For each Swirling Eddies release, band members adopted pseudonyms for the liner notes; "Camarillo Eddy" (Terry Scott Taylor), "Berger Roy Al" (Tim Chandler), "Gene Pool" (Greg Flesch), "Arthur Fhardy" (Rob Watson), "Spot" (Jerry Chamberlain), "Hort Elvison" (David Raven) and, on later albums, "Prickly Disco" (Gene Eugene). These pseudonyms were dropped for their third album, Zoom Daddy.
The band released its debut album on Alarma Records in 1988 entitled Let's Spin!. 1989's Outdoor Elvis featured the band's first two radio hits, "Driving in England" and "Hide the Beer the Pastor's Here!". The title track included classic lines such as: "It's said he croons when the moon's above, singing tenderly 'Hunk of Burning Love.'" The band's documentary video, Spittle and Phlegm was released the following year.
The band's stage shows are rare and unusual, to say the least. Since the band was formed in the late 1980s, they have only performed about six or seven live concerts. In 1990, the band performed at The Cornerstone Festival in drag, belting out covers like "I Am Woman, Hear Me Roar", The Animals' "We've Got To Get Out Of This Place", The Beatles' "I Want to Hold Your Hand", and Louis Armstrong's "What a Wonderful World".
In 2004, the band began to work on their first album of original, new material in ten years entitled The midget, the speck and the molecule. The first new song to surface, a rough mix of "Giants in the Land," was made available in March of 2007 exclusively to people that preordered the album before it was finished. The recording sessions ended in May of 2007 and the album was released on July 23, 2007
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Blowing Smoke
The Swirling Eddies Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She'll be laughing at my jokes
She could always get the joke
I'll tell the world I love her
When I lose my place
Wandering in the human waste
Gentle understanding arms will move me back again
When I'm blowing smoke
Or when I'm at the end of my rope
She cuts the line and offers me hope
No shame to say I need her
And our children smile at their father-child
And the dreamy days roll by
They bring me home again to my lover and my friend
When I'm blowing smoke
I will find her where grace binds her
God surrounds her
Keeps her in that holy place
The Swirling Eddies's song Blowing Smoke talks about the love, understanding and support a man receives from his partner. The opening lines suggest that even when the man is just "blowing smoke", essentially rambling something that may not really make sense, the woman always seems to get the joke and laugh along. This highlights the woman's ability to understand and appreciate the man despite his flaws. The man acknowledges her importance in his life by stating that he will tell the world he loves her.
When the man finds himself lost, wandering through the chaos of human waste, the woman gently guides him back to her arms. The lyrics suggest that the woman is a source of hope and comfort during the man's troubled times. The man is not ashamed to admit that he needs her. The song also talks about their children smiling at their father-child and the dreamy days rolling by. This indicates the happiness that the family shares together.
The lyrics also touch upon the idea of grace and God surrounding the woman and keeping her in a holy place. This suggests that the woman is revered and respected by the man and the song may be a tribute to her. "Blowing Smoke" by The Swirling Eddies is a beautiful portrayal of the love, trust, and resilience that exist within a relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
When I'm blowing smoke
When I'm not being truthful or honest
She'll be laughing at my jokes
She understands my humor and knows me well
She could always get the joke
She always knows what I mean
I'll tell the world I love her
I'm not afraid to express my love for her publicly
When I lose my place
When I'm lost and confused
Wandering in the human waste
Feeling lost in the world's ugliness
Gentle understanding arms will move me back again
Her comforting and understanding presence will guide me back to reality
To my lover and my friend
To the person who is both my romantic partner and confidante
Or when I'm at the end of my rope
When I'm feeling desperate and helpless
She cuts the line and offers me hope
She helps me out of difficult situations and gives me hope for the future
No shame to say I need her
I'm not ashamed to admit that I need her in my life
And our children smile at their father-child
Our children see the loving and happy relationship between us
And the dreamy days roll by
Our happy moments together seem to fly by too quickly
They bring me home again to my lover and my friend
Our good times together bring me back to the person who means the most to me
I will find her where grace binds her
I will always seek out and cherish her pure and sacred qualities
God surrounds her
She is a divine being surrounded by positivity and goodness
Keeps her in that holy place
She is protected and safe in a sacred and spiritual space
Contributed by Owen I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.