Expert: Anne Dalmadge - 4/30/2004

Question
what is the song 'dont drink the water' talking about? is it about Vietnam? thanks

Answer
Don't drink the water: I think the song is about colonization (remember Dave grew up in South Africa where the British came in and colonized, if you look at the lyrics "Come out come out
No use in hiding
Come now come now
Can you not see?
There's no place here
What were you expecting
Not room for both
Just room for me
So you will lay your arms down
Yes I will call this home
Away away
You have been banished
Your land is gone
And given me
And here I will spread my wings
Yes I will call this home
What's this you say
You feel a right to remain
Then stay and I will bury you
What's that you say
Your father's spirit still lives in this place
I will silence you"
It's a very demanding tone. I also think its about Africa and the slave trade with... "Here's the hitch
Your horse is leaving
Don't miss your boat
It's leaving now
And as you go I will spread my wings
Yes I will call this home
I have no time to justify to you
Fool you're blind, move aside for me
All I can say to you my new neighbor
Is you must move on or I will bury you"
Again we see a very demanding, harsh tone...
"I live with my justice
I live with my greedy need
I live with no mercy
I live with my frenzied feeding
I live with my hatred
I live with my jealousy
I live with the notion"
Then probably the notion of murder, or genocide maybe.
"Don't drink the water
There's blood in the water" Like I said, I think it's about the British coming into Africa, and written from their point of view, to see what it's like.