The song was written while Bell was in New York, playing with the Phineas Newborn Orchestra, with lyrics that were not inspired by a lost love, but by Bell's own feelings of homesickness. Bell recorded the song upon returning to Memphis, believing that he was making a demo. However, the recording was released as the B-side of the lesser known Bell single "Formula of Love". It was only after DJ's flipped the record over and began playing the B-side instead of the A-side that sales started to pick up. The song did not chart in the Billboard R&B charts, although it did reach #95 on the pop charts. Since then, the track has gone on to become a Southern soul classic. The song was also released on Bell's 1967 album The Soul of a Bell, along with the original version of "Do Right Woman, Do Right Man", which was more famously covered by Aretha Franklin. Lyrically, the song's theme revolves around the singer's confession of his unfaithfulness to his lover and, now that she's gone, his realization of his foolishness.
Other renditions
"You Don't Miss Your Water" was covered by Otis Redding and released on his critically acclaimed 1965 album, Otis Blue. The Byrds covered the song on their 1968 album, Sweetheart of the Rodeo, with lead vocals sung by guitaristRoger McGuinn, although an alternate version featuring Gram Parsons on lead vocals was released on The Byrdsbox set in 1990. The song was also covered by Taj Mahal on his 1968 album The Natch'l Blues. Jerry Lee Lewis covered the song in 1972 and did a blues ballad arrangement. In 1965, Stax vocalist Wendy Rene recorded a version of the song, with Bell and Isaac Hayes credited as writers, but with some lyric changes and a re-titling to "Reap What You Sow." It was issued on Stax 171. A ska version of the song was recorded by Peter Tosh And The Wailers in 1965. Later a reggae version of "You Don't Miss Your Water" was recorded by Tosh alone for his 1976 debut album, Legalize It. Tosh was famous for being a founding member of The Wailers, one of the most influential roots reggae bands, along with Bob Marley and Bunny Wailer. His version of the song, which lasts for over six minutes, is highlighted by a guitar solo midway through the track. The lyrics and music were rearranged from the original, William Bell version by Tosh and Wailer. The Good Ol' Persons recorded a bluegrass cover of the song in their 1986 album I Can't Stand to Ramble. Brian Eno covered the song in 1988 for the soundtrack album to the film Married to the Mob. Eno's version is a languid piece, with guitars, harmonized vocals and synthesizers, which makes slight alterations to the lyrics and replaces the second chorus with a repeat of the first.
