Swans - The Glowing Man Lyrics

12:46 AAAAAHHHHHH

27:17 what a epic and heroic way to finish such a msterpiece, gives me chills those voices...

It's just me....or Gira is going deaf? Jajaja

FOCKING BRILLIANT!!!!

The way the description is worded in an oddly personal way. I like it.


Why did it take me so long to see something like that?

Goddamn this is a journey not a song

Brilliant

What a perfect song

"To Be Kind" is very in your face about its tone and attitude, and you either love it or hate it but you know very quickly which one it is. "The Glowing Man" as an album is a stranger thing, much more introspective at the lowest points and yet managing to expand endlessly at the highest points. Some of the most brutal passages of Swans' entire 30+ year run distilled. Just this track alone is completely life-affirming, reality-shaking, mind-bending totally.

Damn I discovered Swans a few MONTHS ago and it's easily in my top 5 bands now. I really hate the fact that amazing music like this doesn't get very popular just because it's different and unique. I recommend this stuff to people and they don't like it cause it's too "weird". I recently became a mild insomniac and this band really helps me out with anxiety and helps me fall asleep. I hope these guys get recognized and appreciated more, cause they certainly deserve it.

The scream at 26:45 is crushing

A friend recommended me this and I seriously thought someone was at the door at 1:04

Most songs would be over by the time the vocals come in on this

I AM A GLOWING MAN I AAAAAMMMMMMM

Yeah, you bring that sun.

This track is really weak compared to the live version of Black Hole Man. The canned Casio backup vocals that kick in around the midpoint just kill the whole vibe.

7:45 Bring the sun???

brain aneurysm: the musical

I think I sort of died after this track... I had to rewind n listen again in the middle of it. oh god I love you Michael.

free tay k

You know those comments on music videos that say “I showed this to _ and it turned into _?” I feel like this is the only song capable of actually doing such a thing.

Sometimes I like to just put swans on low volume and use it as white noise to fall asleep to

Witnessing this song live (it was "Black Hole Man" when I saw it) is probably ly the greatest thing I will ever experience.

I am a n-n-n-n-nothing mannn , I am a glowing growing man

What is is what

no no no no no no yes no no no

imagine listening to this track, thinking it's the entire album

I love the second half so much that bassline rivals screen shot

This song is just too much when stoned lol

I love you Michael. thanks for all the music, thru all the changes.

The Best Part Starts at 15:06

Best part starts at 0:00

I love you too, Gira-senpai :3

NONONONONONONOYESNOYESNONONOYESNO

Glowing Man! I could tell you a story about that. The real dirt. Hooey Bar. Not your Burning Man stuff, the real deal. Scotland 1992. No light tricks, this was real. I was there. So go mount your stallions, eat yer shit and get on it motherfuckers O:-)

FANTASTIC

joseph is making me comment on this video

My name is joseph, and you are a liar.

anyone think this sounds very similar to TBK Bring the Sun?.

first half absolutely. i wrote a similar comment

They actually refer to the first half of this piece as "Bring The Sun" I'm pretty sure

Many of the longer songs in the 'trilogy' are developed from the other songs. Bring the Sun originally was a jam that stemmed from Apostate I believe, which then became Glowing Man, which eventually morphed into The Knot. I think it's cool that these 'epics' are really all the same song in a way. It makes the past three albums fit together really well.

first half sounds a lot like bring the sun

It is reworked version of Bring the Sun

15:07 *Epikrika*

Does anybody know what the artwork means?

It looks like some type of bird with an arm/hand for its tail, or maybe its head...depending on which way you think its facing. Idk flying around picking up lost souls or something

kind looks like an arm with a knife jabbed through it.

They're various limbs with spears piercing through them

I don't really think there's anything significant to it, it's just a sorta mystical symbol that's congruous with the largely atmospheric and meditative sound of this album, I dunno

its obviously a homage to aphex twin

Fuckin bad ass song!!!!!

What a sound

This is what I'm talking about. This is rawk. 🤘🙂

Highly 'idontknowthefuckIjustlistened' I love it.

Thanks Besthony Swanthano for leading me here.

The Jolly Lad

Normies would think this is an 28 minute album

LOL. People getting triggered at being called normies.

@Erline Andrews LOL. People getting triggered about listening to separate songs out of the order of an album.

Stop gate keeping

Ikr i.fuocking h8 normies😠😠😬😈

@Shiron Me to😵

7:30 i get goosebumps everytime.

same dude, my favorite part of the whole album

My Father Will Guide Me Up a Rope to the Sky was the messenger angel
The Seer was the Holy Spirit
To Be Kind was the Son
The Glowing Man was the Father

Hey, maybe this sort of comment is why not everybody is into Swans! ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

It's literally a joke?

This ain't just conjecture--
You're onto something!!

​@Paul Little oops i wasn't trying to be pretentious. i just meant that i'm pretty sure the holy trinity was the actual theme of these albums

Not really familiar with this type of music, I just happen to find it, can someone explain anything...

I found this because of YT comments, and I kind of want some context, not the typical response "Just shut up and enjoy"
I want to enjoy, but like who are they or he or she, what is their music like, I really don't u derstand what type of music is this and I want to know!!
Thanks in advance.

Jose Albarran
Swans are/were innovators...post rock? Nope. Thats why you don't try to define them, you just witness what they become. They have run the gamut in their earliest formations, as Industrial music, as well as goth. I think categorizing them or pigeonholing them in the constraints of a genre is unecessary. Experimental is the closest thing you can find to label the If you must.

In New York City in the late 70s and especially early 80s there was alot of experimenting in the punk rock community (the Ramones are form NYC). This experimenting became the "No Wave" scene and included such people as avant garde composer Glenn Branca and future band leaders Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth) and Michael Gira (Swans). Both Moore and Gira played in Branca's ensembles. Other people such as Arto Lindsay were also involved in this "No Wave" movement. I suggest Sonic Youth's Bad Moon Rising LP and Swans first EP or Greed or any Swans with the dollar sign on the cover. But you should investigate "No Wave" for a better context about where Swans come from. Other reference points include Joy Division and Killing Joke, both late seventies bands from England on the line between punk, new wave and progressive. Michael Gira has been the only original guy in Swans, Norman Westerberg has been in the band the longest, the most recent drummer was recruited for another NYC no wave band called Cop Shoot Cop.

@DroneEvil1 well genres always come after the music, its not too serious, describing any genre to someone who hasnt heard it wouldnt make sense (it wouldnt be the same as hearing at least)

@von junzt will check the ones I haven't heard out, thanks!

@DroneEvil1 i call this genre Post-Music, and that goes from 20th Century Classical to this, and beyond.

lazy lazy lazy lazy boy

Tiphareth

7:31 if there was ever a sound of simultaneously being uplifted to heaven while being beaten down

Reece Rice Probably isn’t, but there are definitely themes of it elsewhere in the album, namely the song “When Will I Return”. On my first listen of the album I myself saw this song (the glowing man, not when will I return) as having themes of rape and domestic abuse. Of course the “no no no no yes” part can be taken as such, but other lines evoked that meaning as well. I heard the first lines not as “He's a real go-getter, getter”, for example, but as “He's a real go-getter, get *her*”. If you interpret the lines like that it changes the meaning of the song to fit more in line with the rape and abuse themes.

He's a real go-getter, *get her*
He's a real heart-breaker, *break her*
He's a real head-splitter, *split her*
(no no no no no no no no part)
He's a real mean keeper, *keep her*
He's a real deep teacher, *teach her*

Makes the song way more sinister.

@ColombianThunder awesome idea, a cosmic fragmentation. I highly recommend Swans on LSD.

@ShiverBurn dang u said probably isnt about rape and know I think it is even more... it explains the Joseph is putting his hands in my neck and stuff like that later on in the song could be from the perspective of the victim... just a thought tho

@ShiverBurn I think you're onto something. After that part then the sound I mention where it's hyper repetitive could be interpreted as being beaten/abused over and over, but loving it hinted at by the angelic droning.
After that idk

@Reece Rice
"Joseph is standing behind my back
Joseph is digging his hands in my chest
Joseph is drinking the light in my lung
Joseph is moving his tongue in my neck
Joseph is riding a vein in my head
Joseph is cutting my arm on his bed
Joseph is making my body fly!"

Totally agree. You can interpret this in so many ways and rape/abuse is one of them.

I wonder why most music cannot even touch this . . . . Largely, I think, it's because this goes completely beyond music

Because this latest incarnation of Swans is less about the logic and reason behind music, and more about the sheer feeling of it. The physicality of it. It's not about 'getting' the band, you can't 'get' Swans, just experience it. Swans live (saw them during the Deliquescence release period, after The Glowing Man) is an otherworldly experience, 3 hours of volume and power hitting you constantly, exhausted from standing, nearly hallucinating from the sensory overload. Yes, god damn yes, this goes beyond music. This is a portal to your inner self. Ecstasy!

Ok ill like your comment just for 7 up but still, it does not go completely beyond music, what am i supposed to do pause it? Put it on mute? Get outta heere

the live shows are pretty crazy but actually shut up about this. this is real music, it does not "transcend" and you don't need to be a genius to like it. it's just a good instrumental and good singing, like every other song

Force of Nature

goosebumps goosebumps goosebumps goosebumps goosebumps goosebumps overdose.

Is Swans going to be the next velvet underground? No wide recognition until the band is dead & then young hipsters start wearing shirts of them everywhere?

@Paul Little You dont like the VU?

The main difference here is that the velvet underground sucked and split up after less than a decade. Swans has been ongoing since 82 and probably won't stop until gira gets bored and/or dies

@Kim Cringson Add Radiohead to that list...

swans exist because of vu.

@squeaka67 The Velvet Underground is the reason the entire underground and experimental rock scene is what is is.

The 15 minute build up is second only to Sleep's (GYBE) build up

Sleep's build up is untouchable. Such a beautiful pay off too

Fuck Godspeed You! Black Emperor. They've been ripping off Swans' sound since day one and deforming it into pseudo-political, pretentious, boring dogshit. Everything from apocalyptic themes, field recordings, dark ambient soundscapes, post-rock suites and general eeriness were plagiarized directly from Swans, specifically from Soundtracks for the Blind. They just copied and pasted the ideas and themes from that album to basically all of their albums, especially the eternally overrated Lift Your Skinny Fists like Antennas to Heaven. They have basically no real identity of their own. But for shit-eating, toe-jam-sucking, helmet-bedecked, pants-shitting, chest-smacking, cancerous Godspeed fans, they're so much more unique and beautiful, even though they're about as original as Carlos Mencia.


Also, the build-up to Swans' The Sound is Infinitely superior to both songs. And Helpless Child is probably much better.

@James Guillory nice copypasta

Ayyy, my favourite song of all time!

Thank you. Great stuff..... I’ve just bought The Seer, To Be Kind & The Glowing Man......Epic works in every way.

One of the best periods in the history of music!

thank you for all you have done

What a beautiful idea.

I love you too, Gira.

What the drummer is doing at around the 7:30 mark is hard as fuck to do for 4 straight minutes plus the fill at the end. Lord

It really is, I can only do one perfect flam in a row lol.

He does it live tho.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFHQiYvuVlM&t=466s

Flams are e z

I can do flam taps at 180bpm; 193 if I have my mt dew soda in me.

So intense! I love this song.

Strong 9?? Off by just a hair

noahthomas Yes, this album is perfect in every way. This is actually better than TBK imo, just barely tho

Jacob Sarvathayaparan Not better than tbk, but this track in specific (the glowing man) is their best work yet.

@Jacob Sarvathayaparan I actually agree with this.

Absolutely amazing!

To the one person who dislike this, i hope face slice off with serve of pot roast dinner spice.

I love this album, I just ordered it on vinyl yesterday, but this kinda music isn't for everyone dude. Chill out.

after 15:01 ... oh boy

Aah yes!!!
I saw them back in May in Bristol (UKI), they did this one and they were as brilliant (but also very different) as the first time I ever saw them back in 1986 (Hamburg, Germany), 2 days after Chernobyl.

u know what's up

@rafanellys damn I'm jealous

Donald Trump is the glowing man

Just his hair.

When he is finally burning at the stake

@westgot libtard detect. You are gonna burn at the stake by the third world hordes taking over the civilized world.

@turn off shit we got ourselves a genuine racist here now don't we🤣

@Isaiah Terry He's right though, import the third world => become the third world.

Micheal Gira, don't stop until you drop!

thanks for making life more bearable

One of the greatest songs I've ever heard, from one of the greatest albums I've ever heard

MrMeepbeep I really thought To Be Kind was the pinnacle of not only Swans music, but rock/avant-garde in general. As I’ve listened to The Glowing Man, I’ve come to realize this is the only album that surpasses it.

Thanks Frankie

Brilliant.

@William Woche I agree with you wholeheartedly, I love To Be Kind, it ascended to incredible heights. The Glowing Man used those heights as a springboard to completely rearrange fucking everything. It's taken me years to realise just how fucking incredible this album is, I obviously think it's better than To Be Kind.

Over the years, I started believing this is their best album since Soundtracks For The Blind.

feed us michael

Feed us NOW!

amazing sound.....