Open Water Lyrics

[Verse 1]
Ten thousand men sleep down with Davy Jones
With stolen treasure they tithe

The open water chills me to my bones
But it's the only place that I feel alive

[Verse 2]
The ocean floor begins to disappear
I sense that terrible depth
The open water is my only fear
But I'll sail as long as I still have breath (in me)

[Chorus]
I'm starting to believe the ocean's much like You
'Cause it gives and it takes away


[Verse 3]
Between the devil and the deep blue sea
I stare into the abyss
The open water is an awful thing
But I'm anxious till the anchor is aweigh

[Chorus]
I'm starting to believe the ocean's much like You
'Cause it gives and it takes away
I'm starting to believe the ocean's much like You
'Cause it gives and it takes away
I'm starting to believe the ocean's much like You
'Cause it gives and it takes away

How to Format Lyrics:

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  • Lyrics should be broken down into individual lines
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About

Genius Annotation

This song is about the terrible vastness and beauty of the ocean – how it evokes fear of its power over us, but also a sense of awe in something so much greater than we are. In certain ways, the song compares the ocean with God.

In an interview with absolutepunk.net, Dustin Kensrue explained his use of water imagery:

Bautts: One of the biggest motifs throughout your career has been water and the ocean, and that’s the song that has that on this record. What about that topic brings you back to keep writing about it?

Kensrue: I don’t know, man. That’s just the way I think. There’s some truth to it, but I think the ocean is one of the best metaphors we have in nature for God. It’s beautiful. It’s untamable. It’s powerful and unsearchable. We know less about the ocean than we do about space, which is crazy. I think that’s a huge part about why I come back to it, but I’m not always consciously thinking in those terms.

In the liner notes, Dustin also comments on this song specifically:

I was listening to a lot of Slowdive and I wanted it to have some of the melancholy beauty. Nothing worth loving is safe to love.

Q&A

Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning

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