Shark In The Water

Album: Travelling Like The Light (2009)
Charted: 34 67
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • English Indie pop singer Vanessa Brown records under the name of V.V. Brown. Before being snapped up by Island Records, she cut her teeth singing backing vocals for Madonna and the Pussycat Dolls in Los Angeles. Brown is also an established songwriter, whose credits includes hits for the Pussycat Dolls, ("I Don't Need A Man") and Sugababes ("Denial" and "No Can Do").
  • This was the third single taken from Brown's debut album Travelling Like The Light.
  • Brown told Digital Spy that the song title refers to anxiety. She explained: "I guess I'm trying to create a new phrase. When something's not quite right or there's some kind of a problem, you might say, 'Maybe there's a shark in the water.' The video expresses anxiety in a relationship situation, but generally I'd like the song to be a bit more ambiguous. It could be anxiety about anything."
  • Brown told MTV News the melancholic lyrics are "about a relationship when you're anxious about something and something's not quite right. A sense of paranoia."
  • The song has featured on a number of TV shows including The City and Ugly Betty. It was also used as a promo for the summer run of the 10th season of the hit Canadian teen show Degrassi.
  • Brown re-recorded the song in the Simlish language of The Sims and it featured in The Sims 3: Ambitions.
  • Two videos were made for this track. The first is about Brown finding out that her boyfriend is cheating on her, so she follows him around taking pictures of him with the other girl. The second version was shot to promote the U.S. release of Travelling Like The Light and features Brown performing at a carnival. The cast of Degrassi also appear in this clip.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Max Cavalera of Soulfly (ex-Sepultura)

Max Cavalera of Soulfly (ex-Sepultura)Songwriter Interviews

The Brazilian rocker sees pictures in his riffs. When he came up with one of his gnarliest songs, there was a riot going on.

History Of Rock

History Of RockSong Writing

An interview with Dr. John Covach, music professor at the University of Rochester whose free online courses have become wildly popular.

Martyn Ware of Heaven 17

Martyn Ware of Heaven 17Songwriter Interviews

Martyn talks about producing Tina Turner, some Heaven 17 hits, and his work with the British Electric Foundation.

Michael W. Smith

Michael W. SmithSongwriter Interviews

Smith breaks down some of his worship tracks as well as his mainstream hits, including "I Will Be Here For You" and "A Place In This World."

British Invasion

British InvasionFact or Fiction

Go beyond The Beatles to see what you know about the British Invasion.

Jethro Tull

Jethro TullFact or Fiction

Stage urinals, flute devices, and the real Aqualung in this Fact or Fiction.