Still Waters (Run So Deep)

5 days ago by @joefahey

Liner Notes

This song originated from chilling out to "Aretha Live at Fillmore West" on Sunday morning. Apparently her producer wanted her to reach out to the hippies at the Fillmore so she sang several pop rock covers from the 60s and early 70s. I was mesmerized by the intro to "Bridge Over Troubled Waters" where the backup singers sang "Still Waters Run So Deep" over and over like a spiritual mantra. I looked to see if there were any existing songs with this title and there a few but I chose not to listen to any of them or not even try and capture what was on this track with Aretha Franklin & her band and recorded a 2-chord mantra with improv lyrics.

I mixed it forever but at some point I finally gave up on it and started fresh with lyrics and more chords till all hours last night. Then back at it today, continuing to rewrite the lyrics and chord progressions up until the moment I hit record. It still needs some figuring out but I thought I'd just go with this 3rd take I did for now.

#folk #acoustic #singersongwriter

Lyrics

Sitting in the back where the shadows loom
Eyes like poppies, ready to bloom
There’s no conversation, but if you listen close,

You’ll hear the analog echoes of a laid-off ghost

Still waters run so deep

There’s a fire in the silence, secrets that they keep
They don’t need to shout, they don’t need to prove
But there’s a whole world underneath the blue

You could walk the red carpet like a fire ablaze
Or keep the cool running without all that praise

Not every truth swims in a turbulent sea
Some are as calm as a whispering tree

Still waters run so deep

There’s a fire in the silence, secrets that they keep
They don’t need to shout, they don’t need to prove
But there’s a whole world underneath the blue

You can’t judge the sky by the calm of the sea
A whisper can hold more than thunder to me
The quiet ones carry the heaviest load,

While the loudmouths echo down the canyon road

Still waters run so deep

There’s a fire in the silence, secrets that they keep
They don’t need to shout, they don’t need to prove
But there’s a whole world underneath the blue

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