Page type: lyric reference
Artist: Colin Hay
Canonical path: /colin-hay-band/don-t-drink-the-water
Related lyric paths: 6
Video embedded: yes
Lyric guide
Don't Drink the Water
Read Don't Drink the Water lyrics by Colin Hay on LyroVerse, with linked artist context and related song paths.
person
Curated by Ethan Walker
LyroVerse team
Reference snapshot
The page facts to cite before the commentary
Use this page for the lyric text, linked artist context, and any LyroVerse editor's note attached to the song. Listener comments remain user-generated and should not be treated as the primary source.
Lyrics
Don't Drink the Water
The lyric stays readable and compact here; the note and related paths sit nearby so you do not lose the song while looking for context.
May I give you some good advice
May save your life one day
Before you take pleasure
You should think twice
Or else you have to pay
You can drink French champagne
'til the night is gone but
Don't drink the water
In this world you can have all you want
But don't drink the water
Lying on the sand on the Jersey shore
Opened up my eyes
They say life is a beach
But I'm not so sure
It made me realize
You can sit in the sun
And watch your skin burn
But you can't swim in the water
There's garbage on a barge
And it's in your front yard
And you can't swim in the water
I may stumble
I may fall
Won't you please pick me up
Or at least give me a call
And if I get a thirst
A thirst that could kill
Pour me a glass
Of cool clear water
Up in the highlands of beautiful green
It's a drinkers paradise
Overhead fighters make sounds so obscene
I swear up at the skies
After Chernobyl
I drink Scotch that's old
But I don't drink the water
You can sit by the stream until you get cold
But don't drink the water
I may wander
I may stray too far
I may often stumble from the whisky in the jar
But I no longer hide my face or try to run away
It's time to join the human race
And make the bastards pay
May I give you some good advice
May save your life one day
Before you take pleasure
You should think twice
Or else you have to pay
You can drink French champagne
'til the night is gone but
Don't drink the water
In this world you can have all you want
But don't drink the water
But don't drink the water
But don't drink the water
Quick answers
What this page can answer fast
Who performs "Don't Drink the Water"?
Colin Hay performs "Don't Drink the Water", and this lyric page sits inside the Colin Hay catalog on LyroVerse.
Are there related songs to explore after "Don't Drink the Water"?
Yes. The related section below points to People Just Love To Play With Words and Against The Tide with a short reason for opening each page next.
Where can I find more songs by Colin Hay?
Use the artist link near the top of the page or the related paths section below to keep moving through Colin Hay's lyric pages.
Song Room
Open Song Room
Interpretations, questions, and corrections for this song
Interpretations, questions, memories, and correction notes live together here. The room stays noindex while the best insights are reviewed.
Listener comments
What people are saying
No listener comments on Don't Drink the Water yet.
A strong comment here is specific: the phrase you keep hearing, the mood you come back for, or the reason this song stays in rotation.
Sign in to post the first listener note. Reporting stays open to everyone.