The initial impulse behind McMahon’s new project Jack’s Mannequin was "Locked Doors", a song he recorded in December 2003, which he felt was too different from previous Something Corporate material to be one of their songs. He realized that, if he would ever decide to release it, it would be on a solo album rather than a Something Corporate record. The idea seemed to be off the table, until in late summer 2004 both McMahon and his band mates were exhausted from months of touring. They decided to take a temporary break. During his time off, McMahon started writing songs, knowing they would not see the light of day as Something Corporate songs. These songs were a more therapeutic approach McMahon took, and therefore a more personal and intimate testament of his songwriting.
Over the next couple of months, McMahon began recording the newly written songs with producer Jim Wirt, who would play guitar and bass over sampled drum tracks, while McMahon contributed vocals and piano. They later brought in additional musicians such as Bobby Anderson (formerly of River City High) and Tommy Lee to add to the mix. In March 2005, Jack’s Mannequin (now consisting of McMahon, Jon Sullivan on bass, Anderson and Jacques Brautbar on guitar and Jay McMillan on drums) played their first live show at Molly Malone’s Irish pub in Los Angeles, California.
Their debut album, Everything in Transit, was released on August 23, 2005 debuting at #37 of the Billboard 200 with over 22,000 copies scanned within its first week.
Everything in Transit received a positive response from fans and critics alike. A summer tour was scheduled to support the record release, but was canceled after McMahon was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and had a bone marrow transplant. The band began recording their second album in the summer of 2007. In August 2007, McMahon posted the lyrics to the song “Cellular Phone” on his blog,which the band played live at several shows in 2007 and 2008. Also, in February 2008, videos of live performances of two songs off the new record (“Caves” and “Suicide Blonde”) were uploaded onto YouTube for public viewing. McMahon appears on the cover of Alternative Press’s January 2008 issue, which contains an interview with him.
Their second album, The Glass Passenger, was released on September 30th, 2008, and is their first album with Sire Records. Despite numerous delays (the album was originally slated for release in April 2008) it has been well-received, and debuted #8 on the Billboard 200.
Previously, in August of 2008, The Ghost Overground EP was released exclusively on iTunes to promote the album, containing the songs "The Resolution", "Bloodshot", and two live performances of tracks from Everything in Transit. After the release of the EP, "The Resolution" topped the Billboard "Hot Singles Sales" charts.
Songfacts reports that "My Racing Thoughts," the first single from their third album People and Things, was released on August 2, 2011. People and Things was released October 4, 2011.
On the evening of the 24th August 2012, the official Jack's Mannequin website & official Twitter account were changed to www.andrewmcmahon.com & "amslingshots" respectively. A blog post on the official Andrew McMahon website confirmed that Jack's Mannequin were no longer & that Andrew would be working on solo material.
Swim
Jack's Mannequin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Swim for your life
Swim for the music
That saves you
When you're not so sure you'll survive
You gotta swim
Swim when it hurts
The whole world is watching
To fall off the earth
The currents will pull you
Away from your love
Just keep your head above
I found a tidal wave
Begging to tear down the door
Memories like bullets
They fired at me from a gun
Cracking me open now
I swim to brighter days
Despite the absence of sun
Choking on salt water
I'm not giving in
You gotta swim
You gotta swim
For nights that won't end
Swim for your family
Your lovers your sisters
Your brothers your friends
You gotta swim
For wars without cause
Swim for these lost politicians
Who don't see their greed is a flaw
The currents will pull us
Away from our love
Just keep your head above
I found a tidal wave
Begging to tear down the door
Memories like bullets
They fired at me from a gun
Cracking me open now
I swim to brighter days
In spite of the absence of sun
Choking on salt water
I'm not giving in
I'm not giving in
Swim
You gotta swim
Swim in the dark
There's an ocean to drift in
Feel the tide shifting away from this war
Yeah you gotta swim
Don't let yourself sink
Just follow the horizon
I promise you it's not as far as you think
Currents will drag us away from our love
Just keep your head above
Just keep your head above
Swim
Just keep your head above
Swim
Just keep your head above
Swim
The song "Swim" by Jack's Mannequin is a powerful song about resilience and perseverance. The lyrics encourage the listener to keep swimming, to keep moving forward despite the hardships and obstacles they may face. The metaphors of swimming and water represent the struggles of life, and the need to keep your head above water, to keep afloat.
Throughout the song, Andrew McMahon (the lead singer and songwriter) uses vivid imagery to illustrate the emotional turmoil that can come with difficult times. The idea of a tidal wave represents the overwhelming feeling of emotional pain, while memories are likened to bullets, suggesting the painful and traumatic nature of our past experiences. Despite this, the song encourages the listener to keep swimming, to keep moving forward, even when it's hard, and to remember the things that are worth fighting for – family, friends, and love.
The main message of the song is one of hope and empowerment. Despite the challenges that we all face in life, whether it be personal struggles, political turmoil or global issues, the song encourages us to keep moving forward, to not give up, and to find the strength to overcome our challenges. The message is clear – no matter how hard things get, we can always keep swimming.
Line by Line Meaning
You gotta swim
You need to keep pushing and fighting to survive and succeed.
Swim for your life
Put in all your efforts in everything you do, for it means everything to you.
Swim for the music
Find solace in the art and tunes that can get you through the toughest of times.
That saves you
The comforting power of that music gives you hope and energy to carry on.
When you're not so sure you'll survive
In times of uncertainty or danger, it is important to continue striving.
Swim when it hurts
Even when things are difficult, one should never give up but keep pushing through the pain.
The whole world is watching
You are not alone in your struggles, and people are inspired by your determination.
You haven't come this far
You have gone too far to look back or give up now.
To fall off the earth
To back down would be to fall so hard that it will be virtually impossible to start over.
The currents will pull you
There will be obstacles and detours in life that may throw you off course.
Away from your love
These obstacles may take you away from what you love or value.
Just keep your head above
Despite the challenges, strive to maintain focus and perspective.
I found a tidal wave
I encountered a massive challenge or crisis.
Begging to tear down the door
This crisis is so overwhelming that it threatens to completely consume me.
Memories like bullets
Past experiences that are painful and traumatic resurface and cause damage.
They fired at me from a gun
These memories come at me suddenly and forcefully, as if fired from a weapon.
Cracking me open now
These memories and experiences are breaking me apart emotionally and mentally.
I swim to brighter days
I am holding on to hope for a better future and working towards it.
Despite the absence of sun
Despite the bleak circumstances, hope still exists and is worth fighting for.
Choking on salt water
The pain and challenges are suffocating and overwhelming.
I'm not giving in
Nevertheless, I refuse to give up and will keep pushing through.
For nights that won't end
For the times when darkness and difficulty persist and seem never-ending.
Swim for your family
Put in effort for the ones you care for and love.
Your lovers your sisters
Give it your all for the ones who are closest to you.
Your brothers your friends
Fight for the people who have been there for you through thick and thin.
For wars without cause
Stand up for what is right and fight against injustices in the world.
Swim for these lost politicians
Demand better leadership from those in power and hold them accountable.
Who don't see their greed is a flaw
Those in power often act out of greed and self-interest, which is a problem that needs to be addressed.
The currents will pull us
Challenges and obstacles affect everyone, not just individuals.
Just keep your head above
Maintaining perspective and determination is key, no matter the obstacle.
Swim in the dark
Even when things seem hopeless and scary, keep pushing through.
There's an ocean to drift in
The world is vast and diverse, and there are opportunities for growth and improvement.
Feel the tide shifting away from this war
Change is possible, and it is important to work towards a better future.
Don't let yourself sink
It's easy to give up, but it's important to stay afloat and keep putting in effort.
Just follow the horizon
Set your sights on a brighter future and work towards making it a reality.
I promise you it's not as far as you think
Positive change is always possible, and it is closer than it may appear.
Swim
Keep pushing forward and working towards a brighter future.
Just keep your head above
Despite the challenges, strive to maintain focus and perspective.
Swim
Keep pushing forward and working towards a brighter future.
Just keep your head above
Despite the challenges, strive to maintain focus and perspective.
Swim
Keep pushing forward and working towards a brighter future.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: ANDREW ROSS MCMAHON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@allieleek
To anyone listening in 2022,
Jack’s Mannequin got me through a lot. This song in particular. I hope you all who are listening are doing well
@sarahdavidson2001
Andrew was truly my daughters favorite artist and she loved this song! She sadly couldn't hold on and took her life on June 26th, 2017. I miss her terribly and truly hope the message in this song saves someone who needs to know they are worth everything!! I'm a grieving mother yes, but I'm still a mom. If you need to talk..anyone..im here.
@ediann
I’m so sorry for the loss of your daughter. You’re a beautiful person and I’m sad that you have to bare such pain.
@lmfaooallie
"I swim for brighter days despite the absence of sun..." One of my favorite lines in the whole song.
@adrianrocha49
Good line, but my favorite is "you've got to swim, don't let yourself sink, just find the horizon, I promise you, it's not as far as you think." So often when we are depressed, we, for whatever reason, want to stay depressed and often resist other people's attempts to make us feel better. The key is to just focus on small victories, just making it through one day at a time and focusing on the positive and little by little, the world starts to not seem so dark anymore.
@marknoble854
“Swim for the music that saves you when you’re not so sure you’ll survive…”
@chrislawhorne9061
I have been listening to Jack’s Mannequin, Something Corporate and Andrews music for years. 6 years ago we went to one of Andrews shows, my now wife and I swabbed ourselves and signed up to be bone marrow donors. 4 years later my son needed a bone marrow transplant for a rare bone marrow failure. I was his match. He has been through a lot. But, he is learning to swim. This whole process is hard, a lot of what you go through is never properly explained to you. May everyone who goes through it have strength to keep swimming.
@biancax33
I've suffered through terrible depression and still do to this day. This song saved my life, it's everything to me. Thank you Andrew.
@Amplified435
I hope its gotten better the last few years. Love you bro. So does Christ.
@biancax33
That is so kind, I’m glad I got notified of your comment even after I posted this 6 years ago. I’m in an entirely different place and happiest I’ve ever been. Thanks man for your kind words. Bless you