Suede – The Drowners

General CommentI've always interpreted this song as one about a man being seduced by another man. The singer does not want to engage in or enjoy gay sex, but the more he gives in, the more he finds he likes it. He drowns in the pleasure he derives from the sex, to the point of no longer wanting to kill his seducer. Consider:

The opening couplet,

Won't someone give me a gun?
Oh, well it's for my brother,

implies that the singer intends to shoot his brother. Why?

The next couplet,

Well he writes the line wrote down my spine
It says "Oh do you believe in love there?"

seems like an overt reference to anal sex. If that line is in fact written down someone's spine, the word "there" would be leading straight into his bum. His brother, most likely not a biological brother but rather a brother in the "another male" sense, is attempting to seduce the singer into having anal sex with him, and this seems to be his reason for wanting to shoot him.

So what to make of the chorus?

So slow down, slow down, you're taking me over
And so we drown, Sir we drown, stop taking me over

Is he starting to like the metaphorically incestuous anal sex, against his will? Perhaps. Then the second verse chimes in,

Won't someone give me some fun?
(and the skin flies all around us)
We kiss in his room to a popular tune
Oh, real drowners

It certainly seems like it. And again,

Slow down, slow down, you're taking me over
And so we drown, Sir we drown,
stop taking me over!

Yep. He likes it.

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  @Peasprout
  0

  You legend Peasprout

  Flag manic4manicson April 13, 2013  

General CommentBrett said that the song was very personal to him. That makes him sound a bit creepy, makes him even sexier

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  @biba

General CommentHahahahaha (sorry)
Maybe it's my sense of humour... but I can't stop lauhging at the sentence:
"Is he starting to like the metaphorically incestuous anal sex, against his will?"
I think it's the best sentence ever written! xP

Anyway... just to stick my oar in xP
If the song is refering to his brother, it is going to be a metaphorical brother as Brett only has a sister. Personally I see it as maybe like a close friend who he see's as a brother, despite the lack of any real relation.

Also, about the quote and being a bisexual, I found this in an interview:

"In the heyday of Suede, Matt would impersonate me in phone interviews. This character, which was half me and half him, we'd call Brat."

So perhaps it was Brat who was responsible for Brett's most infamous interview faux pas: "I see myself as a bisexual man who's never had a homosexual experience"?

"No, I can't blame Matt for that," Anderson laughs. "That was me, unfortunately. I was talking about how I try to adopt different personas in my songwriting. It was a lesson in media politics, really - you just don't ever say anything that's got nuances, because all they'll use is the soundbite."

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  @GirlCalledJuliet

General CommentCan't believe no one commented on this. I don't know what "drowners" are but the song almost sounds like a brother being seduced by his older brother.

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  @sangsue

General CommentI agree with the brother thing. The lines 'Won't someone give me a gun? Oh, well it's for my brother,' could mean his brother wants the gun, but also could mean he wants to kill his brother.
'Slow down, slow down, you're taking me over' sounds almost sarcastic, like maybe he actually enjoys it?
Great song :]

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  @beautiful_ones

General CommentWhen I heard:
"Well he writes the line wrote down my spine
It says "Oh do you believe in love there?"

...I figured it was about seduction.

Hmm. Incest.
Oh well :-).

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  @nhs_boy

General CommentThe first time I heard it, I thought it was about a boy (man) who was continually picked on by his brother for being in love. (The 'we' that were kissing in the brother's room being the singer and his girlfriend.)

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  @coffeekat

General CommentHehe. Thanks Peasprout, for your interpretation.

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  @coffeekat

General CommentI'm really under the impression that this is one of the greatest rock songs ever. Killer guitar riff,chorus, and the way Brett sings it is so sensual and mysterious. It's socially irreverent, filled with desire. Basically has everything that makes a great rock song.

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  @davidg7691

My OpinionWhenever I hear this song I get shivers! It's so beautiful. (Yes I know people are hated for just going on about how great the song is, but I have to say it.) His voice is so, so lovely. Even though my entire family hate it. Meaning wise, I think what people have been saying so far is pretty right.

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  @Strangler