Swan Lake
Public Image Ltd Lyrics
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Words can never say the way
Told me in your eyes
Final in a fade
Never no more hope away
Final in a fade
Seeing in your eyes
Seeing in your eyes
Never really know, never realize
Silence in your eyes
Silence in your eyes
Never really know, till it's gone away
Never realize
The silence in your eyes
Seen it in your eyes
Seen it in your eyes
Never no more hope away
Final in a fade
Watch her slowly die
Saw it in her eyes
Choking on a bed
Flowers rotting dead
Seen it in her eyes
Ending in a day
Silence was a way
Seeing in your eyes
Seeing in your eyes
Seeing in your eyes
I'm seeing through my eyes
Words cannot express
Words cannot express
Words cannot express
The lyrics to Public Image Ltd's song "Swan Lake" are quite enigmatic and can be interpreted in multiple ways. However, the imagery of eyes and silence is prevalent throughout the song. The first verse seems to describe a sense of finality and hopelessness in a fade. The singer seems to have seen something in someone's eyes, which suggested that all hope is gone- perhaps in a relationship or maybe even in a person's life. The repetition of "Seeing in your eyes" emphasizes this point.
The second verse continues the idea of not realizing the importance of something until it's gone. The silence in someone's eyes is also noted as being significant, perhaps representing a lack of communication or being unable to express oneself. The line "Watch her slowly die" is particularly haunting, suggesting that the person being described is slowly fading away. The third verse again talks about the finality of something, this time ending in a day. The silence was a way, and the singer can only see through their eyes.
Overall, "Swan Lake" is a haunting song that offers glimpses into the psyche of someone who has witnessed a slow decline. Through the use of repetitive phrases and vivid imagery of eyes, the song creates an eerie atmosphere that stays with the listener long after the song ends.
Line by Line Meaning
Seeing in your eyes
Observing the emotions and thoughts reflected in your eyes
Words can never say the way
It is impossible to accurately describe the depth and complexity of what is reflected in your eyes
Told me in your eyes
The message has been conveyed without the use of words, through the emotions and expressions in your eyes
Final in a fade
The end is near and there is no hope for a different outcome
Never no more hope away
There is no longer any possibility of hope or redemption
Never really know, never realize
It is only when it is gone that one realizes the true nature of a situation
Silence in your eyes
Absence of emotions and a veil of quietness reflecting in your eyes
Seen it in your eyes
The emotions and feelings have been perceived and recognized through the expressions reflected in your eyes
Watch her slowly die
Witnessing an individual's gradual demise
Choking on a bed
Struggling to breathe and survive while lying on the bed
Flowers rotting dead
The flowers meant to be symbols of life and vibrancy have started to decompose
Ending in a day
The situation is coming to an end very soon
Silence was a way
The lack of communication and sound was a form of communication itself
I'm seeing through my eyes
The observer is perceiving the situation only from their personal point of view
Words cannot express
It is impossible to find the right words to describe the emotions and complexities of the situation at hand
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JOHN LYDON, JOHN WARDLE, JOHN JOSEPH WARDLE, KEITH LEVENE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@TheMuzfly
This song used to haunt me and I loved it for that. Then, when I found out it was dedicated to his dying mother I realised how much Lydon managed to put out his feelings so well.
@optimisticwhovian1726
It's pretty much a guy mourning his (then) recently deceased mother, she liked Swan Lake and asked him to write a disco song for her so this was his answer to that. Hence the name Death Disco.
@royalnass1029
classic indeed. one of the best hardly known rock albums ever
@lamyatpui
"rock" lol
@royalnass1029
post punk is a form of rock
@MrMatijas16
yeah, but I wouldn't call it just rock music. There are some groups like Television, XTC and Gang of Four who sound much more like they suppose to ROCK, but PIL's vision is much more dark and experimental, there's a plenty of influences of dub and krautrock... anyway John Lydon even said that he totally didn't want to make rock music. So...yeah, it's not a rock album :p
@royalnass1029
true, at the end of the day anybody with some brains would agree that there interesting pieces of music on this album
@t.n.3819
Hardly known?
@mikepastor.k6233
Tchaikovsky, Punk and Disco having a musical three way.
@modernmartyr
Totally agree with you.