Back in 1995, Bill Clinton was President, Bill Gates had just become the richest man in the world, and “Apollo 13” was a box office smash!
And on this exact day, July 8, 1995, TLC’s song “Waterfalls” hit No. 1 on the Billboard chart. It became the group’s signature song: serving as a warning against the pursuit of dangerous dreams while referencing gang violence, drugs, and unsafe sex. “Waterfalls” was actually the first No. 1 song to refer to AIDS and earned high praise for its socially conscious message.
The song was written by TLC’s Lisa “Left Eye” Lopez with Marqueze Etheridge and producer Organized Noize. It was performed by Lopes and her fellow TLC members, Rozonda “Chili” Thomas and Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins.
The song emphasizes sticking with “rivers and lakes that you’re used to,” a metaphor for safer habits. The waterfalls are the dangerous, riskier habits.
The song also includes a rap verse from Lopes that reflected the personal problems she was going through at the time. One year before “Waterfalls,” she set fire to her boyfriend’s mansion, Atlanta Falcons football player Andre Rison. She eventually pleaded guilty to arson and got probation and a $10,000 fine.
The music video features the three women performing in the ocean in front of a real waterfall. Watkins couldn’t swim and later said, “I thought I was gonna fall in. That’s why my feet are planted wide and still. You never see my feet move ever. You couldn’t move to the front or back, you could only go side to side.”
Whew – we admit we watched the video a little differently after learning that! Take a look!
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