It’s Possible (McElligot’s Pool)

Song Meaning

The lyrics paint a picture of a child's imaginative escape, transforming a mundane reality into a world of wonder. Initially, the narrator tries to suppress thought and "try to behave," focusing on the simple act of taking a bath. However, the sound of dripping water, "plink, plink, plink," sparks a cascade of imagination, conjuring images of fish swimming in a school. This simple sensory input becomes the catalyst for a grander vision. The central tension lies in the contrast between the ordinary and the extraordinary, and the narrator's active engagement in blurring that line. The dripping bathtub is re-imagined as "McElligot's Pool," a place of mystery and connection, potentially linked to "underground brooks" and "underground river[s]." This imaginative leap is fueled by a desire for something more, a belief that the ordinary can hold hidden depths and possibilities. The most striking craft element is the persistent repetition of "It's possible / Anything's possible," which acts as an incantation, reinforcing the narrator's belief in the boundless nature of their imagined world. The lyrics also employ a sense of hidden movement, describing the potential underground river flowing "Right under state highway / Two hundred and three" and "Right under the toes / Of Mrs. Umbroso," emphasizing that magic can exist unseen beneath the surface of everyday life. Ultimately, these lyrics resonate because they capture the power of childhood imagination to transform the mundane into the magical. The narrator's conviction, amplified by the repeated chorus, suggests that by simply believing, one can find extraordinary possibilities even in the most ordinary of settings, like a "drippy old tub." The final verse solidifies this, linking the act of "fish[ing] / In McElligot's pool" to getting one's wish, a testament to the potent, wish-fulfilling nature of pure imagination.