Waterlow is a simple song nonetheless it is poignant, painful, and emotionally heart-felt about Hunter's divorce and loss of his children, son Steven, and daughter Tracie. Originally a Mott The Hoople track on Wildlife, it was written in 1970. Waterlow Park is a 26-acre space in the south east of Highgate Village in north London. It is near Suicide Bridge where the family went and fed the birds. Hunter married young and had two children by the time he joined Mott which no doubt caused a rift in the family. Ian grew his hair out for the band and his music and domestic life was not in the cards. Hunter's ex-wife was dead set against the change in Ian. However, Hunter feels that this song is the best thing he ever did.
Torstein Flakne was exceptional on the Strings Attached effort and gave Hunter chills with his contribution on guitar.
Ian Hunter On Track for Sonicbond Publishing, TheDoctorOfDigital@pm.me
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waterlow_Park
Waterlow Park is a 26-acre (11 ha) park in the south east of Highgate Village, in north London. It was given to the public (i.e. the London County Council[1]) by Sir Sydney Waterlow, as "a garden for the gardenless" in 1889
Waterlow
(Ian Hunter)
I followed the night till the morning sunlight
And I thought of the changing times
And I followed the child with the evergreen smile
And the blue broken tears start to cry
Blue broken tears hide away the years
Misty highway seems colder today
And I saw a Waterlow where the evergreen grows
And the wise man knows why he crys
And I heard a child call 'You're away from us all'
And the blue broken tears start to rise
Blue broken tears ain't nobody here
Lost in the sun my only young one
Blue broken tears our love disappears
The evergreen dies drowned in my eyes
Waterlow (live 29/30th January 2002) | 3:48 | Originally a Mott The Hoople track. This live version (recorded Sentrum Scene, Oslo Norway) was issued on Strings Attached. |
Waterlow (live October 2010) | 3:56 | Originally a Mott The Hoople track. This live version (recorded at an unknown UK venue) was issued on Live In The UK 2010. |
Waterlow | 3:11 | Described as a 'Trio studio version', this is on Sampling In Reality and on Tilting The Mirror - Rarities (box set only). |