In the music video, directed by Dominic Orlando in Manhattan and on location in Long Island, Ross is seduced by a Frenchman and falls in love with him only to find out, after arriving unannounced in a bar, that he's cheating on her with another French girl in a stylized Apache Dance. She then confronts the man hitting him repeatedly, and later fights with the French girl who ends up being knocked out unconscious by the singer. Later in the video, the Frenchman tries to fight his way back into her life only to have Ross accidentally push him from a lighthouse tower into the water. It was one of Ross' most popular videos, and her first to air on MTV.
The music video was blown up to 35mm for projection during Diana Ross' live performances at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. There's also an extended version of the video edited for the 12" dance club remix.
Baker had been a club DJ turned remixer who was just breaking into production, and the twelve-inch version became one of Ross' most successful, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart. The single also reached nineteen on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart and number three on the R&B singles chart. It also reached 36 on the Dutch Top 40.
Swept Away
Diana Ross Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I dreamed you were there
I feel the heat, the sun and the waves
When you touch my hand
We were on a desert island
And I had a dream, I was swept away
You and I are on an island
I saw your light on the horizon
And I knew that I was blown away again
No it doesn't matter, yeah
It doesn't matter
'Cause nothing lasts forever
'Cause nothing last forever
No it doesn't matter, yeah
It doesn't matter
'Cause nothing lasts forever
Nothing last forever
I was swept away, I was swept away
Swept away, I was swept away with you
Swept away, I was swept away
Swept away, I was swept away with you
The rise and fall is endless
The risk you run of being lost in blue
You caught my drift while I was restless
When the current flows, I'm gonna flow with you
No it doesn't matter, yeah
No, it doesn't matter
'Cause nothing last forever
Nothing last forever
No it doesn't matter, no
No, it doesn't matter
'Cause nothing last forever
Nothing last forever
I was swept away, I was swept away
Swept away, I was swept away with you
Swept away, I was swept away
Swept away, I was swept away with you
For a day or maybe for a lifetime
Break away is he throwing me a lifeline
If I say that this will be the last time
Swept away, will it end with you?
I was swept away
Swept away, swept away
Swept away, swept away, swept away
No it won't, no it won't, no it doesn't matter
Nothing lasts forever
Nothing lasts, nothing lasts, nothing lasts forever
Swept away, nothing lasts forever
No it won't, no it won't, no it doesn't matter
Nothing lasts, nothing lasts forever
Nothing lasts, nothing lasts, nothing lasts forever
Swept away, nothing lasts forever
No it won't, no it won't, no it doesn't matter
Nothing lasts, nothing lasts, nothing lasts forever
Swept away
The lyrics of "Swept Away" by Diana Ross depict a dreamy love story that transports the singer to a desert island where she is swept away by love. The song starts with the dreamy visual of the singer lying on a beach, feeling the heat, the sun, and the waves, and dreaming of being with her lover. When she grabs his hand, they are transported to a desert island where they are together. Throughout the song, there are references to the risks of love and how it can end abruptly, but the singer seems to be swept away by her passion regardless.
In the second verse, she mentions the rise and fall of the relationship, and how being lost in the ocean is a risk worth taking. She's aware that nothing lasts forever, but it doesn't matter because she is swept away by the romance. She repeats the phrase "swept away" several times throughout the song, emphasizing the feeling of being powerless to the force of love.
The bridge of the song is where the singer asks if this love will last for just a day, a lifetime, or if it will end with him. She ends the song reiterating that nothing lasts forever, but there is comfort in being swept away.
Overall, the song is an ode to being caught up in a whirlwind romance, a dream of escaping to a deserted island with a lover, and being willingly taken over by the force of love.
Line by Line Meaning
I was lying there, lying on the beach
I was relaxing on the beach
I dreamed you were there
I imagined that you were with me
I feel the heat, the sun and the waves
I experienced the warmth of the sun and the waves
When you touch my hand
Your touch gave me comfort
We were on a desert island
We were alone together on an island
And I had a dream, I was swept away
I had a dream of being carried along with you
You and I are on an island
We are alone with each other
Where I thought the storm would never end
I thought we were in trouble
I saw your light on the horizon
I saw hope in the distance
And I knew that I was blown away again
I was swept away and lost in my thoughts again
No it doesn't matter, yeah
It doesn't matter
It doesn't matter
Things don't last forever
'Cause nothing lasts forever
Things are temporary
'Cause nothing last forever
Things are not permanent
Nothing last forever
Things are not everlasting
No it doesn't matter, yeah
It doesn't matter
It doesn't matter
Things don't last forever
'Cause nothing lasts forever
Things are temporary
Nothing last forever
Things are not permanent
The rise and fall is endless
Life has its ups and downs
The risk you run of being lost in blue
The danger of feeling lost or lonely
You caught my drift while I was restless
You understood my anxiety while I was agitated
When the current flows, I'm gonna flow with you
I'll go wherever you go
For a day or maybe for a lifetime
We can be together for a short time or a long time
Break away is he throwing me a lifeline
Is he trying to save me by separating?
If I say that this will be the last time
If I tell you this is the end
Swept away, will it end with you?
Will you take me with you if you go away?
Swept away, swept away
Carried away, carried away
Swept away, swept away, swept away
Carried away, carried away, carried away
No it won't, no it won't, no it doesn't matter
It won't make a difference
Nothing lasts forever
Things are temporary
Nothing lasts, nothing lasts, nothing lasts forever
Things are not everlasting
Swept away, nothing lasts forever
Carried away, things don't last
No it won't, no it won't, no it doesn't matter
It won't make a difference
Nothing lasts
Things are temporary
Nothing lasts forever
Things are not everlasting
Nothing lasts, nothing lasts, nothing lasts forever
Things are not permanent
Swept away, nothing lasts forever
Carried away, things don't last
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DARYL HALL, SARA ALLEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@ivanhamilton
I was lying there, lying on the beach
I dreamed you were there
I feel the heat, the sun and the waves
When you touch my hand
We were on a desert island
And I had a dream, I was swept away
You and I are on an island
Where I thought the storm would never end
I saw your light on the horizon
And I knew that I was blown away again
No it doesn't matter, yeah
It doesn't matter
'Cause nothing lasts forever
'Cause nothing last forever
No it doesn't matter, yeah
It doesn't matter
'Cause nothing lasts forever
Nothing last forever
I was swept away, I was swept away
Swept away, I was swept away with you
Swept away, I was swept away
Swept away, I was swept away with you
The rise and fall is endless
The risk you run of being lost in blue
You caught my drift while I was restless
When the current flows, I'm gonna flow with you
No it doesn't matter, yeah
No, it doesn't matter
'Cause nothing last forever
Nothing last forever
No it doesn't matter, no
No, it doesn't matter
'Cause nothing last forever
Nothing last forever
I was swept away, I was swept away
Swept away, I was swept away with you
Swept away, I was swept away
Swept away, I was swept away with you
For a day or maybe for a lifetime
Break away is he throwing me a lifeline
If I say that this will be the last time
Swept away, will it end with you?
I was swept away
Swept away, swept away
Swept away, swept away, swept away
No it won't, no it won't, no it doesn't matter
Nothing lasts forever
Nothing lasts, nothing lasts, nothing lasts forever
Swept away, nothing lasts forever
No it won't, no it won't, no it doesn't matter
Nothing lasts, nothing lasts forever
Nothing lasts, nothing lasts, nothing lasts forever
Swept away, nothing lasts forever
No it won't, no it won't, no it doesn't matter
Nothing lasts, nothing lasts, nothing lasts forever
Swept away
@louiswetzel5038
For all of us who were there when this massive tune debuted at the clubs.......Thank You Miss Ross!!!!!!
@mic6434
Miss Ross' vocals are crazy fierce like only she can do...this was a huge hit on pop and r&b
@wheninrome345
It wasn't a HUGE hit. It was a fair hit. #19 on the charts.
@isaach.2437
@@wheninrome345 You're so right! I personally thought it should have been a BIGGER HIT, but it barely played on R/B stations. Oh well....
@SweptAway529
#19 Pop, #3 R&B (then tackily called "Black" chart by Billboard), #1 Club Play
@escpat
For some reason, Diana Ross’ star power started to dim in 1983. She no longer dominated the pop chart like she used to in the 70’s and early 80’s.
@SmoothCinnamonX
@@wheninrome345 Technically though, it was just as big a hit as The Boss, and for some reason people think of The Boss as a way bigger hit.
@walkerpantera
Lovvvvvved this song back then and still dont understand how this wasnt a bigger hit for her.
@SmoothCinnamonX
Actually, it was pretty major: #19 Pop, #3 R&B, and #1 Dance Club Play! That's nearly identical chart stats to The Boss. I think the reason people don't remember Swept Away as much is simply due to the fact that she did not record it on Motown. When most people buy Diana Ross greatest hits CD's, they go for the Motown releases like All The Great Hits. Whereas It's My House for example, despite being a great song, wasn't a big hit (#27 R&B, #106 Pop), yet more people know it because it's on virtually every Diana Ross hits compilation.
@TheReySkywalker
Thank you drag race for introducing me to this gem. Never heard this Diana track before!