in April/May 2006, the quartet played six shows in Ireland to support the release of The Swell Season. Later in the year (October & December) they also played a number of shows in the US to support the release of the album there. The huge success of the film Once resulted in Glen and Markéta touring the US constantly during 2007 and the line-up morphed over time (Glen and Markéta being the core members). The current Swell Season line-up also includes three members of The Frames: guitarist Rob Bochnik, violinist Colm Mac Con Iomaire, and bassist Joe Doyle. Graham Hopkins joined the tour on drums in spring of 2008.
Hansard and Markéta starred in the film 'Once' by writer/director John Carney (a former bass player of The Frames). Many songs of The Swell Season are used in this film, which won the World Cinema Audience Award at Sundance 2007. Hansard and Irglová won the Academy Award for Best Original Song for the song "Falling Slowly" in February 2008.
For more info: http://www.myspace.com/oncethemovie
Tour dates and audio streams are available from www.theswellseason.com.
High Horses
The Swell Season Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It only shines as bright as we are
And you've fallen down so low
I'm really worried for you, I'm really worried
And even on our worst days
We were never quite like this
We've gone as far as we can go
At the heart of every fool
Cause they hope you're stupid too
And there's this lingering, this lingering feeling
That I'm missing something, I feel like I'm missing something
And even at your worst babe
You were never as bad as this
You've gone as far as you can go
Without dying
The Swell Season's song High Horses speaks about the light that shines within all of us and how it only shines as bright as we allow it to. The singer in the song appears to have fallen down hard and the singer expresses their concern about them. They sing about how they've had their bad days, but even in those times, they've never been as low as the singer seems to be. The feeling of missing something lingers within them, as they hope for the best for their friend.
The song further speaks about the heart of every fool, which tends to be that they hope you're stupid too. This can be interpreted in different ways, but it appears to suggest that sometimes people want others to be on their level so they don't have to feel so stupid. The singer still feels like they're missing something as they watch their friend spiral downwards. They raise their concerns further by saying that even at the singer's worst, they weren't as bad as they are currently. The singer has gone too far without dying.
The song's lyrics suggest that while it's okay to hit rock bottom and experience bad days, it's important to realize that there's always hope, and one can always rise again. The singer seems to be a friend trying to help the singer see the light at the end of the tunnel. The dreamy yet melancholic melody of the song adds depth to the lyrics, accentuating the emotions that this tale of friendship brings forth.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a light inside us all
Inside all of us, there's a positive energy or source that guides us in life
It only shines as bright as we are
The light within us only shines as much as we allow it to - it's dependent on our actions, thoughts and emotions
And you've fallen down so low
You've hit a low point in life
I'm really worried for you, I'm really worried
I care deeply for you, and I'm concerned about your well-being
And even on our worst days
Even during times of hardship and despair
We were never quite like this
We've never hit rock bottom to this extent
We've gone as far as we can go
We've exhausted all possible options
Without crashing
Without completely breaking down or losing control
At the heart of every fool
Every foolish person has a similar weakness
Cause they hope you're stupid too
They take advantage of others' weaknesses and hope their target is unaware of it
And there's this lingering, this lingering feeling
A recurring feeling that's hard to shake off or forget
That I'm missing something, I feel like I'm missing something
There's something important that I'm unaware of or overlooking
And even at your worst babe
Even during your lowest moments
You were never as bad as this
You've never hit rock bottom to this extent
You've gone as far as you can go
You've exhausted all possible options
Without dying
Without giving-up or losing hope
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: GLEN HANSARD, GLEN JAMES HANSARD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Brandon Nelson
Absolutely amazing track: the relentless beat, with the neverending chord changes, the voices an octave apart, really powerful lyrics, totally cool chorus ending. Just a dynamic, hypnotic feel.
TimWarrior
This song is pure perfection and gives me chills every time I hear it. Great album overall.
Rachel McFeelinGood
0 dislikes? there's no haters. because people know The Swell Season is amazing. .
mingjung659
Thanks for posting, love this song and Marketa's voice is more prominent. 5 stars for the album.
bunnyman09
What a fantastic song! It's impossible to describe to someone. You just have to hear it.
Icaro Rezende
I love this song! Perfect voices =D Greetings from Brazil! Swell Season rulez here!
Fallenfirerose22 Danie
I can say beautiful so much.. this song gets to me. it's wonderful and sticks in my hair. I first heard them week ago and well are my first go to music that is great :)
SilverQueen
I also think this is the best from the album. I get chills just thinking about seeing them perform this song live.
Tuigim
My new favorite swell season song. Happy Hallowe'en! Thanks for the strict joy.
Downriver Productions
Yeah I've seen a few live vids and that's definitely the line. I Do love it live too, Glen makes great use of the audiences singing along. I love the frames too, so I don;t think it's any coincidence that my 3 faves on the album are High horses, the Verb and the Rain