On June 21 2010, Swimming With Dolphins signed to Seattle record label 'Tooth & Nail'. Swimming with Dolphins debut album entitled "Water Colours" released on May 17, 2011. The single Sleep To Dream was released April 26 2011. A promotional video for Water Colours debuted a track called Good Times, featuring Minneapolis based rapper Mod Sun.
Diplomat
Swimming with Dolphins Lyrics
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No time left to spend or give
Walking like a bureaucrat
Talking like a diplomat
Always looking into their eyes
Firm handshakes, quick replies
Push the product, sell the crop
But what if it's not meant for me?
I can't stand the symmetry
My head is stuck inside the clouds
But I can see clearly now
I'm trying to find the means to living more passionately
Cause I'm not who I wanna be
Buried in routines, I don't care what happens to me
I just gotta get free
I am no proprietor
That that to my dear father
Taught me everything he knew
About nothing that I wanna do
Earned awards, honors, degrees
I couldn't find myself in these
So I took my car keys and ID's
And threw them in the ocean
Now, all of the world is laying right before my eyes
I wonder why the hell it took so long for me to recognize
I'm trying to find the means to living more passionately
Cause I'm not who I wanna be
Buried in routines, I don't care what happens to me
I just gotta get free
The song "Diplomat" by Swimming with Dolphins explores the struggle of balancing work and personal life. The lyrics paint a picture of someone who is caught up in the corporate world, living by the "live to work, work to live" mentality. The singer feels like they're just going through the motions, walking like a bureaucrat and talking like a diplomat, all the while feeling like there's something missing.
The chorus of the song reveals the singer's desire to break free from the monotony of their routine and live more passionately. They want to find themselves, rather than just being defined by their job and their accomplishments. The line "My head is stuck inside the clouds, but I can see clearly now" suggests that the singer has a clear vision of who they want to be and what they want to do, but they're not quite sure how to get there.
The bridge of the song reveals that the singer's father taught them everything they needed to know about something they have no interest in. This implies that the pressure to succeed in a certain field may have come from their family, rather than their own desires. The singer then takes a bold step to throw their car keys and ID's in the ocean, symbolic of shedding their old identity and starting anew.
Overall, "Diplomat" speaks to the universal struggle of finding purpose and meaning in one's life, and the pressure to conform to societal expectations of success.
Line by Line Meaning
Live to work, work to live
Life is a cycle of working hard for survival, leaving no time for anything else
No time left to spend or give
Life is so busy that there is no time for anything other than work
Walking like a bureaucrat
Acting robotically like a government worker, going through the motions with no passion
Talking like a diplomat
Acting professional, saying the right things to climb the ladder
Always looking into their eyes
Focusing on others' needs and goals, forgetting about one's own desires
Firm handshakes, quick replies
Impressing others with a professional demeanor, without revealing one's true self
Push the product, sell the crop
Advancing in a career by producing and selling goods or services, with no emotional investment
Climb that ladder to the top
Striving for success at all costs, even if it means sacrificing one's own happiness
But what if it's not meant for me?
Questioning if the never-ending cycle of work and success is what one truly wants
I can't stand the symmetry
Disliking the routine and monotony of life, seeking something more exciting
My head is stuck inside the clouds
Dreaming of a life with more meaning and purpose, not content with the status quo
But I can see clearly now
Finally realizing that there is more to life than just working and climbing the ladder
I'm trying to find the means to living more passionately
Searching for a way to live life with more energy and vitality
Cause I'm not who I wanna be
Feeling like a shell of oneself, lacking authenticity and passion
Buried in routines, I don't care what happens to me
Feeling overwhelmed by the daily grind, with little concern for one's own well-being
I just gotta get free
Desperately seeking a way out of the monotonous cycle of life
I am no proprietor
Realizing that one is not the master of one's own life
That that to my dear father
Acknowledging that one's upbringing and beliefs were passed down by one's father
Taught me everything he knew
Learning from one's father, absorbing his values and worldview
About nothing that I wanna do
Learning traditional values and skills that don't align with one's own desires
Earned awards, honors, degrees
Achieving success and recognition in academia or one's career
I couldn't find myself in these
Feeling disconnected from the accolades and success, sensing that they don't define one's true self
So I took my car keys and ID's
Symbolically rejecting the conventional path of life
And threw them in the ocean
Letting go of societal expectations and pressures, seeking a new path
Now, all of the world is laying right before my eyes
Feeling liberated from tradition and societal pressures, seeing the beauty and possibilities of the world
I wonder why the hell it took so long for me to recognize
Regretting the time spent pursuing the wrong path, wishing for a change sooner
Contributed by Lily T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.