Pouring Water on a Drowning Man charted at #85 in the Billboard 100 and #23 in the R&B Chart in 1966. This song is so easy to listen to. Great guitar sound and Carr’s voice is wonderful. The small intro is worth it. He lived in Memphis and was called “the world’s greatest Soul Singer” but he had a bipolar disorder and that made it hard for him to tour because of the depression.
At one time he was mentioned along with Otis Redding and they had the same manager for a while. The guy had a great voice.
He toured Japan in1979 and stood motionless at the microphone as though in a hypnotic trance on many dates. He returned to Memphis, where he lived with his sister (in between institutionalizations), and spent much of the ’80s barely conscious of the world around him.
He did improve with medicine and in the 90s he did make an album, Take Me to the Limit and in 94 he released another album Soul Survivor. Soon after he died of lung cancer in 2001.
Pouring Water On A Drowning Man
You push me when I’m falling and you kick me when I’m down
I guess I missed my calling ’cause I should have been a clown
How much more, how much more could I stand
When you’re pouring water on a drowning man, I like that
Put me on the right track
And then you let me down
You stab me in the back, yes you do baby
Every time I turn around, oh
Criticize my loving
Won’t you try, just try to understand
You’re pouring water, I got to tell you about it, on a drowning man
You’re pouring water on a drowning man
You treat me like the fool that I am
You brag that I like everything you do
You put salt in my wounds it’s sad but it’s true
You warm me with your kissin’ then you leave me in the cold
How can I know your wishes, when you tell me, when I’ve never been told, alright
I cry in mercy baby, just try to understand
You’re pouring water, I got to tell you about it, on a drowning man, yeah
You’re pouring water, ha ha, you see I’m a drowning man
Oh I got tears in my eyes, I’m a drowning man
Don’t me drown, oh baby, I’m a drowning man
Don’t let me drown
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Elvis costello does a good cover of this…but THIS is the version. What a voice as well
I know the guitars have a simple tone but I love them also.
I find the simple stuff better for the most part…lets you hear the human on the other end
I agree… it’s pure and clean
I don’t think I’ve ever heard of him or the song. Thanks for sharing that!
I haven’t heard much of him at all… but I liked this right away.
Awesome song. Added to my library. Thanks Bad
Isn’t this a good one? I haven’t heard it a lot but it is full of soul.
I replied to you but it came as a new post.
By the way bad, you have to read this post I just come across. This woman writes incredibly funny stuff:
https://clevergirlwrites.com/2019/04/04/doctor-doctor-cant-you-see-im-burnin-burnin/
Oh yes I follow her and read her everytime she comes out with a post…she is funny.
Us bloggers are seemingly interconnected, funny that! She just told me she performs a variation of her character on stage. It’s fantastic material.
OMG, that was funny!
She is really funny…. all of her blogs
All? How many does she have?
Oh posts is what I meant.
Yes indeedy!
I really dig it. Yeh, soul, man.
Never heard of him or this song. Wow. He got some James Brown in him! HEY!
It’s good isn’t it? I barely know him but this is great.
That’s one helluva song. The lyrics are biting but truthful. I like that expression and might start using it. It’s too bad he struggled to maintain balance 🙁 I’m going to see if the library has any of his music.
I don’t know much about him but what a sound. I work with a guy from Memphis and he had heard of him because Carr was from there.
This wasn’t his biggest hit….I just liked it off the bat the first time I heard it