[Verse 1] I keep my laughter in the shallow end And nothing's supposed to bite Every sign says everything is fine So I believe it tonight Water barely past my ankles Warm enough to make me stay There's a staircase going deeper I politely look away [Pre-Chorus] Stay where both my feet can touch Don't go asking quite so much If the bottom stays in sight Then everything must be all right [Chorus] Shallow end, shallow end I can stand here and pretend Shallow end, shallow end Nothing follows where I stand Everything is fine See? Everything is fine There's a whole pool left to wander But I like it on this side [Verse 2] Depth marker says three feet Then the next one somehow says nine There's a rope between the two of them So naturally, that's the line Something brushed against my ankle Probably nothing. Almost sure. I moved six inches toward the stairs For unrelated reasons, of course. [Pre-Chorus] Stay where both my feet can touch Don't investigate too much There's no reason to descend When I'm happy at this end [Chorus] Shallow end, shallow end I can stand here and pretend Shallow end, shallow end Nothing follows where I stand Everything is fine See? Everything is fine There's a whole pool left to wander But I like it on this side [Playful Violin Interlude – Slightly Uneasy Underneath] [Verse 3] There's a drain beneath the railing Making noises drains don't make And the ladder has one extra rung Whenever I look away I could test the deeper water I could swim beyond the rope I could find out what's beneath it— Nope. I'm good. [Short, Overly Cheerful Violin Flourish] [Bridge] Maybe shallow isn't cowardly Maybe shallow's just a choice Maybe knowing when to stop yourself Is listening to your own voice Maybe I don't need an answer Maybe answers aren't the point [water splashes somewhere far away] ... That was probably a pipe. [Instrumental Build] [Final Chorus] Shallow end, shallow end I don't have to comprehend Shallow end, shallow end I know exactly where this ends Everything is fine Mostly. Everything is fine. Let the deep end keep its secrets I have absolutely no complaints Shallow end Shallow end Both feet planted Doing great. [Outro] One foot. Two feet. Three— No. Two is plenty. [Expressive Violin Outro]
