don't throw the baby out with the bath water origin
Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater Some claim the phrase originates from a time when the whole household shared the same bath water.[9] The head of household (Lord) would bathe first, followed by the men, then the Lady and the women, then the children, followed lastly by the baby. The water would be so black from dirt that a baby could be accidentally "tossed out with the bathwater".[9] Others state there is no historical evidence that there is any connection with the practice of several family members using the same bath water, the baby being bathed last.[10]
Down by the Water The song's lyrics tell the story of a woman committing filicide. The woman drowns her daughter "down by the water" and "won't see her again." The final coda features Harvey whispering the lines: "little fish, big fish swimming in the water / come back here, man, gimme my daughter." The refrain was based on Lead Belly's rendition of the traditional American folk song "Salty Dog Blues." In 2005, Harvey used the song's lyrics in a Spin interview as an example to demonstrate that her songs were not autobiographical: "Some critics have taken my writing so literally to the point that they'll listen to 'Down by the Water' and believe I have actually given birth to a child and drowned her."[2]