2) From Danbury, CT, a… Read Full Bio ↴1) From California, (hed) pe back when called hed
2) From Danbury, CT, a late-'80s/early-'90s indie/punk band called Hed.
Swan Dive
Hed Lyrics
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Too scared to look down
I climb, hand over hand
Putting distance between I and I and the ground
I get to the top
I stand on the edge
I look to the sky, and say all my prayers
[Chorus]
What could be better than a swan dive into the asphalt
I don't know, nothing can be better than a swan dive into the asphalt
You should ask somebody, 'Cause I've got nothing to lose tonight
I misplaced my life tonight, chased all my friends away tonight
I don't say the right things
I don't look the right way
That's just not me
I listen to my music too loud, a watch too much damn TV
Tell me, who can control the flood?
No one
Where are the angels?
Nowhere
Where's the compassion?
Nowhere
Who knows the truth?
No one
Who will believe in me?
No one
Who will stand by me?
No one
Who will fly with me?
No one
I climb, hand over hand, closing my eyes
Too scared to look down
I climb, hand over hand
Putting distance between I and I and the ground
I get to the top, stand on the edge, look to the sky
There's nothing left for me.
The lyrics of Hed's song Swan Dive talks about the feeling of being lost and alone, wanting to escape from the world and the people around. The persona describes climbing higher and higher, eyes closed, in fear of looking down and confronting reality. He retreats further away from the ground, putting distance between himself and the harshness of the world. The persona then reaches the top, stands on the edge, and looks up to the sky to say his last prayers.
The chorus implies a tone of sarcasm in the sense that the persona believes that there's nothing better than a swan dive into the asphalt, even though it is obviously deadly. It is a metaphorical way of saying that sometimes when things get too hard to handle, it is easier to resort to self-destruction than deal with the situation, hoping that death would be an escape. The persona is entirely hopeless and almost indifferent; he feels that he has nothing left to lose, and nobody can control the flood of emotions that come with the feeling of abandonment.
The persona admits to being socially awkward- not having the right look or saying the right things. He describes himself as someone who likes listening to loud music and spending too much time watching television. He feels everyone has abandoned him and that nobody will stand by him or fly with him.
Line by Line Meaning
climb, hand over hand, closing my eyes
I climb up using my hands and close my eyes due to fear
Too scared to look down
I'm too frightened to look below me
Putting distance between I and I and the ground
I'm trying to create enough space between myself and the ground
I get to the top
Once I make it to the top of my climb
I stand on the edge
I'm standing on the edge of my climb
I look to the sky, and say all my prayers
I pray to the sky for safety and protection
What could be better than a swan dive into the asphalt
There's nothing better for me than to take a swan dive and hit the pavement
I don't know, nothing can be better than a swan dive into the asphalt
I can't imagine anything better than ending it all with a swan dive into the hard ground
You should ask somebody, 'Cause I've got nothing to lose tonight
You should ask someone else for advice because I have nothing left to lose
I misplaced my life tonight, chased all my friends away tonight
Tonight, I've lost my way and driven away all my friends
I don't say the right things
I constantly say the wrong things
I don't look the right way
My appearance doesn't fit in with societal norms
That's just not me
I'm simply not cut out to meet the expectations of others
I listen to my music too loud, a watch too much damn TV
I listen to my music on high volume and watch too much television
Tell me, who can control the flood?
I wonder who can control the overwhelming emotions that flood me
No one
No one can control these emotions
Where are the angels?
I wonder where the guardian angels are during my tough times
Nowhere
There's no sign of angels in my time of need
Where's the compassion?
I question the existence of compassion in this world
Nowhere
I can't see any signs of compassion in the world
Who knows the truth?
I doubt if anyone has the correct answers to all of life's mysteries
No one
No one has all the answers to life's puzzles
Who will believe in me?
I wonder if there is anyone that still has faith in me
No one
It seems that no one has any faith left in me
Who will stand by me?
I don't believe there is anyone who will support me
No one
I have nobody who will support me
Who will fly with me?
I don't think there is anyone who will join me on my journey
No one
There's no one to accompany me on my journey
There's nothing left for me.
I'm left with no options except to take a fatal leap forward
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BEN VAUGHT, CHAD BENEKOS, DOUG BOYCE, JERRAD SHAIN, MARK YOUNG, WES GEER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Gabriss32
I climb, hand over hand, closing my eyes
Too scared to look down
I climb, hand over hand
Putting distance between I and I and the ground
I get to the top
I stand on the edge
I look to the sky, and say all my prayers
What could be better than a swan dive into the asphalt
I don't know, nothing can be better than a swan dive into the asphalt
You should ask somebody, 'Cause I've got nothing to lose tonight
I misplaced my life tonight, chased all my friends away tonight
I don't say the right things
I don't look the right way
That's just not me
I listen to my music too loud, a watch too much damn TV
Tell me, who can control the flood?
No one
Where are the angels?
Nowhere
Where's the compassion?
Nowhere
Who knows the truth?
No one
Who will believe in me?
No one
Who will stand by me?
No one
Who will fly with me?
No one
I climb, hand over hand, closing my eyes
Too scared to look down
I climb, hand over hand
Putting distance between I and I and the ground
I get to the top, stand on the edge, look to the sky
There's nothing left for me.
@LOKDOWNKING
Man I love this song. My best friend who died in 2014 turned me on to u guys and this song hold so many good memories.
RIP JULEZ
@ericlewis9472
I think everybody feels this way sometimes but they will never admit it
@armandov2424
Such a great album... still very nice after all these years.
@LMNP
True
@RustyShackleford_
First time hearing hed pe being called very nice lol
@sicklillette
Yess
@philipzantjer5237
Worked at Best Buy when this album dropped. Used my "discount" on this masterpiece. 🤘😂🤘
@brianfischer5609
One of the few albums from high school that still hold up.
@_Pinion
Takes me back to 2000, being in 8th grade, and looking for new music. Loved this then and even more now.
@N1rvanaGod
What an overlooked band