Pills and powders, baby, powders and pills
We spent the night last night in Beverly Hills
This chick, she looked just like Beverly Sills
We got killed

Tights and skirts, baby, skirts and tights
We used to shake it up in Shaker Heights
This chick, she looked just like Patty Smythe
She seemed shaky but nice

She said my name's Rick Danko, baby
People call me One-Hour Photo
I got some hazardous chemicals
So drive around to the window

She said my name's Robbie Robertson but people call me Robo
I blew red, white and blue right into a tissue
I came right over the counter just to kiss you

I came right over the counter just to kiss you

Ginger and Jack and four or five Feminax
Psycho eyes and a stovepipe hat
A ray of light from tight white rayon slacks
We got cracked

Shoes and socks, baby, socks and shoes
We spent the night last night in Newport News
This chick, she looked just like Elizabeth Shue
We got bruised

She said my name's Steve Perry, baby
People call me Circuit City
I'm so well connected
My UPC is dialed into the system

She said my name's Neal Schon but people call me Nina Simone
Some people call me Andre Cymone
'Cause I survived the '80s one time already
And I don't recall it all that fondly
So hold steady

It was a blockbuster summer
Moving pictures got us through to September
They made a movie about me and you
They made it half nude and half true

It was a bloodsucking summer
I spent half the time trying to get paid from our savior
Swishing though the City Center
I did a couple favors for these guys who looked like Tusken Raiders


Lyrics submitted by leonperkin

The Swish Lyrics as written by Tad Jason Kubler Craig Finn

Lyrics © RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

The Swish song meanings
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8 Comments

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  • +1
    General Comment

    not to nitpick and be a huge nerd...but i think it's "tusken raiders".

    shortinoon May 27, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    a whole lot of pop culture references thrown into this song

    Patti Smythe - lead singer of 80's band Scandal Beverly Sills - Famous opera singer Rick Danko & Robbie Robertson - members of rock group 'THE BAND' Elizabeth Shue - actress Steve Perry - lead singer of 'Journey' Neil Schon - guitarist for Journey Circuit City - second largest electronics retailer in the United States Nina Simone - Awesome jazz singer, songwriter and pianist. Andre Cymone - one-time bassist for Prince's Revolution & solo artist Tuscan Raiders - From STAR WARS the sand people who live on the planet Tatooine

    JeffKaos71on February 11, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    this songs so fucking awesome. made me laugh when i first heard it.

    slowhandson September 18, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Tuscan Raiders = Catholic monks???

    BlackLungFeveron January 30, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    here is what craig finn (the lead singer of the hold steady) said about this song:

    "This one started from overhearing this dude on the subway bragging to his friend about partying on the West Coast. My family actually lived in Shaker Heights, OH for a few years, so maybe I have shaken it up in Shaker Heights at one time or another. I mention Robbie Robertson and Rick Danko because I was (and still am) obsessed about the Last Waltz and the Band in general. Other notable terms: Feminax is an over the counter medicine for menstrual cramps, not sold in the US. It's fairly popular in certain crowds to mix with a few stiff drinks. Andre Cymone was a Prince band member who spun off to have a few records of his own, including one called Surviving in the 80s. He sang the national anthem at one of my high school's football games once. City Center is a lame mall in downtown Minneapolis that is 50% vacant with 50% low budget gangsters hanging out. The Champs store in this mall is the best place to get the super new school ghetto Twins/Vikings/T-Wolves gear. I mean the non-traditional stuff."

    somelyricson February 11, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    The Hold Steady shouting out Newport News...amazing

    RockSpaceon April 09, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    The Shakers, a religious group is known for shaking, convulsing, trembling, shouting, singing, glossolalia, and of course shaking (all things one should do at a Hold Steady show). Shaker Heights was originally a Shaker settlement, not sure if that's the reverence, but Craig Finn is known for double meanings, triple and the like.

    irocktohardon November 02, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    The Andre Cymone reference is a stunner. I was a big Prince fan in the 80's and I even had Andre Cymone's solo albums including Survivin' In The 80's. So cool that a rock n roll band like THS would namecheck AC.

    Incredible song btw.

    Rickveeon March 06, 2010   Link

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