Current Swell is a Canadian indie rock band from Victoria, British Columbia… Read Full Bio ↴Current Swell is a Canadian indie rock band from Victoria, British Columbia. They released their first album, So I Say, in 2005.

The members of Current Swell no longer live together under a single roof — as they did years ago,
when the group first came together as a unit — but the bond between the four friends is stronger than
ever.

Touring the world for the better part of five years, from Brazil to Australia, often has that effect.

Current Swell’s years of experience on the road can be heard — and felt — in the nooks and crannies
of Long Time Ago, the new full-length from this rootsy Victoria, B.C. quartet. The record shifts
between upbeat folk (the title track, Long Time Ago) and singalong-ready roots rock (the first single,
Too Cold) with a fluidity and ease that could only come from continual touring.

The band originally wanted to call its fourth record People Not Places, as if to signify its new lyrical
direction. “We used to write about traveling, because that’s all we did for a while,” says singer-
guitarist Scott Stanton. “But on this record, we wrote mostly about people in our lives.”

Friends, acquaintances — even strangers — have been an integral aspect of Current Swell’s personal
and professional development. Decidedly grass-roots, the band has developed a strong online
following over the years, dating back to the independent release and promotion of its previous
recordings, So I Say (2005), Trust Us Now (2007), and Protect Your Own (2009).

Fans have remained steadfast in their support, something the members of Current Swell do not take
for granted. When the band earned first place at Vancouver’s Peak Performance Project (a 2011 radio
contest which awarded the group $100,500 for top prize), the first people on Current Swell’s thank-
you list were their fans.

“The online community has always backed us,” said singer-guitarist Dave Lang, addressing the group’s
considerable presence through iTunes and YouTube. “That is a big reason for our success.”

Steady momentum at the grass-roots level (the group’s video for its campfire-friendly single, Young
and Able, became a word-of-mouth YouTube success in 2010) has now translated to the stage, where
Current Swell shines. Their ability to capture a crowd was honed the old-fashioned way — through
constant practice. Current Swell has always tweaked things as needed, careful not to move in a
direction that feels inauthentic.

The band, which also features drummer Chris Petersen and bassist Ghosty Boy, started its career
with the most modest of expectations, playing shows in settings that ranged from backyards to
beaches. “When we first got together, we just started writing music for fun,” Stanton says. “Then we
got an opportunity to perform, and then we got an opportunity to tour. It wasn’t something we ever
chased too passionately at first. A lot of things just fell into place for us.”

The quartet struck upon a rhythm soon after, the size of its concerts increasing in tandem with its
rapidly progressing talent. Momentum kept Current Swell moving forward in the years that followed,
culminating last summer with a Canada Day concert before 45,000 people at the B.C. Legislature, one
of the largest concerts of its kind ever in Victoria.
That level of accomplishment (when coupled with sets in support of everyone from the Tragically Hip
and Xavier Rudd to K‘Naan, K-OS, The Beach Boys and more) suggests a band long-removed from its
learning-on-the-fly early days. That didn’t happen by accident.

“We’re all much more educated and knowledgeable about our career nowadays,” Stanton says. “We
feel like we know how to do this for a living.”

Despite years of careful planning and intuitive, thoughtful decisions, some things remain beyond
Current Swell’s control. Case in point: Brazil.

Through a mixture of circumstance and happenstance, the members of Current Swell are now the
beneficiaries of a large and loyal following in Brazil, the largest country in South America. The group
has just returned from a tour of the country, a trek which saw Current Swell headline two large
festivals in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, among the largest cities in the world.

“We’d get an e-mail here and there, ‘Please come to Brazil, I’m a huge fan,’ which was hilarious to
read,” Stanton says of the group’s throng of Brazilian fans. “But then we’d go on YouTube and there
was a bunch of people covering our songs. Someone even covered one of our music videos, lip-
syncing all our lyrics.”

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Bring Me Down
Current Swell Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Bring me down. But don't bring me down to low.
I said if I touch the ground. I'm like a bomb thats bound to blow.

Cause I said well I hate my job. But I need my weekly salary.
I said dear lord I swear to god. What we want ain't ever what we need.

And my life just
Brings me down brings me down brings me down.

All night and all day.
And my life just
Brings me down brings me down brings me down.
So I walk away.

So what you want. The last thing you should own.
And all the thing you flaunt. The last thing that you should have shown.

Cause I want a girl. But I want a girl that is good to me.
All the loving in the world couldn't buy her generosity.

I want a girl that will.
Brings me down rub me down bring me down
All night and all day.
I want a girl that will rub me down bring me down bring me down.
So I can walk away. ya.

So bring me down bring me down bring me down.
I said now bring me down break me down bring me down.

I said bring me down bring me down bring me down.
All night and all day.ya.

Overall Meaning

The song "Bring Me Down" by Current Swell is a song about feeling trapped in life and needing a change. The singer describes feeling overwhelmed and unhappy with his current situation, specifically referencing his frustrating job and wanting a meaningful relationship. He expresses the idea that even though life can bring you down, you need to find a way to rise above it and walk away from the negativity.

The phrase "Bring me down, but don't bring me down too low" suggests the singer wants to be challenged, but not to the point of complete despair. The line "If I touch the ground, I'm like a bomb that's bound to blow" implies that if he hits rock bottom, he will explode in frustration and anger. The lyrics describe a desire for something more fulfilling, beyond the superficial things that people typically strive for.

The chorus repeats the phrase "Brings me down" multiple times, emphasizing the feeling of being sucked into a negative spiral. However, the singer takes control by saying "So I walk away," indicating that he's not going to let the bad things in life bring him down forever.

Overall, the song "Bring Me Down" is a relatable anthem for anyone who has felt stuck or unfulfilled in life. It encourages listeners to keep moving forward and not let the negative aspects of life consume them.

Line by Line Meaning

Bring me down. But don't bring me down to low.
I don't mind being criticized, just don't judge me too harshly.

I said if I touch the ground. I'm like a bomb thats bound to blow.
I'm an explosive personality and if I'm not careful, my negative thoughts will consume me.

Cause I said well I hate my job. But I need my weekly salary.
I dislike my work, but I rely on the income to pay my bills and survive.

I said dear lord I swear to god. What we want ain't ever what we need.
We pray for what we think we want, but often what we truly need is something different.

And my life just Brings me down brings me down brings me down. All night and all day.
My life is filled with struggles that bring me down emotionally, constantly and consistently throughout the day.

And my life just Brings me down brings me down brings me down. So I walk away.
Sometimes when things get tough, I need to take a break and walk away from my problems to regroup and refocus my thoughts.

So what you want. The last thing you should own.
The things we want may not have a positive effect on our lives, and may even end up being harmful for us in the long run.

And all the thing you flaunt. The last thing that you should have shown.
Boasting about our possessions or achievements only serves to make us look shallow, materialistic and insecure.

Cause I want a girl. But I want a girl that is good to me.
I desire a romantic relationship, but more importantly, I want a partner who treats me with kindness, respect, and compassion.

All the loving in the world couldn't buy her generosity.
No amount of affection or attention can make up for someone's lack of generosity and selflessness.

I want a girl that will. Brings me down rub me down bring me down. All night and all day.
I want a partner who can lift me up when I'm feeling down and provide emotional support to me throughout the day and night.

I want a girl that will rub me down bring me down bring me down. So I can walk away. ya.
I need someone who can calm me down and provide a sense of balance so I can leave behind my worries and move forward with my life.

So bring me down bring me down bring me down. I said now bring me down break me down bring me down.
Sometimes I need to be brought down to earth and reminded of the reality of my situation, even if it hurts me in the short term.

I said bring me down bring me down bring me down. All night and all day.ya.
My life is filled with negative influences that can drag me down emotionally, day and night.

Contributed by Parker Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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