Down by The Water

Album: Under Stars (2017)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This is Amy MacDonald's favorite track on Under Stars. She explained to The Sun: "It was the last song I wrote for the album and it came together relatively easily. The demo was sparse but it had a real magical feeling to it. I remember the response my managers had to that song and I really felt I was on to something special."
  • Like most of the other tracks on Under Stars, MacDonald wrote the song with her bass player Jimmy Sims and his songwriting partner Ben Parker.
  • The song features backing vocals from Juliet Roberts, who also joined Amy MacDonald at her sold-out Royal Albert Hall show in early 2017. The soul star is best known for her three 1990s UK Top 20 hits "Caught In The Middle," " So Good / Free Love 98" and "Bad Girls/I Like" as well as her turn on David Morales's classic dance track "Needin' U."
  • Amy MacDonald admitted to the Daily Record that Juliet Roberts wasn't the most obvious addition to the song but she didn't hesitate in getting her onboard once it was suggested.

    "She's brilliant. She has such an incredible voice," MacDonald said. "Down By the Water, the track she features on, was pretty much finished and the producers My Riot suggested we add her as they thought her vocals would work really well."

    "I trusted their judgment and they got her in," she continued. "I remember hearing the first version with her on it and getting goosebumps as it made it so much better. It's amazing to have her on the record. We have such different voices but they combine brilliantly."
  • The picturesque video was shot on the Isle of Sheppey in the South East of England and directed by Chris Turner at Favourite Colour Black. Turner said about the clip:

    "I was so pleased when Amy went for this idea for 'Down by The Water'. The song inspired beautiful imagery, and hinted at a story of sorts, but we wanted the narrative in the video to be abstract - to relate to the lyrics whilst allowing multiple interpretations.

    For me the song really tapped into that basic human feeling of being drawn back to the sea - the primeval need to return to the water."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Tony Joe White

Tony Joe WhiteSongwriter Interviews

The writer of "Rainy Night in Georgia" and "Polk Salad Annie" explains how he cooks up his Louisiana swamp rock.

Reverend Horton Heat

Reverend Horton HeatSongwriter Interviews

The Reverend rants on psychobilly and the egghead academics he bashes in one of his more popular songs.

The Police

The PoliceFact or Fiction

Do their first three albums have French titles? Is "De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da" really meaningless? See if you can tell in this Fact or Fiction.

Lecrae

LecraeSongwriter Interviews

The Christian rapper talks about where his trip to Haiti and his history of addiction fit into his songs.

Grateful Dead Characters

Grateful Dead CharactersMusic Quiz

Many unusual folks appear in Grateful Dead songs. Can you identify them?

Facebook, Bromance and Email - The First Songs To Use New Words

Facebook, Bromance and Email - The First Songs To Use New WordsSong Writing

Where words like "email," "thirsty," "Twitter" and "gangsta" first showed up in songs, and which songs popularized them.