What the Water Gave Me
Encyclopedia
"What the Water Gave Me" is a song by Florence and the Machine
, and the first song released from their second studio album, Ceremonials
(2011). It was written by Florence Welch with Francis White and produced by Paul Epworth
. After the band performed the song in Berkeley, California
on 12 June, 2011, the album version of the song premiered on Florence and the Machines official website. Later, the song was digitally released
in the United Kingdom on 23 August 2011, and internationally the following day. Welch decided to name the song "What the Water Gave Me" after seeing a Frida Kahlo
painting. During an interview she confirmed that the song was inspired by Virginia Woolf
, an English writer.
"What the Water Gave Me" is a art rock
and indie pop
song performed in tempo of 133 beats per minute. It contains several instruments into its composition, most notably harp
s and guitar. Critical reception towards the song were mostly positive with critics praising its folk-rock sound and highlighting Welch's vocals. The accompanying music video
for the song was filmed at Abbey Road Studios
and it showed the band recording and singing the song. Upon its release, the song made its way into several chart most notably at number 24 on the UK Singles Chart
. It also became the second song by Florence and the Machine which charted on the Billboard Hot 100
.
"What the Water Gave Me" was was written by Florence Welch and Francis Anthony "Eg" White
" and produced by Paul Epworth
. It was recorded in London at Abbey Road Studios
. The song was debuted by Florence and the Machine
during a live show in Berkeley, California
on 12 June, 2011. After that the band added the song to the set list
of their tour, Lungs Tour
and on 23 August 2011 the album version of the song premiered on Florence and the Machines official website.
Florence Welch elaborated on the title and meaning of the song: "It's a song for the water, because in music and art what I'm really interested in are the things that are overwhelming. The ocean seems to me to be nature's great overwhelmer. When I was writing this song I was thinking a lot about all those people who've lost their lives in vain attempts to save their loved ones from drowning. It's about water in all forms and all bodies. It's about a lot of things; Virginia Woolf creeps into it, and of course Frida Kahlo
, whose painfully beautiful painting gave me the title." During an interview with NME
, Welch revealed how she looked in Frida Kahlo painting by saying, "At lot of the time when I'm writing, things will just appear. I was writing the song and this book on symbolism
was lying around, and it had the painting in it. It's nice to mix the ordinary with extraordinary." She further stated that the song talked about "children who are swept out to sea, and their parents go in after them and try to rescue them."
wrote that the song consisted of "soaring gospel-rooted harmonies and tribal chants on top of ethereal harp strings and intense lyrics." Another writer for NME stated that the song starts as a gothic track from the '80s and compared it with songs by The Cure
and Siouxsie and the Banshees.
In the end of the song, Welch tries a "new, softly-softly vocal style" which is similar to Liz Fraser
and Harriet Wheeler
from The Sundays
. The Suns Gordon Smart concluded that the song "sounds more polished with rock guitars alongside a bit of the obligatory harp." Commenting the sound of the song, Jillian Mapes of Billboard
said that "'What the Water Gave Me' crescendos with a tribal intensity, balancing chants against an airy, whimsical harp." Spin
s William Goodman called the song "a surge of gospel-tinged pop with harp, piano, and throbbing bass driving under Welch's powerful vocals" Writing for the website HitFix, Katie Hasty said: "the harp line is just about the lightest part of the song, as the bass is overdriven and choirs, major crash cymbals and Welch's quiet-loud-quiet dynamics make for sad, bombastic, rattling -- yet euphoric -- poetry."
The main theme of the song is Virginia Woolf
's death; her walked into the water with her pockets filled with stones is the theme of the song. The title of the song was taken from a Frida Kahlo painting. A writer for The Guardian
wrote that in the song, "Welch [is] mixing images of suicide with declarations of undying love over fluttering harp and robust guitar." The song references to the sun, stones and Atlas
and according to NME it's an ode to the ominous inhabitants of Flora and Fauna-ville. According to the sheet music published on the website Musicnotes.com by Universal Music Publishing Group
, "What the Water Gave Me" is an indie pop
song set in a common time
and performed in tempo of 133 beats per minute. It's written in the key of C Minor
and Welchs vocal range in the song runs from the musical note of A♭3
to E♭5
.
gave it a rating of three-and-a-half stars writing that the song "opens softly, with Welch cooing slightly spooky pastoral poetry ("Time, it took us to where the water was")." However he further wrote, "soon enough, she's out-and-out howling about learning to let go after a failed relationship, ancient Greek giants and possibly drowning herself. Her veiled incantations feel like the stuff of myth, even if it's not entirely clear how the images relate to one another." Another writer of the same publication felt the song was "overwhelming in its bombast, yet delicate in its sonic detail."
Bill Lamb of the website About.com
gave the song 5 out of 5 stars and complimented the powerful concept, the "explosion" of musical joy in the closing minutes, Welch's engaging, ethereal vocals and the haunting words. He added that "for the final two minutes of the song restraint is abandoned and Florence and the Machine unleash something that sounds simply like revelatory joy." He finished his review by writing, "If there is justice in the US pop music world, 'What the Water Gave Me' will be the next 'Rolling In the Deep
.' It is a recording that shows us just how emotionally powerful and engaging a pop song can be." Writing for the website HitFix
, Katie Hasty concluded: "For a song that goes for 5+ minutes, about a legendary writer that drowns herself, titled for a famous painted work and performed by Florence + The Machine, the word 'epic' is perfectly acceptable."
James Montgmery of MTV News
praised the song calling it "epically massive" and and added that it "seems destined to rule the festival circuit for the foreseeable future." A writer for The Guardian concluded that the song "has enough melody to stop it from collapsing under the weight of its own drama. This delicate balance gives the song its edge." Entertainment Weekly
s Kyle Anderson praised the song calling it "lovely, passionate, and intense" and concluded that it was very different from the songs on Lungs
. He ended his review by saying that Welch, "put her new-found ability to summon string sections to excellent use." A writer of NME concluded, "The track builds into the kind of re-affirming epic that anyone would be proud of. A great way to follow up 'Lungs'. We think it's a winner." Gordon Smart of The Sun felt that the song was "epic and haunting" as the bands previous songs, "Dog Days Are Over
" and "Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)
". Rebecca Ford of The Hollywood Reporter
simply called the song "hypnotizing". Miami New Times
S. Pajot called the song "perfect soundtrack for lovesick self-sacrifice" before adding that it was very "sleepy".
On September 2011, Florence Welch sang "What the Water Gave Me" live in the Chanel show in Paris which was sea themed, she came out of a shell while the models walked in a deep sea all white set, the collection as well as Welch's performance gained excellent reviews.
which was the bands second appearance on the chart after "Dog Days Are Over
" from the album Lungs. On the Australian Singles Chart
, "What the Water Gave Me" debuted at number thirty five on 11 September 2011 and it fell to number forty three the next week. In New Zealand, the song debuted at number 15 on 28 August 2011 and it fell to number 35 the next week. It performed better on the UK Singles Chart
where it peaked at number 24 on 3 September 2011 and in Ireland where it peaked at number 13.
. The video shows footage of the band working with producer Paul Epworth during recording sessions at Abbey Road Studios
, interspersed with shots of Welch performing the song. A writer of the magazine Rolling Stone praised the video saying that it founds the band "pushing their secular gospel sound to an explosive extreme." Leah Collins writing for Dose
concluded that the video contained several kaleidoscopic
performances and added that "the glimpses of the studio" proves that it was "more raucous" because of the table-dancing. Jillian Mapes of Billboard
said that "Florence gets giddy in the studio and ethereal on stage" for the video. Emily Cronin of the British Elle
stated, "the video packs all the witchy vocals and diaphanous gowns we could have hoped for into five and a half minutes, with a choir and one jaunty fedora thrown in." She further described the video as "taster".
Florence and the Machine
Florence and the Machine is the recording name of English musician Florence Welch and a collaboration of other artists who provide music for her voice. Florence and the Machine's sound has been described as a combination of various genres, including rock and soul...
, and the first song released from their second studio album, Ceremonials
Ceremonials
Ceremonials is the second studio album by English indie pop band Florence and the Machine, released in the United Kingdom on 31 October 2011 by Island Records. The album is noted for having a larger, more baroque pop sound than its predecessor, Lungs, with critics drawing comparisons to art rock...
(2011). It was written by Florence Welch with Francis White and produced by Paul Epworth
Paul Epworth
Paul Epworth is an award-winning British music producer, musician, and songwriter. His production credits include Adele, Cee Lo Green, Florence and the Machine, Plan B, Friendly Fires, Bloc Party, Primal Scream, The Rapture, Jack Peñate, Kate Nash and Maxïmo Park.-Lomax:From 2002-2004 Paul provided...
. After the band performed the song in Berkeley, California
Berkeley, California
Berkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
on 12 June, 2011, the album version of the song premiered on Florence and the Machines official website. Later, the song was digitally released
Music download
A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...
in the United Kingdom on 23 August 2011, and internationally the following day. Welch decided to name the song "What the Water Gave Me" after seeing a Frida Kahlo
Frida Kahlo
Frida Kahlo de Rivera was a Mexican painter, born in Coyoacán, and perhaps best known for her self-portraits....
painting. During an interview she confirmed that the song was inspired by Virginia Woolf
Virginia Woolf
Adeline Virginia Woolf was an English author, essayist, publisher, and writer of short stories, regarded as one of the foremost modernist literary figures of the twentieth century....
, an English writer.
"What the Water Gave Me" is a art rock
Art rock
Art rock is a subgenre of rock music that originated in the United Kingdom in the 1960s, with influences from art, avant-garde, and classical music. The first usage of the term, according to Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, was in 1968. Influenced by the work of The Beatles, most notably their Sgt...
and indie pop
Indie pop
Indie pop is a genre of alternative rock music that originated in the United Kingdom in the mid 1980s, with its roots in the Scottish post-punk bands on the Postcard Records label in the early '80s, such as Orange Juice, Josef K and Aztec Camera, and the dominant UK independent band of the mid...
song performed in tempo of 133 beats per minute. It contains several instruments into its composition, most notably harp
Harp
The harp is a multi-stringed instrument which has the plane of its strings positioned perpendicularly to the soundboard. Organologically, it is in the general category of chordophones and has its own sub category . All harps have a neck, resonator and strings...
s and guitar. Critical reception towards the song were mostly positive with critics praising its folk-rock sound and highlighting Welch's vocals. The accompanying music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for the song was filmed at Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios is a recording studio located at 3 Abbey Road, St John's Wood, City of Westminster, London, England. It was established in November 1931 by the Gramophone Company, a predecessor of British music company EMI, its present owner...
and it showed the band recording and singing the song. Upon its release, the song made its way into several chart most notably at number 24 on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. It also became the second song by Florence and the Machine which charted on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
.
Background
Eg White
Francis Anthony "Eg" White is a British musician, songwriter and producer. White is primarily known for his work with successful commercial pop acts such as Adele, Duffy, Will Young and James Morrison...
" and produced by Paul Epworth
Paul Epworth
Paul Epworth is an award-winning British music producer, musician, and songwriter. His production credits include Adele, Cee Lo Green, Florence and the Machine, Plan B, Friendly Fires, Bloc Party, Primal Scream, The Rapture, Jack Peñate, Kate Nash and Maxïmo Park.-Lomax:From 2002-2004 Paul provided...
. It was recorded in London at Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios is a recording studio located at 3 Abbey Road, St John's Wood, City of Westminster, London, England. It was established in November 1931 by the Gramophone Company, a predecessor of British music company EMI, its present owner...
. The song was debuted by Florence and the Machine
Florence and the Machine
Florence and the Machine is the recording name of English musician Florence Welch and a collaboration of other artists who provide music for her voice. Florence and the Machine's sound has been described as a combination of various genres, including rock and soul...
during a live show in Berkeley, California
Berkeley, California
Berkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
on 12 June, 2011. After that the band added the song to the set list
Set list
A set list, or setlist, is a document that lists the songs that a band or musical artist intends to play, or has played, during a specific concert performance...
of their tour, Lungs Tour
Lungs Tour
-Support acts:* Golden Silvers * The XX * Parallels * Voicst * Frankie & The Heartstrings...
and on 23 August 2011 the album version of the song premiered on Florence and the Machines official website.
Florence Welch elaborated on the title and meaning of the song: "It's a song for the water, because in music and art what I'm really interested in are the things that are overwhelming. The ocean seems to me to be nature's great overwhelmer. When I was writing this song I was thinking a lot about all those people who've lost their lives in vain attempts to save their loved ones from drowning. It's about water in all forms and all bodies. It's about a lot of things; Virginia Woolf creeps into it, and of course Frida Kahlo
Frida Kahlo
Frida Kahlo de Rivera was a Mexican painter, born in Coyoacán, and perhaps best known for her self-portraits....
, whose painfully beautiful painting gave me the title." During an interview with NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
, Welch revealed how she looked in Frida Kahlo painting by saying, "At lot of the time when I'm writing, things will just appear. I was writing the song and this book on symbolism
Symbolism (arts)
Symbolism was a late nineteenth-century art movement of French, Russian and Belgian origin in poetry and other arts. In literature, the style had its beginnings with the publication Les Fleurs du mal by Charles Baudelaire...
was lying around, and it had the painting in it. It's nice to mix the ordinary with extraordinary." She further stated that the song talked about "children who are swept out to sea, and their parents go in after them and try to rescue them."
Composition
"What the Water Gave Me" is five and half minutes long and contains ethereal vocals, harps, and British folk-rock. A gospel organ and choir along with "trilling" guitars provide instrumentation in "What the Water Gave Me". According to Bill Lamb of About.com, "the song breaks down into a near a capella chorus three minutes into the song in gorgeous fashion, but it is only a foreshadowing of what is to come." A writer for Los Angeles TimesLos Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
wrote that the song consisted of "soaring gospel-rooted harmonies and tribal chants on top of ethereal harp strings and intense lyrics." Another writer for NME stated that the song starts as a gothic track from the '80s and compared it with songs by The Cure
The Cure
The Cure are an English rock band formed in Crawley, West Sussex in 1976. The band has experienced several line-up changes, with frontman, vocalist, guitarist and principal songwriter Robert Smith being the only constant member...
and Siouxsie and the Banshees.
In the end of the song, Welch tries a "new, softly-softly vocal style" which is similar to Liz Fraser
Liz Fraser
Liz Fraser is an English actress, mainly in comedy roles.- Life and career :Her birthdate is usually attributed as 1933, the year she gave when auditioning for her role in I'm All Right Jack, as the Boulting Brothers wanted someone younger for the part...
and Harriet Wheeler
Harriet Wheeler
Harriet Wheeler is the lead singer of the 1980s/1990s alternative rock band, The Sundays.-Early years:Wheeler grew up in Sonning Common, near Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, the daughter of an architect and a teacher. She was enrolled as an English literature student at Bristol University when she...
from The Sundays
The Sundays
The Sundays were an English alternative rock band. The band formed in the late 1980s and released three albums in the 1990s.-Career:The band's beginnings came with the meeting of Harriet Wheeler and guitarist David Gavurin at university. Wheeler had played gigs with 'Cruel Shoes' an early...
. The Suns Gordon Smart concluded that the song "sounds more polished with rock guitars alongside a bit of the obligatory harp." Commenting the sound of the song, Jillian Mapes of Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
said that "'What the Water Gave Me' crescendos with a tribal intensity, balancing chants against an airy, whimsical harp." Spin
Spin (magazine)
Spin is a music magazine founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione Jr.-History:In its early years, the magazine was noted for its broad music coverage with an emphasis on college-oriented rock music and on the ongoing emergence of hip-hop. The magazine was eclectic and bold, if sometimes haphazard...
s William Goodman called the song "a surge of gospel-tinged pop with harp, piano, and throbbing bass driving under Welch's powerful vocals" Writing for the website HitFix, Katie Hasty said: "the harp line is just about the lightest part of the song, as the bass is overdriven and choirs, major crash cymbals and Welch's quiet-loud-quiet dynamics make for sad, bombastic, rattling -- yet euphoric -- poetry."
The main theme of the song is Virginia Woolf
Virginia Woolf
Adeline Virginia Woolf was an English author, essayist, publisher, and writer of short stories, regarded as one of the foremost modernist literary figures of the twentieth century....
's death; her walked into the water with her pockets filled with stones is the theme of the song. The title of the song was taken from a Frida Kahlo painting. A writer for The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
wrote that in the song, "Welch [is] mixing images of suicide with declarations of undying love over fluttering harp and robust guitar." The song references to the sun, stones and Atlas
Atlas (mythology)
In Greek mythology, Atlas was the primordial Titan who supported the heavens. Although associated with various places, he became commonly identified with the Atlas Mountains in north-west Africa...
and according to NME it's an ode to the ominous inhabitants of Flora and Fauna-ville. According to the sheet music published on the website Musicnotes.com by Universal Music Publishing Group
Universal Music Publishing Group
Universal Music Publishing Group is a music publishing company and is part of the Universal Music Group.UMPG owns or administers more than 1 million copyrights. They are one of the largest music publishing businesses in the world with more than 47 offices in 41 countries...
, "What the Water Gave Me" is an indie pop
Indie pop
Indie pop is a genre of alternative rock music that originated in the United Kingdom in the mid 1980s, with its roots in the Scottish post-punk bands on the Postcard Records label in the early '80s, such as Orange Juice, Josef K and Aztec Camera, and the dominant UK independent band of the mid...
song set in a common time
Time signature
The time signature is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats are in each measure and which note value constitutes one beat....
and performed in tempo of 133 beats per minute. It's written in the key of C Minor
C minor
C minor is a minor scale based on C, consisting of the pitches C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. The harmonic minor raises the B to B. Changes needed for the melodic and harmonic versions of the scale are written in with naturals and accidentals as necessary.Its key signature consists of three flats...
and Welchs vocal range in the song runs from the musical note of A♭3
A (musical note)
La or A is the sixth note of the solfège. "A" is generally used as a standard for tuning. When the orchestra tunes, the oboe plays an "A" and the rest of the instruments tune to match that pitch. Every string instrument in the orchestra has an A string, from which each player can tune the rest of...
to E♭5
E (musical note)
E or mi is the third note of the solfège.When calculated in equal temperament with a reference of A above middle C as 440 Hz, the frequency of Middle E is approximately 329.628 Hz. See pitch for a discussion of historical variations in frequency.-Designation by octave:...
.
Critical reception
"What the Water Gave Me" was praised by music critics, several of whom labelled the song "epic". Fan reaction towards the song was also positive. While reviewing the song, Simon Vozick-Levinson of the magazine Rolling StoneRolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
gave it a rating of three-and-a-half stars writing that the song "opens softly, with Welch cooing slightly spooky pastoral poetry ("Time, it took us to where the water was")." However he further wrote, "soon enough, she's out-and-out howling about learning to let go after a failed relationship, ancient Greek giants and possibly drowning herself. Her veiled incantations feel like the stuff of myth, even if it's not entirely clear how the images relate to one another." Another writer of the same publication felt the song was "overwhelming in its bombast, yet delicate in its sonic detail."
Bill Lamb of the website About.com
About.com
About.com is an online source for original information and advice. It is written in English, and is aimed primarily at North Americans. It is owned by The New York Times Company....
gave the song 5 out of 5 stars and complimented the powerful concept, the "explosion" of musical joy in the closing minutes, Welch's engaging, ethereal vocals and the haunting words. He added that "for the final two minutes of the song restraint is abandoned and Florence and the Machine unleash something that sounds simply like revelatory joy." He finished his review by writing, "If there is justice in the US pop music world, 'What the Water Gave Me' will be the next 'Rolling In the Deep
Rolling in the Deep
"Rolling in the Deep" is a song recorded by English singer-songwriter Adele for her second studio album, 21. The song was written by Paul Epworth and Adele, who described it as a "dark blues-y gospel disco tune". It was first released on 29 November 2010 as the lead single of the album.The song has...
.' It is a recording that shows us just how emotionally powerful and engaging a pop song can be." Writing for the website HitFix
HitFix
HitFix, or the HitFix.com is an entertainment news website that launched in December 2008 specializing in breaking entertainment news, insider information and providing reviews and critiques of film, music and television...
, Katie Hasty concluded: "For a song that goes for 5+ minutes, about a legendary writer that drowns herself, titled for a famous painted work and performed by Florence + The Machine, the word 'epic' is perfectly acceptable."
James Montgmery of MTV News
MTV News
MTV News is the news division of MTV, one of the first and most popular music television network in the U.S., as well as some of MTV's related channels around the world. MTV News began in the late 1980s with the program The Week In Rock, hosted by Kurt Loder, the first official MTV News correspondent...
praised the song calling it "epically massive" and and added that it "seems destined to rule the festival circuit for the foreseeable future." A writer for The Guardian concluded that the song "has enough melody to stop it from collapsing under the weight of its own drama. This delicate balance gives the song its edge." Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
s Kyle Anderson praised the song calling it "lovely, passionate, and intense" and concluded that it was very different from the songs on Lungs
Lungs (album)
Lungs is the debut album by English indie pop band Florence and the Machine, released 6 July 2009 by Island Records. The album debuted at number two on the UK Albums Chart for five weeks after its release, behind The Essential Michael Jackson compilation. On 10 January 2010 the album returned to...
. He ended his review by saying that Welch, "put her new-found ability to summon string sections to excellent use." A writer of NME concluded, "The track builds into the kind of re-affirming epic that anyone would be proud of. A great way to follow up 'Lungs'. We think it's a winner." Gordon Smart of The Sun felt that the song was "epic and haunting" as the bands previous songs, "Dog Days Are Over
Dog Days Are Over
"Dog Days Are Over" is the second single released by Florence and the Machine from their debut album Lungs. It was originally scheduled for release on November 24, 2008 through Moshi Moshi Records in the UK but was later pushed back for release on December 1, 2008...
" and "Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)
Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)
"Rabbit Heart " is a 2009 single by British indie rock band, Florence and the Machine. It was released on the Universal Island Record Label and Moshi Moshi Records on 21 June 2009. It is their second most successful single to-date, peaking at 12 on the UK Singles Chart, only bettered by the cover...
". Rebecca Ford of The Hollywood Reporter
The Hollywood Reporter
Formerly a daily trade magazine, The Hollywood Reporter re-launched in late 2010 as a unique hybrid publication serving the entertainment industry and a consumer audience...
simply called the song "hypnotizing". Miami New Times
Miami New Times
The Miami New Times is a free weekly newspaper published in Miami and distributed every Thursday. It primarily serves the Miami area and is headquartered near Miami's Design District.-Overview:...
S. Pajot called the song "perfect soundtrack for lovesick self-sacrifice" before adding that it was very "sleepy".
On September 2011, Florence Welch sang "What the Water Gave Me" live in the Chanel show in Paris which was sea themed, she came out of a shell while the models walked in a deep sea all white set, the collection as well as Welch's performance gained excellent reviews.
Chart performance
The song debuted at number 91 on the Billboard Hot 100Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
which was the bands second appearance on the chart after "Dog Days Are Over
Dog Days Are Over
"Dog Days Are Over" is the second single released by Florence and the Machine from their debut album Lungs. It was originally scheduled for release on November 24, 2008 through Moshi Moshi Records in the UK but was later pushed back for release on December 1, 2008...
" from the album Lungs. On the Australian Singles Chart
ARIA Charts
The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...
, "What the Water Gave Me" debuted at number thirty five on 11 September 2011 and it fell to number forty three the next week. In New Zealand, the song debuted at number 15 on 28 August 2011 and it fell to number 35 the next week. It performed better on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
where it peaked at number 24 on 3 September 2011 and in Ireland where it peaked at number 13.
Music video
A video for the song premiered on YouTube on 23 August 2011. Welch also shared the news about it on her official TwitterTwitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
. The video shows footage of the band working with producer Paul Epworth during recording sessions at Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios is a recording studio located at 3 Abbey Road, St John's Wood, City of Westminster, London, England. It was established in November 1931 by the Gramophone Company, a predecessor of British music company EMI, its present owner...
, interspersed with shots of Welch performing the song. A writer of the magazine Rolling Stone praised the video saying that it founds the band "pushing their secular gospel sound to an explosive extreme." Leah Collins writing for Dose
Dose (magazine)
Dose is a daily Canadian news website and former daily print magazine.Dose was a mixture of standalone features and coverage of daily news, sometimes from an irreverent perspective...
concluded that the video contained several kaleidoscopic
Kaleidoscope
A kaleidoscope is a circle of mirrors containing loose, colored objects such as beads or pebbles and bits of glass. As the viewer looks into one end, light entering the other end creates a colorful pattern, due to the reflection off the mirrors...
performances and added that "the glimpses of the studio" proves that it was "more raucous" because of the table-dancing. Jillian Mapes of Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
said that "Florence gets giddy in the studio and ethereal on stage" for the video. Emily Cronin of the British Elle
Elle (magazine)
Elle is a worldwide magazine of French origin that focuses on women's fashion, beauty, health, and entertainment. Elle is also the world's largest fashion magazine. It was founded by Pierre Lazareff and his wife Hélène Gordon in 1945. The title, in French, means "she".-History:Elle was founded in...
stated, "the video packs all the witchy vocals and diaphanous gowns we could have hoped for into five and a half minutes, with a choir and one jaunty fedora thrown in." She further described the video as "taster".
Charts
| Chart (2011) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Rock Songs Rock Songs Rock Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks the airplay of songs on alternative, mainstream rock and triple A radio stations. The first chart was published in the issue dated June 20, 2009. "Know Your Enemy" by Green Day was the first number-one song. The Rock Songs... (Billboard) |
41 |
Release history
| Country | Release date | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 23 August 2011 | Digital download Music download A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment... |
Island Records Island Records Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group... |
| United States | 24 August 2011 | ||
External links
- Official music video at YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....