Terricka Irving

Dr. Sterling

ENGL 1302

March 20, 2017

Chasing Waterfalls

Dont go chasing waterfalls, please stick to the rivers and the lakes that youre used to

is just one line from a truly iconic song. Waterfalls, which was written and performed by the

R&B supergroup TLC, was released in May of the year 1995. TLC has made timeless hits

throughout their musical career but Waterfalls stood out and is their most known song to date.

The song had an astounding message, a plethora of certifications and awards and a tremendous

legacy, which in my opinion makes it one of the greatest songs to ever be released.

The message of the song is about people who are willing to chase things that arent

necessarily healthy for them without thinking about the consequences that may follow. The song

uses strong examples to convey their central message. The examples include illegal drug trade,

HIV/AIDS, and promiscuity. In the very first verse of the song TLC starts singing about a mother

that is raising a child that is on the wrong path in life and has started to sell drugs. Towards the

end of the verse they go on to sing about how him selling drugs resulted in his death. So, he

goes out and he makes his money the best way he knows how, another body laying cold in the

gutter (TLC, 1995).

 In the second verse, TLC sings about a man who has a temptation for sex that he cannot

control. The unidentified man has continuous sex with a woman and over a period, he realizes a

change has been made in his appearance. We come to find out later that he has contracted HIV

from his sexual partner and later dies. One day he goes and takes a glimpse in the mirror, but he

doesn't recognize his own face. His health is fading and he doesn't know why. Three letters took

him to his final resting place (TLC, 1995). In the year 1995 alone, 4.7 million people contracted

the HIV/AIDS virus. This song brought an abundance of awareness to how serious and fatal the

virus is and people began to become more cautious. Waterfalls was the first song number one

song to ever reference HIV/AIDS in a verse.

Waterfalls has received so many awards and certifications. The song achieved number

one on the Billboard 100 list. It was in the top five in ten countries including Germany, Australia,

and the United States. Waterfalls has reached platinum certification in four countries including

the United Kingdom and United States. The song was nominated for four MTV Awards; Video of

the Year, Best Group Video, Best R&B Video, and the Viewer's Choice Award, winning all of

them. Waterfalls also received two Grammy nominations. It was number one on the charts for a

total of seven weeks. Waterfalls went on to sell over two million records worldwide while

CrazySexyCool, the album that Waterfalls was on, went on to become a diamond album, meaning

to sell over ten million copies in the United States alone. The album is the first diamond album

by a female group ever and it is the highest selling album for a female group in the United States.
 The incredible song went on to have a tremendous legacy and is listed one of the greatest

songs to ever be released by many reviewers and critics. Any list of the best singles of the 90s

that does not include this in the top 15 - at least - is among the worst lists ever written (Butler).

The music video also contributed to the songs legacy. TLC received had a million-dollar budget

and created a visual masterpiece to contribute to the fantastic song. The video plays out the

message and all of the scenarios in the song to give the audience a visual aid to follow along with

the lyrics. The song also had a huge impact with its HIV/AIDS audience and as stated above

brought worldwide awareness to the virus. TLC has always been advocates of sex safe so the

song coincided with their views. It was one of the first songs to have socially conscious lyrics in

mainstream media.

TLCs Waterfalls is and always will be in my opinion one of the greatest songs to be

released. Whether its the meaningful message, the certifications, or the impactful legacy the

song left behind, it was definitely destined for greatness once released. Its deep transcending

lyrics impacted the world and made many people start to evaluate their life choices because the

consequences that may come. The chorus refrain, Dont go chasin waterfalls/Please stick to the

rivers and the lakes that youre used to, is one of those phrases that can be applied to almost

every person in some situation or another (Johnno).

 Works Cited

Johno. TLC Waterfalls. One A Day RSS, www.1songday.com/2010/02/tlc-waterfalls/. Accessed

23 Mar. 2017.

Butler, Nick. TLC CrazySexyCool. TLC - CrazySexyCool (Album Review ) | Sputnikmusic,

www.sputnikmusic.com/review/2610/TLC-CrazySexyCool/. Accessed 23 Mar. 2017.

Klemmer, John T. Lyrics for Waterfalls by TLC. Song Meanings at Songfacts, BMG RIGHTS

MANAGEMENT US, LLC , www.songfacts.com/detail.php?lyrics=5115. Accessed 23

Mar. 2017.