Sometimes a headline is metaphorical and the actual subject of the episode will be deepest, darkest emotional responses to life changing events.
Not on this occasion. The episode is actually about still bodies of water. Although that is not to say that some of the aquatic references won’t have a metaphorical quality. I doubt the Gilla Band’s excellently robust song Backwash is about the annoying splashback you suffer when someone dives off the top swimming board or you’re standing by a puddle at the bus stop.
We did do an Over The Oceans episode about 18 months ago and this isn’t about seas, oceans, major lakes, gulfs and channels. Although - trivia alert - they do constitute roughly 99% of the water on the planet. No, this is rather an episode about non-tidal, non-saline water. I have stretched to one canal, because the chances of me doing an episode dedicated to canals are vanishingly small, so I’ve given it sanctuary here.
I have steered away from rivers, on the whole as they’re quite big - although Down by the River (Neil Young) and River (Joni Mitchell) are excellent in their own half-a-century-ago-vibe way. I might do a separate episode about rain because that’s surprisingly fertile territory. But, again, to stress, not canals.
It’s a sad thing about canals. They were the big new technology 200 years ago. Canals everywhere. Famously there are more in Birmingham than Venice (though I haven’t fact checked this - maybe it’s an urban myth). Then along came the railways and now there are endless waterways only fit for an ironic holiday.
Still waters can run deep, of course. Maybe not in a watercooler though.
Tracklist:
Tread water, De La Soul
Water table, Cola
By the water’s edge, The Bevis Frond
Canal side running, Harpans Kraft
Watercooler, Grandaddy
Deep murky water, Honeyglaze
Love is a sign, The Go-Betweens
Water underground, Real Estate
Backwash, Gilla Band
Down by the water, P J Harvey
Living by the water, The Unthanks
Des ronds dans l’eau, Francoise Hardy
Moon begins, Florist