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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Desire
Current Swell Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Thought it was love but love doesn't follow
Living in an alarm clock dream
Where nothing is ever what it seems
Why, why won't you come to me?
Don't know where I'm going
Living in an alarm clock dream
Where nothing is ever what it seems
Why, why won't you come to me?
The lyrics of Current Swell's song "Desire" suggest a sense of confusion and disillusionment. The first two lines "Don't know what to desire, Thought it was love but love doesn't follow" hints at a loss of direction and perhaps a lack of clarity about what one truly wants in life. The phrase "living in an alarm clock dream" invokes the idea of being stuck in a monotonous routine, where everything feels predictable and mundane.
The repetition of the question "why won't you come to me?" further adds to the sense of confusion and yearning. It is unclear who or what exactly is being referred to with this question, which makes it open to interpretation. It could be a plea for guidance, a desire for a person or a thing, or even a cry for help.
Overall, the song speaks to the human experience of feeling lost and searching for meaning, but realizing that life is often not what it seems.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't know what to desire
Feeling lost and unsure about what to wish for or seek in life
Thought it was love but love doesn't follow
Previously believed that love was the answer, but realized that love is not always reciprocated or guaranteed
Living in an alarm clock dream
Going through life on autopilot, feeling like a routine that repeats every day without any excitement or fulfillment
Where nothing is ever what it seems
Life can be confusing and unpredictable, full of unexpected twists and turns that challenge our perceptions and expectations
Why, why won't you come to me?
The repeated question is a plea for something or someone to provide comfort or direction in a confusing and uncertain world
Don't know where I'm going
Continuing the theme of feeling lost and uncertain about one's place and purpose in life
The look on my face it's showing
The singer's external demeanor is reflecting the inner turmoil and confusion they are experiencing
Living in an alarm clock dream
Repeated to emphasize the feeling of being stuck in a routine that doesn't bring joy or excitement
Where nothing is ever what it seems
Repeated to reinforce the idea that life is full of surprises and challenges that can be difficult to navigate
Why, why won't you come to me?
Repeated to reinforce the idea of seeking comfort or direction in a confusing and uncertain world
Contributed by Aaliyah C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.