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.
The Moon
The Swell Season Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And let the dogs gather
Burn the gauze in the spoon
And suck the poison up
And bleed
Shut the door to the moon
And let the birds gather
And let the souls wander
And bleed
From the soul
A slow hurt, and it breaks us
And so down,
Down, down and so plain
So down
When you play some more it seems so
And my friends are past this game
Of breakdowns
And our friends that are lost at sea
Throw down
And I'll break the wasted space
Slow down, slow down,
If you don't slow down, slow down
If you don't slow down, slow
Cut the bonds with the moon
And watch the dogs gather
The Swell Season's song "The Moon" is a hauntingly beautiful and introspective track about breaking free from the emotional bonds that hold us back. The lyrics suggest a sense of desperation and a desire to escape, using vivid imagery to create a mood of isolation and despair.
The opening line, "Cut the bonds with the moon," sets the tone for the rest of the song, as the singer urges themselves to let go of the past and move on from whatever is holding them back. The image of "letting the dogs gather" creates a sense of chaos and danger, suggesting that breaking free from our emotional bonds is not an easy task.
As the song progresses, we see the singer urging themselves to shut the door to the moon, avoiding the pull of nostalgia and regrets. The line "Play no more with the fool, and let the souls wander" strikes a particularly poignant note, suggesting that holding on to the past is a fool's game, and that true liberation comes from letting our souls wander freely.
The final lines of the song, "Cut the bonds with the moon, and watch the dogs gather," are a reminder that true freedom comes at a price, and that breaking free from our past often involves confronting our deepest fears and emotions head-on.
Overall, "The Moon" is a powerful and deeply emotional song that speaks to the power of liberation and self-discovery.
Line by Line Meaning
Cut the bonds with the moon
Release yourself from the emotional ties of the past.
And let the dogs gather
Allow the negative thoughts and feelings to come to the surface.
Burn the gauze in the spoon
Let go of the things that have been holding you back and move forward.
And suck the poison up
Confront the pain and negativity head-on to overcome it.
And bleed
Deal with the hurt and pain that comes with growth and change.
Shut the door to the moon
Stop dwelling on the past and move on.
And let the birds gather
Consolidate your thoughts and emotions and let them guide you forward.
Play no more with the fool
Stop engaging in negative patterns and behaviors that are holding you back.
And let the souls wander
Allow yourself to explore new experiences and emotions.
And bleed from the soul
Get in touch with the deeper parts of your emotions to truly heal and grow.
A slow hurt, and it breaks us
Slow and constant pain can hold us back and lead to our downfall.
And so down, down, down and so plain
The pain becomes overwhelming and all-encompassing.
So down
Feeling hopeless and defeated.
When you play some more it seems so
Engaging in negative behaviors or patterns only leads to more pain.
And my friends are past this game of breakdowns
Those closest to us have moved on from the negative patterns holding them back.
And our friends that are lost at sea throw down
Those who are struggling need to take responsibility for themselves and make a change.
And I'll break the wasted space slow down, slow down
The artist is determined to break free from the negative patterns holding them back.
If you don't slow down, slow down
If you don't take the time to heal and grow, you'll continue to struggle.
If you don't slow down, slow
Repeating the previous line for emphasis on the importance of slowing down and taking time to heal.
Lyrics © DistroKid, BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: GLEN HANSARD, GLEN JAMES HANSARD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Monica Lopez King
Cut the bonds with the moon
And let the dogs gather
Burn the gauze in the spoon
And suck the poison up
And bleed
Shut the door to the moon
And let the birds gather
Play no more with the fool
And let the souls wander
And bleed
From the soul
A slow hurt.. and it breaks us..
And so down,
Down, down and so plain
So down
When you play some more it seems so
And my friends are past this game
Of breakdowns
And our friends that are lost at sea..
Throw down
And I'll break the wasted space
Slow down, slow down,
If you don't slow down, slow down
If you don't slow down, slow..
Cut the bonds with the moon
And watch the dogs gather
Ela Fee
Cut the bonds with the moon
And let the dogs gather
Burn the gauze in the spoon
And suck the poison up
And bleed
Shut the door to the moon
And let the birds gather
Play no more with the fool
And let the souls wander
And bleed
From the soul
A slow hurt, and it breaks us
And so down,
Down, down and so plain
So down
When you play some more it seems so
And my friends are past this game
Of breakdowns
And our friends that are lost at sea
Throw down
And I'll break the wasted space
Slow down, slow down,
If you don't slow down, slow down
If you don't slow down, slow
Cut the bonds with the moon
And watch the dogs gather
Monica Lopez King
Cut the bonds with the moon
And let the dogs gather
Burn the gauze in the spoon
And suck the poison up
And bleed
Shut the door to the moon
And let the birds gather
Play no more with the fool
And let the souls wander
And bleed
From the soul
A slow hurt.. and it breaks us..
And so down,
Down, down and so plain
So down
When you play some more it seems so
And my friends are past this game
Of breakdowns
And our friends that are lost at sea..
Throw down
And I'll break the wasted space
Slow down, slow down,
If you don't slow down, slow down
If you don't slow down, slow..
Cut the bonds with the moon
And watch the dogs gather
LunarLightPriestess
5 years late, but thank you so much for posting these lyrics. It's much appreciated! 🙂
Johnny
7 years later and here I am! Discovering for the first time. Beautiful ❤
Tori-Jade Buckley
So many years later and this song is still so beautiful ♥️
will
Sempre que questiono o meu eu, o meu viver, eu contemplo essa canção. Quase terapêutico, quase 💔
spiffyjass
it's been 10 yrs since I listened to this song and it still doesn't get old
Denise Nelson
Still listening in 2020, beautiful 🥰
Tellgasse1150
2023:))
Jessica Beaver
I can't help but to listen to this song at least 4 or 5 times back to back
Natasa Radojev
Such a good match these two voices, touches soul...love it.