Introduction:
Dwight Yoakam’s “Waterfall” is a delightful and somewhat whimsical track that stands out within his broader body of work. It comes from his 2012 album “3 Pears,” an album that showcased a revitalization of Yoakam’s creative energy. To understand the song, it’s essential to consider the context of the album itself.
“3 Pears” marked a period of renewed artistic exploration for Yoakam. After a period of relative quiet, he returned with an album that blended his signature Bakersfield sound with a more eclectic and playful approach. “Waterfall” is a prime example of this. The song’s origins are rooted in a moment of rediscovery. Yoakam has described how the song was inspired by him playing around with guitars in his collection, finding a small, three-quarter acoustic guitar that he had not played in some time.
By placing a capo on the guitar, he changed the resonance, which sparked the musical foundation for “Waterfall.” From there, the playful lyrics began to flow. The song is characterized by its lighthearted and almost surreal imagery, where Yoakam offers his beloved a series of fantastical gifts, including, of course, a waterfall. This whimsical approach is somewhat of a departure from the more traditional and often melancholic themes found in much of his earlier work.
The song highlights a facet of Yoakam’s artistry that displays his ability to be playful, and to utilize clever wordplay. This adds to the depth of his catalogue, and shows his ability to move through various styles of musical expression. The album “3 Pears” as a whole, and the song “Waterfall” specifically, was a reminder of Yoakam’s enduring talent and his willingness to explore new creative avenues.