"Red Water (Christmas Mourning)" is a song by Type O Negative, included on their fourth album October Rust, released in 1996. This inspirational song is about Pete's father dying on Christmas morning as well as three other of his family members since the previous Christmas. The verse deals with the grief while chorus deals with how to cope with the pain from the personal standpoint. The song was written to cope with the pain. 'Red water' in the title refers to the red wine used to ‘chase them away’.
After beginning with horns, two Christmas carols can be heard in them—the first is the slow keyboard rhythm of "Carol of the Bells" and slide guitar, then following a midsection, there's "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" overlaid with the sounds of howling blizzard, an ornament falling off the Christmas tree, and a young girl crying.
For more information about this song, go here.
Lyrics[]
Wake up, it's Christmas mourn
Those loved have long since gone
The stockings are hung but who cares?
Preserved for those no longer there
Six feet beneath me sleep
Black lights hang from the tree
Accents of dead holly
Whoa mistletoe
(It's growing cold)
I'm seeing ghost
(I'm drinking old)
Red water
Red water
(Red water)
Red water chase them away
My tables been set for but seven
Just last year I dined with eleven
Goddamn ye
Merry gentlemen
Whoa mistletoe
(It's growing cold)
I'm seeing ghosts
(I'm drinking old)
Red water
Red water
(Red water)
Red water chase them away
(Chase them away)
(Don't chase them away)
Personnel[]
Group performers
- Peter Steele – lead vocals, bass
- Kenny Hickey – guitar, additional vocals
- Josh Silver – keyboards, synth, backing vocals
- Johnny Kelly – live drums, percussion
Enginucers
- Peter Steele – writing, production
- Mike Marciano – engineering, mixing
- Josh Silver – drum programming, effects, production
- George Marino – mastering