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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Potential
The Swirling Eddies Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A future projection
A drop in the bucket of tomorrow's successes
If I have the faith and know-how
I might watch the ship come in
My full potential
No one here has given me a chance
'Cept you, Lord
'Cept you
Fed on the air of my fantasies
They say I'm wasting away
A star-struck lover due for tragedy
Not true, baby
Not true
I will arrive
I realize my full potential, baby
The Swirling Eddies's song "Potential" is a deep reflection on the power of faith and self-belief to overcome seemingly insurmountable odds. The opening lyrics, "Here's a speck on the canvas, a future projection, a drop in the bucket of tomorrow's successes," set the stage for a discussion of how small and insignificant one's potential can feel. However, the singer soon turns this around, proclaiming that if they have the faith and know-how, they might be able to watch the ship come in, and realize their full potential.
The song then takes an introspective turn, as the singer reflects on how others perceive them. "Successful men can tell at a glance if a man were born to lose," they say, acknowledging the ways in which society can be quick to judge and dismiss those who don't fit a certain mold. However, they also note that "no one here has given me a chance, 'cept you, Lord, 'cept you." This speaks to the power of faith and spirituality as a source of hope and encouragement, even in the face of adversity.
Line by Line Meaning
Here's a speck on the canvas
A small part of the overall picture, a tiny beginning
A future projection
Something that is hoped or expected to happen in the future
A drop in the bucket of tomorrow's successes
A small contribution towards future accomplishments
If I have the faith and know-how
If I have trust in myself and possess the necessary skills
I might watch the ship come in
I could witness the arrival of success
My full potential
The complete and maximum extent of my abilities
Successful men can tell at a glance if a man were born to lose
People who have attained success can recognize those who are unlikely to achieve it
No one here has given me a chance
No one in this place or situation has offered me an opportunity
'Cept you, Lord
Except for you, God
'Cept you
Except for you
Fed on the air of my fantasies
Nourished by my imaginative thoughts
They say I'm wasting away
People claim that I am deteriorating or deteriorated
A star-struck lover due for tragedy
Someone in love with fame and fortune, about to face downfall or disaster
Not true, baby
Untrue, my friend
I will arrive
I will reach my desired destination
I realize my full potential, baby
I attain and understand my complete abilities and strengths. Also, no derogatory meanings here, baby is a term of endearment.
Contributed by Josiah V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.