Some songs perfectly capture the messy, contradictory, and sometimes dangerous nature of our relationships. They put words to feelings we’ve had but couldn’t quite name. “Water Towers on Fire” by The Heligoats, a standout track from their 2010 album Goodness Gracious, is one of those songs. It’s a raw, unsettling, and brilliant look into a connection that is equal parts admiration and destruction.
A Strange Kind of Admiration
The song begins with one of the most striking and paradoxical images in indie folk: “Water towers on fire / Take care of themselves.” It’s a picture of a disaster that is somehow self-sufficient. Songwriter Chris Otepka uses this as a twisted compliment for the person he’s singing to:
That’s what I like about you You are someone I admire Take care of your own damn problems Like a water tower on fire
Right away, we’re drawn to this person’s fierce, chaotic independence. They handle their own crises, even if it means they’re constantly in flames. It’s an ode to a strength that is both compelling and deeply alarming.
The Dark Turn
Just as you get comfortable admiring this fiery individual, the song pivots sharply into much darker territory. The mood shifts from respect to a chilling threat of control:
Now I’m taking off my belt It’s time I teach you a lesson
This single line changes everything. The relationship is suddenly not between equals. It’s a dynamic of power, punishment, and a desire to tame the very wildness that was just being praised. The admiration was never simple; it was tangled up with a need to exert influence, to control the beautiful, dangerous fire.
The Cost of Chaos
From there, the song lays bare the exhausting reality of this relationship. “Like a barrel full of monkeys / You are a fuckload of work,” Otepka sings, with a weariness that feels both frustrated and fond. He describes an addictive, high-stakes game:
You can string me along Make me laugh until my stomach caves in Or the string breaks and I’m down for the count
The laughter is so intense it’s painful, a perfect metaphor for a bond that is as thrilling as it is damaging. The narrator is a plaything, always on the edge of breaking, but seemingly unable to walk away.
The Final, Haunting Plea
What makes the song so devastating is its quiet, desperate ending. After detailing the pain, the work, and the looming threat of violence, the song concludes with a line repeated three times, each one sounding more heartbreaking than the last:
It sure is nice to know you like me around
In the end, all that matters is being wanted by this self-destructing, captivating force. It’s a raw confession of codependency, the need for validation from the very person who causes the pain.
“Water Towers on Fire” is a masterclass in songwriting, a short but powerful journey into the darkest corners of love. It leaves you with the haunting image of that burning tower—and the unsettling knowledge that we are often drawn to the things that are most likely to burn us.
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