(Because hope deserves an anthem)
Give me something I can feel
This time I wanna rain dance for real
Wash the dust of dirty wheels
Give me the waters that could help me heal and
Hold the old me down
(Give me the waters that could help me heal)
Hold the old me down
(Let the rain come down)
On the thirsty ground
Let the rains come down
I want to drink the clouds
Like holy water
I felt like this when I was a boy
A firefly in Illinois
A pair of wings and an electric heart
Broken wings and a shot in the dark
With that fire in our eyes
(Lighting up the summertime sky)
With that fire in our eyes
(I felt so alive)
But now I’m praying for rain
I want to make that change
I got your blood in my veins
Like holy water
Sisters, sons, and daughters
Hold me down with the holy water
Blisters, guns, and fathers
Hold me down with the...
Sisters, sons, and daughters
Hold me down with the holy water
Like holy water
My head is aching like a riot
40 days in the desert pain
When I hear the lies I don’t buy it
Still looking for the desert rain and I
Fight the fire with the fire
I want to taste your love again and I
Let the flood rise higher
Wash the doubt away
Like holy water
Behind the Song:'It’s been a long drought in San Diego. We crave the rain- we long for it. A few weeks ago when I heard rain on the roof- I walked outside just to feel the water on my skin. Everyday on my way to the studio, I drive past fields that bear the scars of California wildfires. Twisted, dead trees on the barren black land. It’s the dark side of the moon, it’s a different planet- a charred reminder of the drought we’re in.
The other day as I was driving past this barren earth, I began to think of my inner landscape. How many times does my soul look similar: burned, dead ground- abandoned and longing for rain…I know what it’s like to be thirsty- thirsty for more than just water. When your very soul is parched and dry, longing for the heavens to open up. And this rain feels like holy water, it feels like a miracle- washing the world clean, bringing everything to life. A baptism. A second birth. Waking me up, bringing me back from the dead.
Musically, this song felt like a homecoming of sorts for us. For Fading West we wanted to create a soundtrack for the film. And with this in mind, Fading West had a very intentional, restricted use of the electric guitar. But for this record, we had no limitations. Playing Holy Water for the first time truly felt like we had picked up our guitars again after a few years of dust. It felt as if rock and roll had thrown us a welcome home party.' - Jon Foreman