Holy Water | 5ive Songs

On the 100^th edition of 5ive Songs (2021), we select five songs that are associated with HOLY WATER in some form or fashion.

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elcome to 5ive Songs, where we keep things short and sweet – no extra calories or needless fluff! There’s a theme/topic, five songs, and a short blurb.  Yes, it’s a playlist, but it’s a miniature playlist that shouldn’t take much time to consume.  On the 100^th edition of 5ive Songs (2021), we select five songs that are associated with HOLY WATER in some form or fashion.  Okay, let’s get into it!

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1. Brett Eldredge, “Holy Water”

🎵 “Holy Water” • 🏷 Warner Music Nashville • 🗓 2021

“I got used to broken hearts / Watchin’ my world fall apart / Didn’t know I needed you / But now I do, now I do.” On 🎵 “Holy Water”, country singer/songwriter 🎙 Brett Eldredge keeps things relatively brief. Eldredge makes brevity sound so sweet.  “Holy Water” commences with rich piano, along with some light percussive touches – some hi-hat and tambourine. Once Brett starts singing, he delivers beautiful, robust, full-bodied vocals. He commands throughout “Holy Water,” upping the ante within the final 45 seconds – the most exciting portion of the record.

“Holy Water,” produced by 🎛 Dave Cobb, isn’t merely a piano ballad. It adds organ, giving the country joint a dash of gospel flavor! A record that percolates as it progresses, additional instrumentation includes soulful backing vocals, guitar, and of course, the full drum kit.  Also contributing to the success of this single is the theme and lyrics. The songwriting – Eldredge, 🎼✍ Heather Morgan, and 🎼✍ Mark Trussell – is #winning, particularly the chorus, by far the most memorable section:

“You are my holy water
You are my river thee
Wash me away and take me higher
‘Cause somethin’ ‘bout your love just sets me free
Somethin’ ‘bout your love just sets me free.”

That holy water isn’t associated with God, but rather, his significant other – his love!

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2. Lil Mosey, “Holy Water”

🎵 “Holy Water” • 🏷 Interscope • 🗓 2021 

🎵 “Holy Water” marked rapper 🎙 Lil Mosey’s first new single of 2021.The usual boxes are checked off for Mosey. He serves up his usual brand of melodic rap, where sometimes, the diction is, um, so-so.  Of course, that’s part of the style (syrupy vocals), and Mosey nails it in that regard.  Lyrically, he remains true to self, not doing or saying anything particularly surprising or unexpected.

“Run up on ’em like ‘Boom’ (Boom) / In a Wraith, I zoom (Skrrt off),” he spits on the first verse, continuing, “Need this panoramic view (Panoramic) / Shopping spree, we ran through (Shopping spree).” The centerpiece is the chorus, where the contents of the holy water he partakes of are questionable: “Wake up feeling good, drinking holy water, hey.” Beyond lyrics, the production by 🎛 Royce David is appealing; slick.  Overall, it’s warm in quality, with the rhythmic beat providing some punch. All in all, “Holy Water” is nothing earth-shattering or groundbreaking, but enjoyable and respectable overall.

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3. Galantis, “Holy Water”

💿 Church • 🏷 Atlantic • 📅 2020

In 2020, 🏆 Grammy-nominated, Swedish electronic production, songwriting, and DJ duo 🎙 Galantis (🎙 Christian Karlsson and 🎙 Linus Eklöw) returned with their third studio album, 💿 Church. 🎵 “Holy Water,” which appears as the fifth track on the LP.  “You are my church tonight / My holy view.” Let the Church say YES!

“Holy Water” features bright vocals courtesy of British singer 🎙 Cathy Dennis, who goes uncredited.  Even so, “Holy Water” wouldn’t have nearly the same ‘saving grace’ without her breathy vocals painting the major-key backdrop produced by Karlsson (🎛 Bloodshy), 🎛 Henrik Jonback, and 🎛 Jimmy ‘Svidden’ Koitzsch.  Furthermore, the lyrics are sweet, making references to spiritual things, even if the content is quite secular.

“I wanna drown in your holy water
You know a sin never felt so good
I wanna drown in your holy water
A-Amen (A-Amen, A-Amen).”

Also appears on 🔽:
🔗 🎧 13 Holy Songs That Are Holy in Name Only
🔗 🎧 13 Wet Songs About Water, Water, Water!

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4. Ro James, “Holy Water”

💿 ELDORADO • 🏷 ByStorm Entertainment / RCA• 📅 2016

“And when the rain gets to falling / It’s coming down on me / Feels like the weight of the world,” R&B singer/songwriter 🎙 Ro James (Ronnie James Tucker) asserts on the chorus of 🎵 “Holy Water.” “Holy Water” appears as the 10^th track on his 2016 debut album, 💿 ELDORADO.  On the centerpiece, he continues, “Was blind, but now I see that it’s just holy water / It reminds me not to lose my soul.” Gotta love those lyrics, not to mention the soulful pipes of James – so talented!

“I would give my soul, just to make you feel good, baby.” My, my, my, Ro! Crafting top-rate songwriting is Tucker, 🎼✍ Nathan Perez (who also produces – 🎛 Happy Perez), and 🎼✍ blackbear. The sound of the record is a nice blend of R&B with a hint of pop.  Thematically, James reflects on love (“Blue skies and the memories of you / Making me feel special”) as well as not losing one’s soul.  On the bridge, like the chorus, he asserts, “Say there is a ghost to remind me of me / Remind me not to lose my soul.”  My biggest takeaway from “Holy Water?” It’s a great song!

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5. Miranda Lambert, “Holy Water”

💿 Wildcard • 🏷 Vanner / Sony • 📅 2019

“Mmm, they’re sellin’ snake oil from the pulpit / At the church on main / They’re makin’ deals with the Devil / In the good Lord’s name.” Wow! On her seventh studio album, 💿 Wildcard, 🏆 Grammy-winning country artist 🎙 Miranda Lambert maintains consistency, adding another winning album to her discography.  Throughout the project, there are no shortage of musical gems. Among those musical gems is the fifth track, 🎵 “Holy Water.”

Picking up where the first verse left off, Miranda Lambert adds, “I’m stuck at home missin’ a dirty soul cleansin’ / Ain’t got a dime for the tithe / I believe amusing, personal communion / Can lead you right to the light.” Sure… “Holy Water” is a compelling cut, incorporating elements of gospel and funk, while remaining idiomatic of country. Lambert’s vocals are quite soulful, drawing from southern gospel music. The backing vocals further amplify the excellence of the song. Besides the colorful lyrics featured on the verses, the chorus is a selling point:

“Gimme some of that holy water
A bit of that holy water
Just a nip on that holy water
Holy water gonna make us drown.”

Also appears on 🔽:
🔗 🎧 13 Holy Songs That Are Holy in Name Only
🔗 🎧 13 Wet Songs About Water, Water, Water!

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Holy Water: 5ive Songs No. 100 (2021) [📷: Atlantic, Brent Faulkner, ByStorm Entertainment, Clovis Cheminot, The Musical Hype, OpenClipart-Vectors, Pixabay, RCA, Sony, Vanner]

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