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.
Thank You
Swans Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My skin is thicker now
There is something in my chest
I know where it comes from now
I will try something new
I will fall and fall again
Deep down I knew
I’m stronger ‘cause I've failed
One day
I ‘ll stop to cry
And maybe
One day
I’ll hit the ground
But I won’t let me down
I won’t let me down
I won’t let me down
But I won’t let me down
I won’t let me down
I won’t let me down
And maybe I’ll stop to cry
You couldn’t suck all my veins
I think I’ve suffered enough
I am free from all my chains
I will never give up now
Thank you for hurting me
Thank you for making me cry
Thank you for lying to me
My freedom is all my pride
But maybe
One day
I ‘ll stop to cry
And maybe
One day
I’ll hit the ground
But I won’t let me down
I won’t let me down
I won’t let me down
And I won’t let me down
I won’t let me down
I won’t let me down
And maybe I’ll stop to cry
The lyrics to Swans' song "Thank You" are open to interpretation, as is common with the band's work. The lines "Talk to me, tell me the truth" can be seen as a plea for honesty and transparency in a relationship or communication in general. However, the following lines "This smells sour, burn me now" suggest a willingness to endure pain and discomfort rather than face the truth. This could be interpreted as a reflection of the human tendency to avoid confrontation or hard truths.
The repeated phrase "Thank you" throughout the song could be seen as ironic or sarcastic. Rather than expressing gratitude, the phrase is used to convey a sense of resignation, acceptance, or even bitterness. The lines "This sells sour, burn my face" could be interpreted as a rejection of false or insincere expressions of gratitude or appreciation.
Line by Line Meaning
Talk To Me
Share your thoughts and feelings with me
Tell Me The Truth
Speak honestly and openly, without fear of judgment
This Sells Sour
This situation or decision will ultimately lead to negativity or harm
Burn My Face
Confront me with the harsh reality of the situation, even if it is painful
This Smells Sour
The situation has a foul odor or unpleasant aspect that should not be ignored
Burn Me Now
Force me to face the consequences of my actions immediately, without delay
Lyrics © O/B/O DistroKid
Written by: Julie Bin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
k n
I've always thought this song was catchy. Don't get me wrong - really abrasive, but still catchy.
Thugnificent
The music sounds like an industrial murder factory
Leonardo Nolde
Used to work in a slaughter house, can confirm, sounds like that place.
Lex "August" Eliason
Beautiful music from beautiful people
sfakianos7
Westberg is an underrated person
Erich Ising
And he is such an incredibly nice person!! I spent an evening with him at one of his solo gigs in Cincinnati...
donocono
he is a genius in his own right. such extremely inventive guitar playing
Kool Legged
Still some of the most bewitching guitar I've heard. Most guitarists need a pedal board the size of a small country to what he does with barely any effects.
alexandre albalustro
For a moment I thought it was Helmet. Now I know where Helmet and Godflesh were inspired.
Feukka 1
alexandre albalustro i like Helmet... Idk that i'd throw them in with Swans and Godflesh. But yeah Swans were Godflesh's biggest influence.