Swimming Pool
The Front Bottoms Lyrics


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There's comfort in the bottom of a swimming pool
I'm holding my breath for you
There's no doubt in my mind that if you could then you would try
To crack my ribcage open and pull my heart right through

There's comfort in the bottom of a swimming pool
I'm holding my breath for you
There's no doubt in my mind that if you could then you would try
To crack my ribcage open and pull my heart right through

But I'm a creature of a culture that I create
I'm the last one on the dance floor
As the chandelier gives way
And I am permanently
Preoccupied with your past
I've been around long enough now
To know that the good things never last
They never last

There's comfort in the silence of a living room
The TV is on for you
Hide in your basement while your house burns down
Your teeth are loose inside of your gums
They will eventually fall out
Follow an orange extension cord under a carpet, to a closet door
Feeding the black light that will someday make me very, very, very, very, very rich

But I'm a creature of a culture that I create
And I'm the last one on the dance floor
As the chandelier gives way
And I am permanently
Preoccupied with your past
I've been around long enough now
To know that the good things never last
They never last

How low is your self esteem
And how low could it possibly be?
I know, I know you're in love with me
And I've been ignoring you

I will stop cutting my pants into shorts
I will address the issues I cannot ignore




And I will do the things I think you might like
And I will be alone probably the rest of my life

Overall Meaning

The song, "Swimming Pool" by The Front Bottoms is a track off of their third album "Back On Top" released in 2015. The lyrics are deeply introspective and explore themes of love, loss, and self-worth.


The opening line, "There's comfort in the bottom of a swimming pool," sets the melancholic mood for the rest of the song. Lead singer Brian Sella sings about holding his breath and thinking about someone, likely a past lover, who once tried to "crack [his] ribcage open and pull [his] heart right through". This imagery of someone trying to emotionally hurt him is juxtaposed with the comfort he finds in the bottom of the swimming pool. This implies that the singer is struggling with letting go of the past and finding solace in moments of escapism, such as being underwater.


The chorus repeats the first two lines, emphasizing the sense of refuge Sella finds in the water, before the bridge further explores the singer's anxiety and self-doubt. They admit to being "preoccupied with your past" and feeling jaded by the fact that good things never last. The line "how low is your self-esteem, and how low could it possibly be?" implies that they are projecting their own insecurities into their relationship and questioning their own worthiness to be loved.


Line by Line Meaning

There's comfort in the bottom of a swimming pool
Finding solace in the depths of a swimming pool


I'm holding my breath for you
Waiting for someone special to notice me


There's no doubt in my mind that if you could then you would try To crack my ribcage open and pull my heart right through
Believing that the one I long for wants to completely own my heart and soul


But I'm a creature of a culture that I create And I'm the last one on the dance floor As the chandelier gives way And I am permanently Preoccupied with your past I've been around long enough now To know that the good things never last They never last
Being aware that my self-made environment and obsession with the past prevents me from finding true happiness


There's comfort in the silence of a living room The TV is on for you Hide in your basement while your house burns down Your teeth are loose inside of your gums They will eventually fall out Follow an orange extension cord under a carpet, to a closet door Feeding the black light that will someday make me very, very, very, very, very rich
Distracting oneself with mundane activities while chaos and destruction occur around them


How low is your self esteem And how low could it possibly be? I know, I know you're in love with me And I've been ignoring you
Wondering about the depths of someone's insecurities, while simultaneously ignoring their affections


I will stop cutting my pants into shorts I will address the issues I cannot ignore And I will do the things I think you might like And I will be alone probably the rest of my life
Making an effort to change in hopes of finding love but expecting to remain alone




Contributed by Blake L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

Ella Gamboa

There's comfort in the bottom of a swimming pool
I'm holding my breath for you
There's no doubt in my mind that if you could, then you would try
To crack my rib-cage open and pull my heart right through

There's comfort in the bottom of a swimming pool
I'm holding my breath for you
There's no doubt in my mind that if you could, then you would try
To crack my rib-cage open and pull my heart right through

But I'm a creature of a culture that I create
I'm the last one on the dance floor as the chandelier gives way

And I am permanently preoccupied with your past
I've been around long enough now
To know that the good things never last
They never last

There's comfort in the silence of a living room, the TV is on for you
Hide in your basement while your house burns down
Your teeth are loose inside of your gums
They will eventually fall out

Follow an orange extension cord
Under a carpet, to a closet door
Feeding the black light that will someday make me
Very, very, very, very, very rich

But I'm a creature of a culture that I create
And I'm the last one on the dance floor as the chandelier gives way

And I am permanently preoccupied with your past
I've been around long enough now
To know that the good things never last
They never last

[Verse 3]
How low is your self esteem?
And how low could it possibly be?
I know, I know you're in love with me
And I've been ignoring you

I will stop cutting my pants into shorts
I will address the issues I cannot ignore
And I will do the things I think you might like
And I will be alone probably the rest of my life

There's comfort in the bottom of a swimming pool



Mila Olivia

There's comfort in the bottom of a swimming pool
I'm holding my breath for you
There's no doubt in my mind that if you could then you would try
To crack my ribcage open and pull my heart right through

There's comfort in the bottom of a swimming pool
I'm holding my breath for you
There's no doubt in my mind that if you could then you would try
To crack my ribcage open and pull my heart right through

But I'm a creature of a culture that I create
I'm the last one on the dance floor
As the chandelier gives way
And I am permanently
Preoccupied with your past
I've been around long enough now
To know that the good things never last
They never last.

There's comfort in the silence of a living room
The TV is on for you
Hide in your basement while your house burns down
Your teeth are loose inside of your gums
They will eventually fall out
Follow an orange extension cord under a carpet, to a closet door
Feeding the black light that will someday make me very, very, very, very, very rich.

But I'm a creature of a culture that I create
And I'm the last one on the dance floor
As the chandelier gives way
And I am permanently
Preoccupied with your past
I've been around long enough now
To know that the good things never last
They never last.

How low is your self esteem
And how low could it possibly be?
I know, I know you're in love with me
And I've been ignoring you

I will stop cutting my pants into shorts
I will address the issues I cannot ignore
And I will do the things I think you might like
And I will be alone probably the rest of my life



All comments from YouTube:

literal syndicate

This is what the band said about the voice mail at the end of the song. 

"The voice mail, in the breakdown is from one of our friend’s dads to our friend about some dumb shit about a girl. He saved it and we added it later on to our song. Months later, the girl’s mom cornered me in the grocery store and asked me if we could take that voice mail out of the song. But we’re punk rock so we left it."

exhaustedpack

Where did you get this info?

proxy

@Lava Lamp ayy nice pfp

FRANKIE THE GHOST

Based

xxSaintxBenJaminxx

Butts McKracken sazzz

kitty k

thats hilarious, i fucking love them!

12 More Replies...

toastburntbread

The Front Bottoms make me feel like I don't have to, because the feelings are already embedded in their songs.

Aleia Bousquet

toastburntbread trueeee!

01UofMfan

My favorite part of this song is "There's no doubt in my mind that if you could then you would try
To crack my ribcage open and pull my heart right through".

Stephen T

i enjoy screaming this as i sit at red lights

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