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.
My Birth
Swans Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Then i kissed your red mouth, because i love you to death.
Now mother i need you- I need your claws in my neck.
Every breath that i breath in, feeds the life that i lack...
Now right here i was born, in the place where you kneeled.
In a burning white sand, in the blood that you spilled.
Far far in the distance, i hear the howl of the beast.
And I'll swallow your sorrow, and i'll inhale your fear.
And i steal your tommorows, and i'll inject your tears.
So please never forgive me, please spit on my name.
But i hold on to my memory, and keep me to blame.
Please need me to blame, need me to blame.
The lyrics of Swans song "My Birth" has a dark and disturbing tone. The opening lines of the song "Then I strangled your neck. Because I love you too much" gives the listener a sense of violence and aggression from the very beginning of the song. The lyrics continue with "Then I kissed your red mouth, because I love you to death" which suggests a twisted logic to the behavior. The lines "Now mother, I need you- I need your claws in my neck. Every breath that I breathe in, feeds the life that I lack.." gives the sense of the singer needing the love and attention of a mother figure but in a violent and destructive way.
The second verse of the song talks about the birth of the singer in a place where blood is spilled, in the midst of the chaos and violence. The lines "Far far in the distance, I hear the howl of the beast. I feel his breath on my face. I feel the edge of his teeth..." suggest fear and the sense of impending danger. The third stanza of the song suggests that the singer will take in and consume the sorrow and fear of others and use it for their own purpose. They take away the hope of others and inject their tears. The singer seems to take pleasure in this role and takes responsibility for their actions by stating "But I hold onto my memory and keep me to blame."
Overall, the song seems to explore the dark side of human beings and the twisted logic that guides their actions. The lyrics describe a person who is violent and aggressive but at the same time needs the love and attention of a mother figure. The song is powerful and disturbing and gives the listener a glimpse into the mind of a troubled individual.
Line by Line Meaning
Then i strangled your neck. Because i love you too much.
I went to the extent of strangling your neck because I love you so deeply.
Then i kissed your red mouth, because i love you to death.
I kissed your bleeding mouth, expressing my love for you which is deeper than death.
Now mother i need you- I need your claws in my neck.
Mother, I need your love and affection, even if it hurts me and leaves scars.
Every breath that i breath in, feeds the life that i lack...
I feel alive and rejuvenated with every breath I take in, as I have been devoid of life for too long.
Now right here i was born, in the place where you kneeled.
I was born in the very place where you demonstrated your surrender as you kneeled.
In a burning white sand, in the blood that you spilled.
My birthplace is associated with scorching white sand and the spilled blood from your wounds.
Far far in the distance, i hear the howl of the beast.
I am perceiving the distant howl of a ferocious beast.
I feel his breath on my face. I feel the edge of his teeth...
I sense the hot breath of the beast on my face and feel the sharp edges of its teeth.
And I'll swallow your sorrow, and i'll inhale your fear.
I am willing to take on and absorb all your sorrow and fear.
And i steal your tommorows, and i'll inject your tears.
I take away your future and inflict upon you the pain of tears.
So please never forgive me, please spit on my name.
I do not seek forgiveness, but rather accept any hatred or contempt thrown my way.
But i hold on to my memory, and keep me to blame.
I am taking responsibility for my actions and holding on to my memories, even if they are painful.
Please need me to blame, need me to blame.
I desire to be blamed for my mistakes, even if it means further suffering.
Contributed by Kaitlyn A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Ag Srf
Amazing song. This is the most underrated swans album. Favourite track along with Eden Prison.
Erline Andrews
I feel like this album was a test run for The Seer, To Be Kind and Glowing Man. Many ideas on this album were repeated and expanded upon in the later albums.
Jonas Tone
this is great
Brandon Roberts
Six years of no dislikes. Knock on wood
い太陽黒
Good.
Hackified
Absolute chaos.
Tyler Burkhart
yay
meredrums1
The Physical is gone. Long dusted. Folks might want a signed bit of whatever right now, but it's not something they're gonna pass down to their kids. The Physical world's going away. You could do a subscription thing though. Volvo's attempting this right now. Who wants "stuff" if they don't need it? Why do I need a car in the garage when I'm not driving it?
Ag Srf
why do I need my birth if I'm doing nothing with the life that comes with it?