I had this song on my mind all yesterday afternoon, because the big news story in New York City was a woman arrested on suspicion of strangling her two year old son. Through the years, I’ve known a lot of people who love this song without ever really giving a thought to what it was actually about. Listen closely, try not to get too distracted by her sex appeal, and you’ll realize that PJ Harvey‘s international breakthrough single is about a woman drowning her daughter. Pretty grim, I know, but Down By The Water has one catchy ass hook, and Polly Jean really does have a hauntingly beautiful voice. Did I mention the sex appeal already?

^{If the embedded video doesn’t load, click to watch
PJ Harvey – Down By The Water at YouTube.}