The band originally consisted of Damon Tutunjian (vocals, guitar), Seana Carmody (vocals, guitar), Andy Bernick (bass) and Ben Drucker (drums), with second bassist Morgan Andrews joining in 1992. Andrews and Drucker left in 1993, and Carmody left to form Syrup USA in 1994.
Currently, the band consists of Tutunjian, Bernick, Rob Laakso (guitar), Deborah Warfield (vocals) and Adam Pierce (drums).
The band has released four albums since their formation: "Blonder Tongue Audio Baton" (1993), "They Spent Their Wild Youthful Days in the Glittering World of the Salons" (1996), "The Yes Girls" (2000) and "Cats of the Wild, Volume 2" (2003).
Bell
Swirlies Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Her breathing hand never makes that sound
For all i know it's in the stairs and it's all around
A grinding insect sound
Her bell voice did let ring
I look up and lose sense of things
I took a look way outside
An hour less though and then it's mine
My doubt grew strong but she bought some time
I came down in Tennessee
I took a look she's undone me
Made it stain high and alive
I can't wait though it's fine
It's fine now
He's done
He's almost there
He's not allowed
But he can't stop now
The lyrics to Swirlies' song "Bell" are cryptic and open to interpretation, but they seem to tell the story of someone who is feeling lost and disconnected from their surroundings. The first line, "Once again the rubber prize," evokes a feeling of disappointment or defeat. The next line, "Her breathing hand never makes that sound," suggests a sense of unease or tension.
The singer then describes a grinding insect sound, which adds to the ominous tone of the song. This sound is contrasted with the "bell voice" of the woman, which rings out clearly. However, even this sound is not enough to ground the singer, who becomes disoriented: "I look up and lose sense of things."
The next few lines describe a trip to Tennessee and a sense of being "undone." The singer is waiting for something to happen, but it's not clear what that is. The final lines of the song suggest that someone is about to do something they're not allowed to do, but they can't stop themselves. The overall effect is one of tension and uncertainty.
Overall, the lyrics to "Bell" are impressionistic and open-ended, leaving the listener to draw their own conclusions about what the song is about. The imagery is vivid and evocative, but it's not always clear what it's supposed to mean.
Line by Line Meaning
Once again the rubber prize
The prize of rubber (presumably a condom) is being acquired again
Her breathing hand never makes that sound
The person is masturbating without making any noise with their hand
For all I know it's in the stairs and it's all around
The person is paranoid that others can hear them even though they are likely alone
A grinding insect sound
The person hears a buzzing sound that is distracting them
Her bell voice did let ring
The person hears a sound like a bell in their head
I look up and lose sense of things
The person becomes disconnected from reality when they hear the sound
I took a look way outside
The person is looking outside, maybe for a distraction
An hour less though and then it's mine
It will only be an hour until the person can finally take possession of what they desire
A borrowed dime she scrimped and saved
Someone close to the person has scraped together every penny to lend to them
My doubt grew strong but she bought some time
The artist was suspicious of the loan, but allowed the person to buy more time by lending them money
I came down in Tennessee
The person went to a different state
I took a look she's undone me
The person is overwhelmed by something they see
Made it stain high and alive
Something affected the person deeply in a physical way
I can't wait though it's fine
The person can't wait, although they acknowledge the situation is not ideal
It's fine now
The person has come to accept the situation
He's done
The person has completed what they set out to do
He's almost there
The person is close to completing what they set out to do
He's not allowed
The person is doing something they should not be doing
But he can't stop now
The person is too invested in what they are doing to stop
Contributed by Violet L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.