Line #18 YMMV/Swans


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2	* ArchivePanic: Finding what song came from where in what version can be maddening to the dedicated fan.
3	** [[https://i.imgur.com/yvzmO7G.jpg Here's]] a flowchart containing every Gira-related release (sans one recent live album). Have fun.
4	* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic: Lots of it.
5	** Some highlights: Their most ambitious (and, probably, best) studio material can be found on ''Children of God'', ''Soundtracks for the Blind'', ''The Seer'', ''To Be Kind'', ''The Glowing Man'', and ''leaving meaning.''. Amongst their live material, ''Swans Are Dead'' is two hours and twenty-three minutes and all of it is amazing. ''The Great Annihilator'', ''Filth'' and ''White Light from the Mouth of Infinity'' are particularly noteworthy works as well.
6	* BrokenBase: The albums post-Jarboe's departure, while immensely popular, have a slight bit of contention amongst some older fans. Arguably Jarboe not being involved in the reunion albums (aside from a guest spot on ''The Seer'') didn't help matters, but fans are hoping she returns with Gira's intention to do a rotating line-up as he stated following the release of ''The Glowing Man''.
7	* CatharsisFactor: Pick a song, and four times out of five there's a driving chord you can empty all your frustration through.
8	* CreepyAwesome: One of the standout examples in rock music. The entirety of the albums ''The Seer'', ''To Be Kind'', and especially ''Soundtracks for the Blind'' stand out.
9	* CrossesTheLineTwice: The ballistic {{hardcore punk}} tribute "Freak" on ''Filth'' definitely qualifies, as do the monologue on "I Was a Prisoner in Your Skull" and the [[LyricalDissonance boisterously gruesome lyrics]] to "Reeling The Liars In."
10	* EnsembleDarkhorse: Thor Harris is probably the most well known band member after Gira and Jarboe, mainly due to his distinctive appearance, innovative percussion work, and antics outside the band such as [[https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/thor-harris-swans-twitter-banned-suspended-how-to-punch-a-nazi-in-the-face-a7572751.html making an instructional video on punching Nazis]] and [[https://consequenceofsound.net/2017/08/thor-harris-is-running-for-governor-of-texas-cause-fuck-this/ declaring his intentions to run for governor of Texas]].
11	* EpicRiff: Arguably the whole point of the band, as songs are constructed around singular, minimalist tones that subtly change and are designed to be hypnotic without getting tiresome.
12	** "Raping a Slave" and "The Sound", in completely different ways.
13	** About half the songs on ''To Be Kind'' feature incredibly catchy riffs, including "Screen Shot", "A Little God in My Hands", "She Loves Us", and "Oxygen".
14	* FriendlyFandoms:
15	** With other experimental rock acts inlcuding Music/XiuXiu,[[labelnote:]]Whom they shared Thor Harris and Chris Pravdica with[[/labelnote]] Music/SonicYouth,[[labelnote:]]Thurston Moore was a founding member of Swans before starting Sonic Youth, and Sonic Youth's debut album included a song written by Gira[[/labelnote]] Music/GodspeedYouBlackEmperor, Music/NickCave, Music/JGThirlwell, and Music/{{Daughters}}, many of whom have either influenced or been influenced by Swans.
16	** Also with Music/CarlyRaeJepsen bizarrely enough, to the point where one of the top posts of all time on the swans subreddit is a picture of Carly herself. This is mostly down to both artists being popular on [=RateYourMusic=] and /mu/.
17	* GrowingTheBeard: Many fans consider the ''Greed'' - ''Holy Money'' period the point where they transitioned into the peak of their sound.
18	* SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments: Surprisingly have their moments. Most notably is "Her" from ''Love of Life'', a beautiful and sincere love song (presumably from Gira to Jarboe) that really stands out among a discography of drones, dark hymns, brutal noise and hardcore rock. The latter half of the song, which samples an old interview with a younger Jarboe talking excitedly about starting a band with her friends, is especially sweet.
19	* SugarWiki/HeReallyCanAct: He Really Can Sing In Audible Octaves: Gira on ''Children Of God'' and especially ''Love Will Tear Us Apart''.
20	* MemeticMutation:
21	** Michael Gira's cowboy hat.
22	** The monologue in "I Was A Prisoner In Your Skull".
23	** "'''YOUR NAME IS FUCK!'''" [[note]]Lyrics from "She Loves Us"[[/note]]
24	** "'''FLEX YOUR MUSCLES!'''"[[note]]Lyrics from "Stay Here"[[/note]]
25	** "I see it all I see it all I see it all I see it all..."[[note]]Lyrics from "The Seer"[[/note]]
26	** Michael Gira being obsessed with and/or wanting to kill the sun.
27	** A picture of a guy posing with Music/CarlyRaeJepsen while wearing a ''Public Castration is a Good Idea'' shirt.
28	* SugarWiki/MostWonderfulSound: Michael Gira's singing can really be this when he can pull it off.
29	** Some melodies within their work as fit, such as the crescendo of "Helpless Child" and the adorable child laughter in "In" from ''The Great Annihilator''.
30	* {{Narm}}: There's something weirdly hilarious about that distorted voice in "Stay Here".
31	-->[[ElectronicSpeechImpediment FlllEEeeEExx YooUUuuRRRrr mmUSSscllllEEesss...]]
32	* NauseaFuel: "Your Game" on ''Body to Body, Job to Job''.
33	** The lyrics are Gira reciting a short story he wrote, later to be published in his book ''The Consumer'', filled with other equally disgusting and disturbing stories.
34	* NewbieBoom: Experienced a substantial one following the widespread critical success of ''The Seer''. ''To Be Kind'' caused an even larger influx of new fans to pour in, especially after WebVideo/TheNeedleDrop gave it a rare perfect score and introduced the band to a large audience of younger listeners. Amazingly, they've mostly managed to avoid an OldGuardVersusNewBlood divide, with most fans appreciating both the pre and post-reformation albums just fine.
35	* NightmareFuel: [[NightmareFuel/{{Swans}} Have their own page]], because they ''oh so deserve it''.
36	* NoHitWonder: Were this for many years, despite moderate acclaim and a cult following. After their 2010 reunion, this was ''finally'' overcome when ''To Be Kind'' hit #37 on the ''Billboard 200'' in 2014. Now, with three hugely acclaimed albums and even a hit one, they seem to have hit more MainstreamObscurity status.
37	* ParanoiaFuel: "Not Alone" from ''Swans Are Dead'', most of ''Soundtracks for the Blind'', the interludes from ''Love of Life'', "Look at Me Go"..."She Lives!" just might be the worst.
38	* SignatureSong: "Cop", "I Crawled", "Children of God", and "Blind" all held this distinction, but as of 2014, "A Little God in my Hands" has a slight edge in this race thanks to being the first and most promoted song off of ''To Be Kind''. "The Sound", "Lunacy", and "The Seer" are also contenders for the title.
39	* SugarWiki/SweetDreamsFuel: Yes, believe it or not. Swans' music will pummel you senseless with harsh, droning chords and flat singing about all sorts of human cruelty, but when all is said and done there's a constant message of endurance and clinging to life. It's brutal, but only so all the imperfections and cynicism can be smashed to bits, leaving agony and the love to heal it.
40	* TearJerker: Often, the most famous being "God Damn the Sun."
41	** The final chorus to "Blind:"
42	--->''No, I was never young,\
43	and nothing has transpired,\
44	and when I look in the mirror,\
45	I feel dead,\
46	I feel cold,\
47	I am blind.''
48	** There's also "Helpless Child," which is a grim and emotionally overwhelming song. The triumphant, roaring ending crescendo of the song can either make it even more depressing or uplifting, depending on your point of view.
49	** In the same vein as "Helpless Child" is "The Sound". The lyrics alone are worthy of this, but when combined with the way the song slowly builds in intensity, the whole thing is just an emotional roller coaster.
50	** "Song for a Warrior," a SurprisinglyGentleSong that offers a moment of relief in the middle of ''The Seer''.
51	** "When Will I Return?" is already an emotionally intense song, but then you discover the story behind it. It's sung by Michael Gira's wife Jennifer, who was sexually assaulted in a parking lot prior to their marriage. The lyrics are based on that experience, and the song was written to help her cope with the trauma of the event.
52	** "Failure" is essentially a declaration of despair, during which Gira repeatedly states his belief that everything in his life is going to end in [[TitleDrop failure]]. Even disregarding the unabashed hopelessness of the lyrics, Gira just sounds so ''defeated''. You can tell that this is genuinely how he felt about being alive at this point in his life. There's a certainty in his voice that shows this isn't from a fictional character's perspective. His alcoholism was very severe at the time, so it isn't surprising he was feeling so depressed.
53	*** Truly, all of ''White Light from the Mouth of Infinity'' qualifies as this. All of the instrumentations on each song sound so defeated and melancholy, and the lyrics, especially the ones written by Gira, are '''absolutely''' depressing. "Love Will Save You", for example:
54	---->''Love will save you from the evil and the greed of ignorant men\
55	And love will save you from the guilt you feel when you betray your only friend\
56	Love will save you from yourself when you lose control\
57	And love will save you from all the lies your lover ever told you\
58	[[DespairEventHorizon But it won't save me]]''
59	** Unlike the many ominous rock tracks that make up ''The Great Annihilator'', "Blood Promise" is a [[SurprisinglyGentleSong gentle and ethereal]] neofolk song. The lyrics are reminiscent of "God Damn the Sun," in that Gira is singing about how a dead loved one still looms large in his memory. From the way he waxes poetic about missing this person and feeling guilty over not having been there for them in their hour of need, it's clear this is something that weighs heavily on his shoulders. As with the other songs on this list, the sorrow and regret in his voice are heartbreakingly authentic.
60	--->''And every breath\
61	I stole from you...\
62	But I never will see\
63	Your broken body;\
64	And you never have spoken\
65	An unclear word,\
66	And I'll never betray\
67	Your blood promise.''
68	** The 15 minute live version of "Blood Promise" on ''Swans Are Dead'', which somehow also manages to be SugarWiki/SweetDreamsFuel.
69	* ToughActToFollow: ''Soundtracks for the Blind'' was regarded as their greatest album for years, helped as it was the band's last official release before they went on hiatus. For some this is still the case, but ''The Seer'' and ''To Be Kind'' are starting to edge it out.
70	* VindicatedByHistory: ''The Burning World'' is looked upon by fans these days as a fairly decent record that despite it's more "commercial" sound, still retains the usual lyricism of a Swans release, a sentiment not shared by Gira who, aside from "God Damn the Sun", [[OldShame is not proud of it]].
71	* WinBackTheCrowd: After more than a decade's absence, many critics were wondering if Swans had it in them to make a comeback. While ''My Father Will Guide Me Up A Rope to the Sky'' was received well enough, [[SoOkayItsAverage there were better albums one could listen to]]. Gira seems to regard ''The Seer'' as a return to form, and sizeable portions of both rock critics and the fanbase seem to agree. The fact that it got 9.0 and Best New Music on Pitchfork has probably helped expose the band to a lot of new listeners. ''To Be Kind'' is thought of as an EvenBetterSequel, or at least just as good as ''The Seer'' and ''Soundtracks for the Blind''.

Context YMMV / Swans