Marginally associated with the no wave scene at first, their original sound was slow and extremely heavy, with live performances that were often so brutal and physical that in a number of instances certain audience members were made ill, police were called and venues were shut down. This early physical sound is possibly best heard on the live album Public Castration Is A Good idea.
Their initial style shifted a little by the time Swans released seminal twin albums Greed and Holy Money. The music had sped up, at times being even more punishing than their earlier output. Drum machines and samples were slightly more prominent. Michael Gira was joined vocally by Jarboe which gave the band a broader sonic range. Tracks featuring Jarboe were often quieter, even pretty, acting as counterpoint to the more harrowing themes on the albums. Over time, this style would come to dominate Swans' output, although they somehow seem to have been able to make a strummed acoustic guitar seem as brutal as their earlier amped-up assaults. The lush instrumentation of their albums from the late 1980s and the 1990's anticipated the birth of post-rock.
Swans eventually broke up in 1997; Gira went on to release some solo work, later forming the band The Angels Of Light, who continue many of the themes and styles found in (later) Swans. Jarboe releases solo work and frequently works with other bands and artists; recently she released an album with Neurosis, a group clearly heavily influenced by Swans.
The influence of Swans upon the music world is profound. Across their 15 years of existence, the various styles they explored gave birth to grindcore (Napalm Death, Nasum) modern "cinematic" post-rock (Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Mono), and atmospheric sludge metal (Isis, Neurosis).
In January 2010, Michael Gira reactivated Swans and released a new album, My Father Will Guide Me Up a Rope to the Sky on September 2010, and the band simultaneously embarked on a world tour scheduled to last eighteen months. The band had been chosen by Portishead to perform at the ATP I'll Be Your Mirror festivals that they curated in July 2011 at London's Alexandra Palace and in September 2011 in Asbury Park, New Jersey.
On August 28, 2012, Swans released The Seer, a double-album running almost 2 hours in length. Frontman Michael Gira described the album as taking "30 years to make. It's the culmination of every previous Swans album as well as any other music I've ever made, been involved in or imagined. But it's unfinished, like the songs themselves. It's one frame in a reel. The frames blur, blend and will eventually fade." Describing the songwriting process, Gira said, "The songs began on an acoustic guitar, then were fleshed out with (invaluable) help from my friends, then were further tortured and seduced in the studio, and now they await further cannibalism and force-feeding as we prepare to perform some of them live, at which point they'll mutate further, endlessly, or perhaps be discarded for a while."
On May 12, 2014, Swans released their thirteenth LP, To Be Kind. Produced by Michael Gira and recorded by John Congleton. It received positive reception from critics which made the group continue to make more albums that have also have received positive reviews.
It was announced on July 22, 2015, that the band was releasing their fourteenth studio album, titled The Glowing Man. The album was released on June 17, 2016.
After The Glowing Man released, the band took a hiatus lasting nearly a year in 2017 and ending in 2018. The band released their fifteenth studio LP Leaving Meaning the next year. The same year, a documentary about Swans was released titled “Where Does A Body End?”.
In March 2021, Michael Gira released a tracklist of an upcoming Swans album, titled The Beggar. It was released on June 23, 2023.
Gang
Swans Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
原來剛剛緊貼新校椅背 想向都市說失陪
原來剛剛穿起新買手套 想見某觀眾
原來剛剛呼吸新香氛 想豁出去得到某真實
誰和誰 ahahah…
我最好一個 ohohoh… 一個
浮浮游游 加州山野 再去海角泊車
我最好一個 ohohoh… 一個
完完全全 芝加哥歌廳 再托托墨鏡
來吧半日 沒有工作 沒有戀愛 但有春風可以錫
沒有方向 但有千里路的華麗任我寫
攬上即興 著了詩意 坐上異國新跑車
舊有一切暫且藏後鏡
猶如初初收到一次邀約 總要很徹底的漂亮
猶如初初張開一個擁抱 要永遠都繼續
猶如初初捻起小雪花 只要感覺這一剎
原來剛剛觸摸新咪錶 總要一切可控制的美妙
誰和誰 ahahah…
我最好一個 ohohoh… 一個
浮浮游游 很彎很斜 再去海角泊車
誰和誰 ahahah…
我最好一個 ohohoh… 一個
完完全全 心都清新些 再托托墨鏡
來吧半日 沒有工作 沒有戀愛 但有春風可以錫
沒有方向 但有千里路的華麗任我寫
攬上即興 著了詩意 坐上異國新跑車
舊有一切暫且藏後鏡
即刻出發 沒有工作 沒有戀愛 但有春風可以錫
沒有方向 但有不設限的時代任我寫
攬上即興 著了詩意 坐上異國新跑車
舊有一切暫且藏後鏡
The song "Gang" by South Korean rap group Swings features artists Jay Park, Simon Dominic, Woo Won-jae, and Gray. The lyrics critique the superficiality and materialism of contemporary culture, particularly among younger generations in South Korea. The rappers express their frustration with the pressures to conform to dominant trends and styles, and instead advocate for individuality and creative expression.
Throughout the song, the artists reference various cultural trends and phenomena that exemplify this superficiality, such as "dabbing," clothing brands, and social media. They also assert their own success and confidence in their artistic abilities, encouraging listeners to embrace their own talents.
The song's repetitive hook, "Ah yeah, ah yeah, yeah, yeah," serves as both an expression of frustration and a hypnotizing refrain that lingers in listeners' minds. Overall, "Gang" critiques the homogenizing forces of consumer culture and encourages listeners to embrace their unique identities.
Line by Line Meaning
原來剛剛考到新發執照 想去招與搖
Just obtained a new driver's license, eager to attract attention and have a wild time.
原來剛剛緊貼新校椅背 想向都市說失陪
Just sat tightly against my new school chair, ready to leave the city behind.
原來剛剛穿起新買手套 想見某觀眾
Just put on my newly purchased gloves, hoping to meet a specific audience.
原來剛剛呼吸新香氛 想豁出去得到某真實
Just took a breath of a new fragrance, willing to let go and experience a certain reality.
誰和誰 ahahah…
Who is with whom? Ahahah...
我最好一個 ohohoh… 一個
I am the best alone. Ohohoh... Just one.
浮浮游游 加州山野 再去海角泊車
Traveling around, exploring the mountains and coast of California, parking at the furthest point.
完完全全 芝加哥歌廳 再托托墨鏡
Completely, in the Chicago nightclub, with sunglasses on again.
來吧半日 沒有工作 沒有戀愛 但有春風可以錫
Let's go for half a day without work or love, but there is a spring breeze to embrace.
沒有方向 但有千里路的華麗任我寫
Without a direction, I can write my own magnificent story on the endless road.
攬上即興 著了詩意 坐上異國新跑車
Embrace spontaneity, wear the essence of poetry, and sit in a foreign new sports car.
舊有一切暫且藏後鏡
Leave behind everything from the past for now, hiding it in the rearview mirror.
猶如初初收到一次邀約 總要很徹底的漂亮
Just like receiving an invitation for the first time, it always needs to be handled thoroughly and beautifully.
猶如初初張開一個擁抱 要永遠都繼續
Just like opening an embrace for the first time, it should last forever.
猶如初初捻起小雪花 只要感覺這一剎
Just like picking up a small snowflake for the first time, as long as you feel that moment.
原來剛剛觸摸新咪錶 總要一切可控制的美妙
Just touched a new watch, enjoying the beauty of having everything under control.
我最好一個 ohohoh… 一個
I am the best alone. Ohohoh... Just one.
浮浮游游 很彎很斜 再去海角泊車
Traveling around, taking curvy and winding paths, parking at the furthest point.
誰和誰 ahahah…
Who is with whom? Ahahah...
我最好一個 ohohoh… 一個
I am the best alone. Ohohoh... Just one.
完完全全 心都清新些 再托托墨鏡
Completely, with a refreshed mind, putting on sunglasses again.
來吧半日 沒有工作 沒有戀愛 但有春風可以錫
Let's go for half a day without work or love, but there is a spring breeze to embrace.
沒有方向 但有千里路的華麗任我寫
Without a direction, I can write my own magnificent story on the endless road.
攬上即興 著了詩意 坐上異國新跑車
Embrace spontaneity, wear the essence of poetry, and sit in a foreign new sports car.
舊有一切暫且藏後鏡
Leave behind everything from the past for now, hiding it in the rearview mirror.
即刻出發 沒有工作 沒有戀愛 但有春風可以錫
Set off immediately without work or love, but there is a spring breeze to embrace.
沒有方向 但有不設限的時代任我寫
Without a direction, I can write freely in this limitless era.
攬上即興 著了詩意 坐上異國新跑車
Embrace spontaneity, wear the essence of poetry, and sit in a foreign new sports car.
舊有一切暫且藏後鏡
Leave behind everything from the past for now, hiding it in the rearview mirror.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: AGATHA KONG, YIU FAI CHOW
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Iván
What a great song and album... Pure raw energy.
Tyler Souza
this is somehow the most chill song on this whole album
James Guillory, The Irascible Humanslayer
It’s like a percussion-battered avant-industrial carousel.
Kisa Wisa
I would go on that carousel/hj
Sean Leigh
Gracias a esta canción abandoné por completo mi adicción a league of legends, es un muy eficiente lavado de cerebro por su frase en bucle una y otra vez, Chao LOLERO Chao LOLERO Chao LOLERO
maiko
XDD
Mevofuo
Mal xD
Victoria Reyes
Primer comentario en español que encuentro en todos los videos de este álbum.
Gwen Williams Williams
Thank you Michael. We (I) really mean it -Andy
Mr. Pope
Everyone support my heroes - SWANS. They are MUSIC.