by
Swans
4/26/2025
Screen Shot: i don't think there is any definitive meaning to these words or phrases but i will give my interpretation nonetheless. in the first "verse" i see a third person description of all that is loved by a person, the good and bad sensations and feelings that come with life. it feels like most of Michael's lyrics are delivered in this way, to be a sort of narrator that speaks directly to the listener and pulls out the words you would never say out loud out of you and smothers your face in it, in a mocking tone but in a loving way, he sees your flaws and recognizes them as something he has been through, but now finds it almost comedic to watch a past version of himself stumble over the wires he himself stumbled over years ago. he's thought about these wires over and over, rethinking and rewriting himself as the better person he sees when remembering a conversation of a loved one, and in the retelling he relives those feelings somewhat, he no longer fears his faults, but finds shame nonetheless. 'No dream, no sleep, no suffering' my favorite lyric personally probably on the whole album, a promise to never have to dream of a better life, to never find comfort in lying unconscious, and to never suffer another second, whether he implies that death will bring you salvation i do not know, but he promises freedom if nothing else. in such a villainous gesture, he speaks to you like you're the idiot, but he believes in his own words; the chanting grows louder and becomes repetitive, feeding and feeding the beast of hope that only lives to hurt you. the drop comes, someone said the bells sound like a train coming at you and it's a nice visual, it gives him a reason to yell as he now regrets the time unspent and tells you to live your days free of time. 'love, now. breathe, now. here, now.'
Just a Little Boy: a true mockery this is, spitting on the ground and whining at you in a high pitch voice, but as i believe it he spits at whines at himself. he speaks in what sounds like a riddle: 'and i sleep in the belly of woman/man/rhythm/love/oceans/truth/kindness/you: i'm just a little boy. i'm not human. i need love!' straight from the lyrics on the vinyl, and i have not thought about this long enough to piece together anything meaningful, so i will not try piece it together. i love the yelling and screaming in this song, pure euphoria, sporadic and almost wordless, but the words serve only to make you uncomfortable and filthy. but it's true, i need love, it's no secret but when he says it like that i can't help not craving to touch or be touched, hugged or fucked, kissed or assaulted, left rolling in a shallow pit of filth that has made its way to all my senses. deep in shame all he can do is yell at the wall of laughing voices and droning lapsteel. the guitar riff comes in and it sounds like waves of pain that whip and mark, no source or sign of stopping, beaten over and over in the complete dark.
A Little God In My Hands: harsh loathing, what will happen if nothing changes, pulling back his fist just to see you cower and flinch. nothing more than anger, stumbling, raspy hate. a loud blaring of horns only interpreted by a baby as something to fear, and helpless to move the baby cries.
Bring The Sun / Toussaint L'Ouverture: great chanting and ceremony, a release of anger and joy in sound. then it grows to pure noise and becomes a march of sorts, true to the name of revolution, it feels like watching a great army rise up from the other side of a hill driving at full speed on horseback. and then being trampled by hundreds of great hooves and left there dead as the army moves forth without notice.
Some Things We Do: after minutes of harsh noise on the previous track the strings always sound so nice. i love the way these words are said, whispered into the ear. drooling at the thought of love as if this is the first time he truly grasped the concept. amazing transition between songs, least favorite track separated from the album but works great.
She Loves Us: when someone has pierced the subconscious and has become an intrusive thought of sex and love but without a mutual feeling, 'Your name is fuck' as in when you think of them all you can see is to fuck, guilty pleasure in the thought but it is ultimately evil. 'I am your girl. I am your son.' i become whatever you want of me, fucking for fun, no love in or out. starting with a march and chanting of wordless cries as if trying to undo some curse, then the instruments break down and wail in the pain of desire and greed. 'Come to my house. Come to my lung. Come to my mouth.' dance with me in the loveless sex i would never reach for but would love to feel. but i would not love it for any moment afterwards, left groveling in regret at the forfeit of my body. Do you understand?
Kirsten Supine: i have no idea what michael is talking about in this song, but i love it nonetheless. it's all pretty simple though, the feeling of fear maybe more specifically after time away in bliss coming back to familiar pain. burden, strain, fear, looming dread all translated into loud noise, just how i like it.
Oxygen: i like to play this song in loud places, as it feels like michael speaks in great irony when he tells you to 'Breathe in!', and no true breath of fresh air should excite someone to screaming. it's a hysterical breath as in it comes as a command after a shot of adrenaline, but adrenaline from an evil act, such as strangling someone not out of hate but desire to end a life in your hands. when michael yells it makes me want to feed on my skin and hurt myself out of the given feeling of screaming in pain. though i have no reason to ever act on these impulses knowing i would rather kms than begin to even twitch in such a manner, especially if it harms someone else, it feels like release at some level even if the end product is to die, a romanticization of burning alive to feel my skin peel off and scream in real pain.
Nathalie Neal: this song probably fits on the album the least, but does not remove anything. it feels like the only moment of true joy, though he sings of a dead friend which he dearly misses. the chant is truly life filling, a real dance in the rhythm of music, then peaceful and restful humming to lead you out. though he yells and it comes off aggressive there's a joy to be had in the thought of someone who doesn't understand why a song should be so loud for no reason, but it's just some good fun.
To Be Kind: as the title track, this song summarizes the rest of the album, what it is like to break down emotions and feelings to the level of a child, to be kind and unknowing, innocent and blinded by millions of stars. to point out that we may not weep like a baby but are hurt just as easily. he foretells of all's prophecy as slowly as possible then breaks into great walls of sound, for a moment it feels like victory, then back into fear, a feeling so rough i look to the sky for counsel. and at the end there is nothing else to feel but anger, not even release, i have done nothing.
despite the solemn review i really like this album and i think it's pretty cool. i wouldn't want a life without these feelings, and whenever i feel them here i can get some comfort, that someone feels them with me and makes it out alive. it's no good to be scared of these feelings as everyone at least feels impulses of something they would never do, the true evil is not recognizing it as evil, but even the act can be forgiven with time. michael raped someone and was raped by someone in his early years and has sunk lower than i may ever live to see, but he reaches out in a helping hand, a mind wounded then healed with more knowledge of consequence than i can grasp. what i feel is the purpose of swans is just this: showing us the evil fodder in which we all are aware of but choose not to speak of unless all judgement be certainly removed.
sorry if i sound really pretentious, i am currently reading lord of the rings and am in a bit of a wordy mood. thank you for reading.