‘Holy Water’ by Marshmello & Jelly Roll - Lyrics & Meaning

Marshmello continues his foray into the country music arena with a blockbuster new collaboration with Jelly Roll, ‘Holy Water’. Fans are hoping this is a preview of a full country-leaning project from the enigmatic DJ, after scoring a couple of hits with Kane Brown.

It comes after Marshmello teased an array of new unreleased songs with Dasha, Ashley Cooke and Hudson Westbrook at Spotify House during Nashville's CMA Fest 2025, as well as performing ‘One Thing Right’ and ‘Miles On It’ alongside Brown.

In the lead-up to ‘Holy Water’s release, Marshmello shared a heartwarming video of him presenting Jelly Roll with his own tattooed version of the DJ's signature mask.

‘Holy Water’ captures the soul-stirring, bittersweet ambience that Jelly Roll has become synonymous with in recent years. The ‘Save Me’ singer-songwriter's wistful, raspy croons float across the piano backing, before Marshmello showcases his compositional prowess and introduces a more galvanising, beat-driven instrumental.

The track epitomises the new YeeDM (country-EDM) wave that is currently gaining popularity, with Marshmello's soaring, uplifting hooks and club-ready breakdowns combining powerfully with Jelly Roll's emotional vulnerability and striking delivery.

‘Holy Water’ finds Jelly Roll toasting his departed loved ones, as he raises up a drink and reflects on the good times they shared together. He laces a flurry of spiritual imagery throughout the song, describing his drink as ‘holy water’, due to the sense that it is connecting him to the person he is grieving as they look down from Heaven.

He extends the water-based language when he flits between ‘holy water’ and the ‘tears’ that roll down his cheek. It's a touching ode to those who are no longer with us, and captures the anger and frustration when we feel as though someone has been taken too young, before determining to hold onto the joyful memories we made with them while they were alive, rather than lashing out at the world.

Ahead of the song's arrival, Marshmello movingly reflected on the inspiration behind ‘Holy Water’, “It’s really heartfelt. This is one of the most emotional songs I’ve ever released. It’s about losing a loved one. Unfortunately, a lot of us can relate to that. When I showed the initial idea to Jelly Roll and told him the story, he loved it”.

He went on to pay tribute to Jelly, “He’s an open book, and it was really great to see how it resonated. It inspired me to go in even more on the production and get creative with the country elements. He definitely brought it home to where it is now”.

“I heard that you were late going home
Knew it right away, something's wrong
I guess you gotta go when the angels calling
Never got to say what I want
Never be the same with you gone
Crack another can for the lost ones falling

-

One tear for the brokenhearted
Pour out a little holy water
Two tears for the soul departed
Pour out a little holy water
We still slowly feel what you feel, yeah, yeah
Two tears for the soul departеd
Pour out a little holy water

-

Eeh-yеah, eeh-yeah
Eeh-yeah, eeh-yeah
Eeh-yeah, eeh-yeah
Pour out a little holy water

-

Memories, they stream down my face
Smiling while I bite through the pain
Guess I'll never know why the good die young, yeah
Looking for somebody to blame
Anything to get through the day
So I crack another can for the lost ones falling

-

One tear for the broken hearted
Pour out a little holy water
Two tears for the soul departed
Pour out a little holy water
We still slowly feel what you feel, yeah, yeah
Two tears for the soul departed
Pour out a little holy water

-

Eeh-yeah, eeh-yeah
Eeh-yeah, eeh-yeah
Eeh-yeah, eeh-yeah
Pour out a little holy water
Eeh-yeah, eeh-yeah
Eeh-yeah, eeh-yeah
Eeh-yeah, eeh-yeah
Pour out a little holy water”

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