Down by the Water (The Decemberists song)

Down by the Water is a song on the American indie rock band The Decemberists' sixth album, The King is Dead. It was released as a single in 2010.

"Down by the Water"
Single by The Decemberists
from the album The King is Dead
ReleasedNovember 2010
Recorded2010
GenreCountry rock[1]
Length3:42
LabelCapitol
Songwriter(s)The Decemberists, Colin Meloy
The Decemberists singles chronology
"The Rake's Song"
(2009)		 "Down by the Water"
(2010)		 "January Hymn"
(2010)

Lyrics and music

"Down By the Water" includes Peter Buck and singer-songwriter Gillian Welch, who contribute 12-string guitar and vocal harmonies, respectively.[2] It also features accordion riffs and heavy harmonica reminiscent of Neil Young;[3] particularly the song "Heart of Gold".[4] "Down By the Water" has been compared to the music of Bruce Springsteen.[5][6] It was featured for free download on November 2, 2010 on their official website. Meloy has said that The King Is Dead is more straightforward and heavily influenced by R.E.M.,[7] and "Down By the Water" is a prime example.[8] Meloy himself has said that the song "started out as more of a paean to R.E.M. than I think any of us really wanted it to be".[9]

Lyrically, "Down By the Water" is vaguely mournful.[10] It has been described as "folksy", "uptempo",[11] and "country-esque", and the chorus as "booming".[5] Though "Down By the Water" has been called "catchy" and radio-friendly, it is also said to lack the quality of prose found on earlier Decemberists' work.[3]

Release and reception

The song reached number 33 on the U.S. Rock songs chart.[12] It was favorably reviewed by critics. NPR considered it one of the top 100 songs of 2011.[13] It was ranked the 97th best song of the year by Pazz and Jop.[14] The song was nominated for both Best Rock Performance and Best Rock Song at the 54th Grammy Awards.[15]

Chart performance
Chart (2010) Peak
position
U.S. Adult album alternative[16] 2
U.S. Rock songs[12] 33
Japan Hot 100[17] 35

References
  1. Deiterman, Corey (February 17, 2014). "Five Great Rock/Country Crossovers". Houston Press. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
  2. "The Decemberists | News 11.2.10". The Decemberists Official site. November 2, 2010. Retrieved November 4, 2010.
  3. Brickner, Sara (November 2, 2010). "The Decemberists Share New Song From Upcoming Album, Attempt to Be As Much Like R.E.M. As Possible". Seattle Weekly. Seattle Weekly, LLC. Archived from the original on 4 April 2011. Retrieved November 4, 2010.
  4. Weiner, Juli (November 3, 2010). "Blog That Tune! "Down By the Water," by the Decemberists". Vanity Fair. Condé Nast Digital. Retrieved November 8, 2010.
  5. Jones, Colin (November 8, 2010). "Free Music Monday: The Decemberists, Stereolab and Michael Jackson". Death & Taxes magazine. Retrieved November 8, 2010.
  6. Alvarez, Daniel (November 5, 2010). "The Week in Singles: New Music From Quincy Jones and Amy Winehouse, Bruce Springsteen, the Decemberists, and more". Crawdaddy!. Retrieved November 8, 2010.
  7. Jessica (November 2, 2010). "The Decemberists –". Stereogum. BUZZMEDIA Music. Retrieved November 4, 2010.
  8. Zeidses des Plantes, Erik (November 3, 2010). "Down by the water". Prefix magazine. prefixmag.com. Retrieved November 4, 2010.
  9. Wolk, Douglas (November 4, 2010). "Colin Meloy Reveals Details of New Decemberists Album". Rolling Stone. Jann S. Wenner. Retrieved November 4, 2010.
  10. Vestal, Shannon (November 3, 2010). "Buzz Sugar". Buzz Sugar. Entertainment Hourly. Retrieved November 4, 2010.
  11. Warner, Brett (November 3, 2010). "Listen To This: New Music From The Decemberists". ...ology. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved November 4, 2010.
  12. "The Decemberists Chart History: Rock Songs". Billboard. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
  13. "NPR Music's 100 Favorite Songs Of 2011". NPR. December 14, 2011. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
  14. Pazz & Jop: Top 48 Singles of 2011
  15. White, Ryan (November 30, 2011). "The Decemberists score two Grammy nominations for 'Down By The Water'". The Oregonian. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
  16. "The Decemberists Chart History: Triple A". Billboard. Retrieved February 6, 2018.
  17. "The Decemberists – Chart History: Japan Hot 100". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved March 1, 2015.
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