namie Amuro songs}}

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{{MTV Video Music Award for Best Group Video}}

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Category:1990s ballads

Category:1994 songs

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Category:Arista Records singles

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Category:Songs written by Lisa Lopes

Category:Songs about drugs

Category:Songs about HIV/AIDS

Category:TLC (group) songs

Category:Warner Records singles