A singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Howden has written, recorded and released three full-length albums as raised by swans thus far; Codes and Secret Longing (2005), No Ghostless Place (2010), and Öxnadalur (2014). His fourth album, 'raised by swans is the name of a man', is set to come out in two volumes in 2021; four songs from Volume 1 were released on December 14th, 2020, on bandcamp exclusively.
Academy Award and Palm d’Or nominated director Atom Egoyan included three songs from Codes and Secret Longing in his film, Adoration (2009) and two songs from No Ghostless Place in the erotic thriller Chloe (2010). “Violet Light” from Codes and Secret Longing is featured in novelist Douglas Coupland’s film Everything’s Gone Green (2007), voted Canadian Feature Film of the Year at the Vancouver International Film Festival.
Before 2013, raised by swans often erroneously presented himself in biographical information and interviews as a band rather than a solo artist, as he felt more comfortable hiding within a fictional collective. He eventually shared the truth in an interview conducted in between the release of No Ghostless Place and Öxnadalur.
'raised by swans is the name of a man' is a double album upon which he sings all of the singing and plays every instrument. While writing its 22 songs, he lost a dear cat friend who had been with him for 22 years, 6 months and 17 days, managed a tiny grocery store in the most remote municipality in Iceland (current population 53), briefly delivered post in the most remote municipality in Iceland, was wrongfully suspected of being a spy in the most remote municipality in Iceland, and planted 10,000 baby birch trees in the hills of Öxnadalur, all by himself.
raised by swans has performed concerts in Russia, Germany, Iceland, Romania, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Greece, Serbia, Hungary, Croatia, the Czech Republic, and Canada, where he lives most of the time.
Easier
Raised By Swans Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Every step we take is getting harder
For all your promises pinned like ribbons to your bed
Tell me
Why’s the ice so thin around you
You say it gets easier to fall right through
Suddenly we felt the night go numb
And all the miles went dark between the city and the stars
Tell me would you leave our love behind
You say it gets easier to throw the fight
The lyrics of Raised By Swans's song "Easier" showcases a couple's struggle to keep their love strong amidst the difficulties they face. The opening lines, "We were never meant to be apart, every step we take is getting harder" portrays the couple's longing to be together as they face hurdles in their relationship. While the ribbons pinned to the bed represent past promises, the line "Why’s the ice so thin around you, you say it gets easier to fall right through" portrays the fear of unraveling love and trust as time passes.
The following lines, "Suddenly we felt the night go numb, stalling as the lightning cut the horizon" portray a moment of doubt and uncertainty in the relationship. The line "And all the miles went dark between the city and the stars" reveals the distance between the couple and their inability to bridge the gap. The second verse of the song emphasizes the conflict between passion and doubt. The line "Tell me would you leave our love behind, you say it gets easier to throw the fight" portrays the dilemma of fighting for the relationship or simply giving up.
Overall, the lyrics of "Easier" are a beautiful portrayal of the complexities of relationships and how even the most intimate moments can be fraught with uncertainty and doubt. The raw emotion conveyed through each line is a testament to the songwriter's abilities.
Line by Line Meaning
We were never meant to be apart
Our relationship was meant to be forever, but it's falling apart now
Every step we take is getting harder
As time goes by, it's becoming more and more difficult to maintain our relationship
For all your promises pinned like ribbons to your bed
Despite all the promises you've made, they mean nothing and only serve as empty reminders of what could have been
Tell me, why’s the ice so thin around you
Why is it that you seem so cold and distant despite being so close?
You say it gets easier to fall right through
You claim that it's easier to just let go and give up
Suddenly we felt the night go numb
Our relationship seems to have lost its spark and emotion
Stalling as the lightning cut the horizon
Our relationship is at a standstill and very soon, it may come to an abrupt end
And all the miles went dark between the city and the stars
Even the love and devotion that once separated us is now gone and there's nothing left between us
Tell me would you leave our love behind
Do you have the courage to just leave our love and relationship behind?
You say it gets easier to throw the fight
You claim that it's easier just to give up and walk away from everything we've built together
Contributed by Elijah L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.