As the track starts out a subtle (Harold Budd?) piano intro melts into a pleasant rhythm, but Liz soon takes over as the star of this excellent song. Following a steady and dominating rhythm Liz delivers several melodies with obvious joy. There are lots of vocal overdubs going on, allowing her to sing at various pitches and with different intensities, yielding a rich vocal landscape throughout. The song gets ever busier towards the end, until Liz has the last word with a beautiful last meditation.
From the entire album Sea, Swallow Me is probably the track true Cocteau fans will appreciate most. One feels it could easily have featured on one of their 'official' studio albums.
Sea Swallow Me
Harold Budd Simon Raymonde Robin Guthrie & Elizabeth Fraser Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Why you met me
And cannot cry
But you won't turn around
To see me fly
All you know
Is when I'm with you
I make you see
Fish in the sea
I'm saying
Swallow me
Everything is alright
Ill be the one
Who keeps you up at night
And if you leave
I can guarantee
You will find 10 million
Guys like me
I'm not worried
It's his ring you wear
As long as noone knows
Then he can't even care
You're feeling guilty
I'm well aware
You look so ashamed
And baby, I'm so scared
I'm saying
Swallow me
Everything is alright
Ill be the one
Who keeps you up at night
And if you leave
I can guarantee
You will find 10 million
Guys like me
I'll pay you money
If you go see this guy
He's better off
Cos he won't ask why
I'm the real reason
That you went astray
Well be alright
If you don't
Want me to stay
I'm saying
Swallow me
Everything is alright
Ill be the one
Who keeps you up at night
And if you leave
I can guarantee
You will find 10 million
Guys like me
I don't know
Why you met me
And cannot cry
But you won't turn around
To see me fly
All you know
Is when I'm with you
I make you see
I'm nothing but another
Fish in the sea
I'm saying
Swallow me
Everything is alright
Ill be the one
Who keeps you up at night
And if you leave
I can guarantee
You will find 10 million
Guys like me
The lyrics of "Sea Swallow Me" seem to be about a speaker who is in love with someone who is already committed to someone else, and is willing to be the "other man." The singer acknowledges their position as unimportant, as just another "fish in the sea," but still desires to be with the person they love. The singer also seems to be aware of the guilt of their lover and is scared of the possible consequences of their actions. The chorus repeatedly tells the lover to swallow the singer up and promises everything will be okay as long as they stay together, but also acknowledges that there are many other people like the singer out there.
The lyrics portray a complex situation full of emotions like love, desire, guilt, and fear. The singer seems to be both aware and in denial of the reality of their situation, as they see themselves as unimportant and yet can't let go of their feelings. The idea of being "swallowed" also reinforces the idea of submission and implies the singer's willingness to give in to their lover's desires, even if it means hiding their relationship from others.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't know
I am unsure
Why you met me
I don't understand the reason for our encounter
And cannot cry
I am unable to express my emotions
But you won't turn around
You refuse to acknowledge me
To see me fly
To see me succeed and flourish
All you know
You only recognize
Is when I'm with you
My presence in your life
I make you see
I help you understand
I'm nothing but another
That I am not unique
Fish in the sea
Just another person among many
I'm saying
I am expressing
Swallow me
Take me in
Everything is alright
It's okay
Ill be the one
I will be the person
Who keeps you up at night
Who occupies your thoughts
And if you leave
If you go away
I can guarantee
I am sure
You will find 10 million
There are countless
Guys like me
People like me
I'm not worried
I am not concerned
It's his ring you wear
You are committed to someone else
As long as noone knows
As long as it is a secret
Then he can't even care
He won't be hurt by the truth
You're feeling guilty
You have remorse
I'm well aware
I understand
You look so ashamed
You appear embarrassed
And baby, I'm so scared
I am afraid
I'll pay you money
I will compensate you
If you go see this guy
If you visit this person
He's better off
He is better without you
Cos he won't ask why
Because he won't question your motives
I'm the real reason
I am the true cause
That you went astray
That you strayed from your partner
Well be alright
Everything will be fine
If you don't
As long as you do not
Want me to stay
You do not desire my presence
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ELIZABETH FRASER, HAROLD BUDD, ROBIN A. GUTHRIE, SIMON PHILIP RAYMONDE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind