Bring Me Some Water

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. 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:

"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."[1]

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.[2]

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 22 November 1995 episode of the VH1 Duets series;[3] and Kelly Clarkson on the 17 September 2009 VH1 Divas concert special.[4]

Bring Me Some Water was remade by American blues artist Koko Taylor and recorded on her 2000 album, Royal Blue.[5]

The song did not chart on the US Billboard Hot 100 but was a hit on the Album Rock Tracks chart where it reached No. 10. The single was very successful in the Canadian and Australian single charts.

All songs written by Melissa Etheridge.

1. "Bring Me Some Water" – 3:52
2. "Occasionally" – 2:36

• 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

• 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

• Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics