Hailing from Montreal, Canada, Islands is a 6 piece band founded in 2005 by The Unicorns co-founder/songwriter Nick Thorburn (often performing as "Nick Diamonds") and drummer J'Aime Tambeur. Following the untimely disbandment of The Unicorns as they teetered on the brink of breaking through, Islands' debut release entitled Return to the Sea, with its quirky sounds and refreshing, catchy melodies includes collaborations with members of Arcade Fire and Wolf Parade. This debut picks up where The Unicorns left off and takes the music to new heights without departing from The Unicorns' unique if sometimes peculiar appeal.
Islands plays beautiful pop melodies, intertwined with elements of afro-pop, hip hop, and indie rock, among others. One of the main gimmicks of the band is the recorder brought over from The Unicorns, which is prominently featured in the song "Jogging Gorgeous Summer." Nick Diamonds rules over the band with an iron fist. Other members include: Patrice Agbokou, Aaron Harris, Alex Chow, Sebastian Chow, and Patrick Gregoire. Return To the Sea, their rookie effort, was released on April 4th, 2006 on the brand new label, Equator Records, and Rough Trade in the UK. Digital Distribution handled by Alpha Pup.
On May 20, 2008, Islands released its second album, Arm's Way, on Anti- Records.
On September 22, 2009 Islands released their third full length album, Vapours.
On February 14, 2012 Islands released their fourth full length album, A Sleep & A Forgetting.
On September 17, 2013 Islands released their fifth full length album, Ski Mask
On May 13, 2016 Islands released their sixth and seventh full length albums, Should I Remain Here, At Sea? and Taste.
Swans
Islands Lyrics
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Swans
Swans sing songs
All night long
Who knew how warm the islands were
While the frogs look on
It's what the birds prefer
I woke up thirsty the day I died
And the tide was swirling
My mouth is so dry
And all I see is sea to shining seas
Swans
Swans
Swans sing songs
All night long
Who knew how warm the islands would be
And who knew just how much
The sky covers me
It makes you forget what it means to be free
I climbed into the blowhole
In the ribs, I found you
With a wick we lit a flame
Now look at the smoke that it blew
The mouth is so wide
Yet all I see is sea
And azure sky
A little wave and ebb tide
Rivers leak
Salt seeps in
Heals wounds
Winds pry apart
Rivers leak
Salt seeps in
Heals wounds
Winds pry apart
Rivers leak
Salt seeps in
Heals wounds
Winds pry apart
Swans
Swans
Swans sung songs
'Til the morning dawned on us
And the sun-smudged peach moon still hung loose
Bones
Bones
Bones
Groan
The sparrows in the trees we leave them for
They love the marrow
I'm thankful for my life
I'm thankful for my life
The lyrics to Islands' song Swans tells a story of someone who has died, waking up thirsty and lost at sea. The swans, who sing songs all night long, are a reminder of the warmth and beauty of the islands. The singer reflects on the beauty of the sea and the sky, and how it makes them forget what it means to be free. The middle section of the song takes a surreal turn, with the singer climbing into a blowhole and finding someone else there. Together, they light a flame and watch the smoke blow away. The song ends with a focus on bones, and the singer expressing gratitude for their life.
The imagery in Swans is evocative and dreamlike, with a sense of loss and loneliness permeating the lyrics. The swans represent the beauty and comfort of natural surroundings, while the blowhole and bones suggest a more macabre and unsettling reality. The repeated lines about rivers leaking and salt seeping in suggest the inevitability of decay and erosion, adding to the melancholic tone of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Swans
The presence of swans
Swans
The continued presence of swans
Swans sing songs
The swans create melodies
All night long
Throughout the night
Who knew how warm the islands were
The warmth of the islands was surprising or unknown
While the frogs look on
Frogs are observing the swans
It's what the birds prefer
Birds favor the singing of swans
And it's still warm after the sun has gone
The warmth lingers even when the sun is no longer present
I woke up thirsty the day I died
The artist recalls their last day, where they woke up thirsty before dying
And the tide was swirling
The water was moving in a circular motion
My mouth is so dry
The singer's mouth is severely dehydrated
And all I see is sea to shining seas
The artist's view is an endless expanse of ocean
Swans
The continued presence of swans
Swans
The swans are still there
Swans sing songs
The swans continue to sing
All night long
Throughout the night
Who knew how warm the islands would be
The warmth is still surprising or unknown
And who knew just how much
The extent of something was not anticipated or understood
The sky covers me
The sky is over the singer
It makes you forget what it means to be free
The grandeur of the natural world can distract from what freedom means
I climbed into the blowhole
The artist enters a hole in the landform
In the ribs, I found you
The artist finds someone in a particular part of the landform
With a wick we lit a flame
The singer and the other person light a fire with a wick
Now look at the smoke that it blew
The result of the fire is smoke
The mouth is so wide
The opening of the blowhole is very large
Yet all I see is sea
From the singer's perspective, their view is only of the ocean
And azure sky
The sky is a particular shade of blue
A little wave and ebb tide
The water is moving slightly
Rivers leak
Water is seeping out of rivers
Salt seeps in
Saltwater is entering the area
Heals wounds
The presence of water has a healing effect on injuries
Winds pry apart
Winds are separating something
Rivers leak
Water is seeping out of rivers
Salt seeps in
Saltwater is entering the area
Heals wounds
Water has a positive effect on injured areas
Winds pry apart
Wind is causing the separation of things
Rivers leak
Water is seeping out of rivers
Salt seeps in
Saltwater is entering the area
Heals wounds
Water helps the body recover from injuries
Winds pry apart
Wind is causing a separation
Swans
The presence of swans
Swans
The swans continue to be there
Swans sung songs
The swans sang melodies
'Til the morning dawned on us
The morning sun arrived
And the sun-smudged peach moon still hung loose
The moon is still visible in the sky as the sun rises
Bones
The presence of bones
Bones
Bones continue to be there
Bones
The artist repeats the word 'bones', emphasizing their significance
Groan
The sound of something creaking or straining
The sparrows in the trees we leave them for
The singer acknowledges the presence of sparrows and allows them to be undisturbed
They love the marrow
Sparrows are interested in the marrow of bones
I'm thankful for my life
The artist is grateful for their life
I'm thankful for my life
The artist reiterates their gratitude for their life
Lyrics © CARL FISCHER, LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Andrew Balent, Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
John Saidi
Swans, swans, swans sing songs all night long
Who knew how warm the islands were?
While the frogs look on
It's what the birds prefer
And it's still warm after the sun has gone
I woke up thirsty the day I died
And the tide was swirling
My mouth is so dry
And all I see is sea to shining seas
Swans, swans, swans sing songs all night long
Who knew how warm the islands would be?
And who knew just how much the sky covers me?
It makes you forget what it means to be free
I climbed into the blowhole
In the ribs, I found you
With a wick, we lit a flame
Now look at the smoke that it blew
The mouth is so wide
Yet all I see is sea and azure sky
A little wave and ebb tide
[Chorus] (x3)
Rivers leak
Salt seeps in
Heals wounds
Winds pry apart
Swans, swans, swans sung songs 'til the morning dawned on us
And the sun-smudged peach moon still hung loose
Bones, bones, bones grown homes
With the sparrows in the trees we leave them for
They love the marrow
I'm thankful for my life
I'm thankful for my life
Savannah Stewart
Swans
Swans
Swans sing songs
All night long
Who knew how warm the islands were
While the frogs look on
It's what the birds prefer
And it's still warm after the sun has gone
I woke up thirsty the day I died
And the tide was swirling
My mouth is so dry
And all I see is sea to shining seas
Swans
Swans
Swans sing songs
All night long
Who knew how warm the islands would be
And who knew just how much
The sky covers me
It makes you forget what it means to be free
I climbed into the blowhole
In the ribs, I found you
With a wick we lit a flame
Now look at the smoke that it blew
The mouth is so wide
Yet all I see is sea
And azure sky
A little wave and ebb tide
Rivers leak
Salt seeps in
Heals wounds
Winds pry apart
Rivers leak
Salt seeps in
Heals wounds
Winds pry apart
Rivers leak
Salt seeps in
Heals wounds
Winds pry apart
Swans
Swans
Swans sung songs
'Til the morning dawned on us
And the sun-smudged peach moon still hung loose
Bones
Bones
Bones
Groan
The sparrows in the trees we leave them for
They love the marrow
I'm thankful for my life
I'm thankful for my life
John Saidi
Swans, swans, swans sing songs all night long
Who knew how warm the islands were?
While the frogs look on
It's what the birds prefer
And it's still warm after the sun has gone
I woke up thirsty the day I died
And the tide was swirling
My mouth is so dry
And all I see is sea to shining seas
Swans, swans, swans sing songs all night long
Who knew how warm the islands would be?
And who knew just how much the sky covers me?
It makes you forget what it means to be free
I climbed into the blowhole
In the ribs, I found you
With a wick, we lit a flame
Now look at the smoke that it blew
The mouth is so wide
Yet all I see is sea and azure sky
A little wave and ebb tide
[Chorus] (x3)
Rivers leak
Salt seeps in
Heals wounds
Winds pry apart
Swans, swans, swans sung songs 'til the morning dawned on us
And the sun-smudged peach moon still hung loose
Bones, bones, bones grown homes
With the sparrows in the trees we leave them for
They love the marrow
I'm thankful for my life
I'm thankful for my life
MrStevon123
16 years ago, I heard my friend's older brother Robert playing the little intro riff to this song, and I was blown away. I had been a huge Unicorns/Islands fan for a while at that point. He said it was really easy, but I didn't believe him. Then Robert spent the next 15 minutes showing me, someone with absolutely no prior music knowledge how to play, or at least enough to keep at it on my own. Fast forward to me being 26, and now all I do is play and make my own music. So thanks Nick, OR Alden, or whoever wrote this song/intro, and whoever wrote Thunder and Lighting/Swans, and thanks to Robert for showing me where this little riff lived in the guitar. And thanks Jamzar1k, for posting this, and sending me on my little flashback..
To be honest, I like Thunder and Lightning Better.. But love both!
8BitNoel
This song is absolutely impeccable. I can feel truly at bliss when I listen to this.
Mark A Hume
Masterful bass part. Will go down in my book of memorable 2000's indie basslines.
Kevtron9000
Incredible player
Autumn Laws
I'm going to try and catch all Unicorn references in this song as it plays. 1. The band name, Islands. From 'I'm Ready to Die' (see 4) 2. The title Life After Death, the song "I'm Ready to Die". 3. The opening riff is the same as Thunder & Lightening, or William, Clap your Hands. 4. "I woke up thirsty, the day I died" from 'I'm Ready to Die' "I woke up thirsty on an island in the sea. 5. "...A little wave and ebb tide". From 'Ebb Tide, Azure Sky' 6. "the sun-smudged Peach Moon." from Peach Moon
J Flowers
That's pretty amazing, only caught about half of those. Be sure to check out the remaster that's coming out soon; Swans is already up on their Bandcamp and it sounds badaaassssss.
Andy Franklin
I love everything about this song, but I never gave enough credit to that dope bassline!
leewardstyle
This is one of the important songs. Forever thankful it was written.
xredhenx
one of my favorite albums ever