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.
Song for a Warrior
Swans Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Golden light
A flower unfolding
Behind the mirror of your eyes
If an angel could hold up
In his polished white hand
I know he'd release it
Now you are a warrior
Who will conquer this land
On a horse made of clouds
You will scatter the sands
Some people say
God is long dead
But I heard something inside you
With my head to your chest
Within
All the wrong
They say
I have done
Their lies
A seed
Of a million more
Just waiting to become
Send them home
Send them home
Send them home
Send them home
Use your sword
Use your voice
And destroy
And destroy
Then begin again
The song "Song for a Warrior" by Swans begins with the description of an unfolding flower which we can visualize behind a mirror, it represents the growing golden light. The lines refer to the emergence of something beautiful and positive in the midst of darkness and obscurity. The next set of lines talks about an angel holding something, which could symbolize hope, peace, or love. The idea of an angel releasing something like a bird to the sky indicates the possibility of freedom, the release of something from bondage or constraint.
The song then progresses to talk about the listener, who is now a warrior, ready to conquer the land. The metaphorical use of "horse made of clouds" portrays the listener as a powerful, almost mythical figure. The warrior is going to scatter the sands, which can be interpreted as the warrior treading new paths and possibilities, breaking conventions and creating his own destiny. The song then refers to people's disbelief in God, but the warrior hears something inside the person who is a source of comfort and guidance.
The song then shifts to the chorus, which urges the listener to take action. The lyric "Use your sword, use your voice, and destroy, and destroy," signifies the need to overcome challenges or obstacles by any means necessary. The song ends with the line "Then begin again," which could mean that once we overcome something, we need to start afresh with a new perspective or mindset.
Line by Line Meaning
There is a growing
The situation is changing and evolving.
Golden light
An ideal, beautiful vision.
A flower unfolding
Something new is coming to life or emerging.
Behind the mirror of your eyes
This vision or change is connected to the inner life of the person.
If an angel could hold up
Implies the great importance of what is being discussed.
In his polished white hand
An image of great purity and goodness.
I know he'd release it
This vision or change must be made public and set free.
Like a bird to the sky
It must soar and be allowed to reach new heights.
Now you are a warrior
Implies that the person has become strong and ready for battle.
Who will conquer this land
The person will overcome obstacles and emerge victorious.
On a horse made of clouds
Imagery of spiritual strength and freedom.
You will scatter the sands
The person will cause widespread change.
Some people say
Introduces a different point of view.
God is long dead
A pessimistic belief about the state of the world.
But I heard something inside you
The singer has faith in the person and what they represent.
With my head to your chest
Symbolizes listening closely to the person's heart and inner voice.
Within
Indicates something that is buried or hidden.
All the wrong
Mistakes or misdeeds of the past.
They say
The singer is acknowledging the opinions of others.
I have done
The artist takes responsibility for their actions.
Their lies
The opinions of others may be false or misguided.
A seed
This false opinion could spread and cause more harm.
Of a million more
The damage could be exponential.
Just waiting to become
The danger is imminent and must be stopped before it grows out of control.
Send them home
Urges the false opinions to be dismissed or rejected.
Use your sword
Symbolizes strength and willpower in taking action.
Use your voice
The power of persuasion and communication.
And destroy
The negative forces must be eradicated.
And destroy
Repeated for emphasis.
Then begin again
Symbolizes the cyclical nature of growth and change. The process must continue and new beginnings are always possible.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@grotesqburlesk
There is a growing
Golden light
A flower unfolding
Behind the mirror of your eyes
[Verse]
If an angel could hold it
In his polished white hand
I know he'd release it
Like a bird to the sky
[Verse]
Now you are the warrior
Who will conquer this land
On a horse made of clouds
You will scatter the sands
[Verse]
Some people say
God is long dead
But I heard something inside you
With my head to your chest
[Instrumental Break]
[Verse]
Within
All the wrong
They say
I have done
[Verse]
There lies
A seed
Of a million more
Just waiting to become
[Bridge]
Send them home!
Send them home!
Send them home!
[Outro]
Use your sword
Use your voice
And destroy
And destroy
Then begin again
@gustavolamego9913
These swans guys sound pretty chill, so im guessing all their songs are like this
@clumpter4534
Filth is so pretty (despite the name lol)
@jamesduncan2403
You should check out oxygen by em 😂
@WFly101
Cop as a whole is very chill
@ryannmw6849
Lmao
@fero5540
This song is like the calm before the storm. Very well placed in the album.
@boyo7918
I just love how the entire second disc is a sort of buildup to The Apostate, really makes that song a perfect closer with how chaotic it is
@meruida4694
never thought that someone would spoiler me an album hahaha
@sernoddicusthegallant6986
Reminds me a lot of A Warm Place from Nine Inch Nails' Downward Spiral
@adrianwolmarans
Some people say that god is long dead. But I heard something inside you with my head to your chest
something very beautiful about that