Produced by Saint Etienne
Rel… Read Full Bio ↴Written by Bob Stanley & Pete Wiggs
Produced by Saint Etienne
Released September 1991 on Foxbase Alpha.
Notes "An early attempt to do something symphonic - like Jimmy Webb, MacArthur Park, an end of album epic!" (Pete Wiggs, 2009).
"We did it because it was a 'Poem on the Underground'. The melody came into my head in Stockholm while I was seeing The Stone Roses. It occurred to me about 3 years later I'd subconsciously nicked it from the guitar part to I Wanna Be Adored." (Bob Stanley, 2009).
Like the Swallow
Saint Etienne Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She's like the river that never runs dry
She's like the sunshine on the lee shore
I love my love and love is no more
It's out of roses she made a bed
A stony pillow for her head
She's like the sunshine on the lee shore
The lyrics of "Like the Swallow" by Saint Etienne are open to different interpretations. One possible interpretation is that the song talks about a person who is as elusive and uncatchable as a swallow, yet as constant and life-giving as a river or a beam of sunshine. The repetition of "She's like" throughout the song suggests that the singer is trying to describe the essence of the person they love but cannot possess.
The image of the swallow is often associated with freedom, migration, and fleetingness. Swallows are migratory birds known for their agility and speed, but also for their fragility and vulnerability. By comparing the loved one to a swallow, the song suggests that their relationship is defined by distance, unattainability, and fleetingness. The second half of each verse reinforces this image by juxtaposing the loved one's elusive nature with something constant and unchanging, like a river or a sunny shore. The final line, "I love my love and love is no more," amplifies the sense of loss, longing, and unfulfilled desire that permeates the song.
Overall, "Like the Swallow" is a poignant and poetic exploration of the theme of lost love, represented through powerful and evocative images that capture the fleetingness, beauty, and fragility of life and love.
Line by Line Meaning
She's like the swallow that flies so high
She's free and independent, soaring high and confidently.
She's like the river that never runs dry
She's abundant and always flowing, providing sustenance and nurturing.
She's like the sunshine on the lee shore
She's warm, nurturing and gives peace and comfort.
I love my love and love is no more
The person singing the song loved someone but the love is gone or unattainable.
It's out of roses she made a bed
She made her bed out of something beautiful (roses) but also painful (thorns).
A stony pillow for her head
She has to rest her head on something hard and uncomfortable, symbolizing her struggles and hardships.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BOB STANLEY, PETER STEWART WIGGS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind