Video: Swim Good
Frank Ocean Lyrics


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That's a pretty big trunk on my Lincoln town car, ain't it?
Big enough to take these broken hearts and put 'em in it
Now I'm driving 'round on the boulevard, trunk bleeding
And every time the cops pull me over, they don't never see them
They never see them (ow)
And I've got this black suit on
Roaming around like I'm ready for a funeral
Five more miles 'til the road runs out

I'm about to drive in the ocean
I'ma try to swim from something bigger than me
Kick off my shoes and swim good and swim good
Take off this suit and swim good and swim good, good

Got some pretty good beats on this 808 CD, yeah
Memory seats I'm sitting on stay heated (yeah)
I woulda put tints on my windows but what's the difference (no, no)
If I feel like a Ghost (no Swayze) ever since I lost my baby?
I've had this black suit on (ow)
Roaming around like I'm ready for a funeral (ow)
One more mile 'til the road runs out, out

I'm about to drive in the ocean
I'ma try to swim from something bigger than me
Kick off my shoes and swim good and swim good
Take off this suit and swim good and swim good, good

I'm going off (oh my pretty love), don't try stopping me
I'm going off (throw me a line), don't try saving (oh my)
No flares (oh my), no vest (but you're my love), and no fear
Waves are washing me (out)

I'm about to drive (drive) in the ocean (ocean, yeah)
I'ma try to swim from something bigger than me (bigger than me)
Kick off my shoes (good) and swim good (good), and swim good




Take off this suit (take off this suit)
And swim good, and swim good, good

Overall Meaning

In "Swim Good," Frank Ocean paints a picture of a man grappling with the loss of his love, seeking solace in driving and eventually diving into the ocean. The trunk of his Lincoln town car serves as a metaphor for his emotional baggage - he imagines it being big enough to contain his broken heart, and yet it can't contain the pain that continues to bleed out of him. The black suit he's wearing suggests that he's in mourning and ready for a funeral. The repetition of the phrase "swim good" after every verse and chorus evokes the notion of trying to swim through the intense emotions that are overwhelming him, and perhaps finding some kind of release or catharsis in the process.


The second verse alludes to a sense of dissociation or detachment from reality: the singer sits in leather memory seats, has an 808 CD playing, and imagines himself as a ghost, likening his experience of grief to death. He's resistant to putting tinted windows on his car, as if to suggest that he doesn't care if people see him in his state of mourning. In the bridge, the singer becomes more emphatic and urgent in his bid to escape from his pain, declaring that he's going off and no one should try to stop or save him. The waves that wash over him as he drives into the ocean ultimately become a metaphor for his feelings of being swallowed up and overwhelmed by his despair.


Line by Line Meaning

That's a pretty big trunk on my Lincoln town car, ain't it?
The singer is commenting on the spaciousness of the trunk of his car.


Big enough to take these broken hearts and put 'em in it
The trunk is metaphorically large enough to hold all of the singer's emotional baggage.


Now I'm driving 'round on the boulevard, trunk bleeding
The trunk is metaphorically bleeding from the weight of the singer's emotional baggage.


And every time the cops pull me over, they don't never see them
The artist's emotional baggage is hidden from the outside world, including the police who have pulled him over.


And I've got this black suit on
The artist is wearing a black suit, a common outfit for funerals.


Roaming around like I'm ready for a funeral
The singer is dressed in a way that suggests he is resigned to death or mourning.


Five more miles 'til the road runs out
The singer is nearing the end of the road, both literally and metaphorically.


I'm about to drive in the ocean
The artist is planning to drive his car into the ocean.


I'ma try to swim from something bigger than me
The artist is attempting to escape from a problem or situation that is overwhelming him.


Kick off my shoes and swim good and swim good
The artist is taking off his shoes and preparing to swim.


Take off this suit and swim good and swim good, good
The singer is removing his funeral suit and symbolically shedding his attachment to death and mourning.


Got some pretty good beats on this 808 CD, yeah
The artist is listening to a CD with strong bass beats.


Memory seats I'm sitting on stay heated (yeah)
The car's seats are heated and the singer is enjoying their warmth and comfort.


I woulda put tints on my windows but what's the difference (no, no)
The singer is dismissive of the idea of adding tinted windows to his car.


If I feel like a Ghost (no Swayze) ever since I lost my baby?
The singer feels like a ghost since he lost his significant other, but he clarifies that he is not like Patrick Swayze's character in the movie 'Ghost.'


One more mile 'til the road runs out, out
The artist is one mile closer to the end of the road.


I'm going off (oh my pretty love), don't try stopping me
The artist is determined to continue on his current path despite any attempts to dissuade him.


I'm going off (throw me a line), don't try saving (oh my)
The singer does not want to be saved and instead wants to fully experience his self-destructive behavior.


No flares (oh my), no vest (but you're my love), and no fear
The singer is going into the ocean without any safety equipment and without fear.


Waves are washing me (out)
The artist is being swept away by the waves.


I'm about to drive (drive) in the ocean (ocean, yeah)
The artist is again mentioning his plan to drive into the ocean.


I'ma try to swim from something bigger than me (bigger than me)
The artist is attempting to escape from a situation that is too big and overwhelming for him to handle.


Kick off my shoes (good) and swim good (good), and swim good
The singer is again preparing to swim.


Take off this suit (take off this suit)
The artist again emphasizes the importance of removing his black funeral suit.


And swim good, and swim good, good
The singer is emphasizing the importance of swimming well to escape his problems.




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Charles Gambetta, Christopher Breaux, Kevin Risto, Waynne Nugent

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

Maddy Heti

This will forever be my fav Frank Ocean song!! Takes me back to when I was younger. It helped me through life❤

Rorke's Tv

Same😢

DAMB_ TTV on Twitch

facts

Violet Chanel

God bless you for bringing this masterpiece back to YouTube... I loved this video since the premiere of it

Dj SneakRfreak

Thank you for uploading this gem!!! Been vibing heavy to frank lately pure artistry and storytelling his words… and his videos are art as well!! Everyone already knows !! Blessings

George Donny

First 2 lines always gave me chills 😵

Alex B

There’s a pretty big trunk in this Lincoln town car ain’t it!!! Big enough to take these broken hearts and put ‘em In it!

Jon snow

2012 frank ocean era was an amazing time 🔥

Enya Hargett

Yes it was!!!

Princess The Guy

2011 was such a good year for R&B. The Weeknd released his trilogy and Frank Ocean released Nostalgia Ultra.

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