Tread Water

Album: 3 Feet High and Rising (1989)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This surreal children's story set to a Hip-Hop beat features a crocodile sporting a daisy in his hat, a monkey that can't peel his bananas because of a bandaged hand, and a fish swimming in the bathroom sink. Despite its nursery rhyme lyrics, Posdnous told Melody Maker that the track has a serious side to it. "It's saying that when you're feeling down, when you feel like you're drowning, just keep going," he explained. "That's how it was for us, we had to keep striving towards a goal which always seemed to be shifting around. It's a push song and even if it sounds like we're talking to little kids, we're really talking to everybody."
  • The song samples Pennsylvania funk band People's Choice's single, "I Likes to Do It," which reached #38 on the Hot 100 in 1971.
  • The trio came up with the idea for the song in producer Prince Paul's room. "The sample just sounded so happy-go-lucky, skipping, playing hopscotch, the whole walking through the water and meeting animals and crocodiles and telling a story," Trugoy told Rolling Stone. "It's like a children's story. Paul was always instigating our foolishness. When we started talking about meeting Mr. Crocodile, his eyes just lit up. He was like, 'Yeah, you talk about Mr. Crocodile, and you talk about meeting Mr. Rabbit.' So blame that one on Paul."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Songs in Famous Movie Scenes: '80s Edition

Songs in Famous Movie Scenes: '80s EditionMusic Quiz

You know the scenes - Tom Cruise in his own pants-off dance off, Molly Ringwald celebrating her birthday - but do you remember what song is playing?

Colin Hay

Colin HaySongwriter Interviews

Established as a redoubtable singer-songwriter, the Men At Work frontman explains how religion, sobriety and Jack Nicholson play into his songwriting.

Cy Curnin of The Fixx

Cy Curnin of The FixxSongwriter Interviews

The man who brought us "Red Skies" and "Saved By Zero" is now an organic farmer in France.

Matthew Wilder - "Break My Stride"

Matthew Wilder - "Break My Stride"They're Playing My Song

Wilder's hit "Break My Stride" had an unlikely inspiration: a famous record mogul who rejected it.

Tom Johnston from The Doobie Brothers

Tom Johnston from The Doobie BrothersSongwriter Interviews

The Doobies guitarist and lead singer, Tom wrote the classics "Listen To The Music," "Long Train Runnin'" and "China Grove."

Justin Timberlake

Justin TimberlakeFact or Fiction

Was Justin the first to be Punk'd by Ashton Kutcher? Did Britney really blame him for her meltdown? Did his bandmates think he was gay?