Swans (Life After Death)

Ok my theory on Swans / the album as a whole:

Swans is the overture. A person (nick) wakes up on an island the day he was supposed to die (see: who will cut our hair when we're gone?) It covers all the action of the album (waking up, going into a whale, cannibalism etc..)

Humans: they're running out of food, resort to cannibalism

don't call me whitney, bobby: after the cannibalism, he's regretful and talks to the skeleton as his only friend on the tropical island

Rough Gem: doesn't really fit in except the "who lives in those lights.." verse. That verse can be thought of as "wow look there are lights.. we should go there because it's people"

Tsuxiit: traveling music

Where there's...: Get into a whale.. hanging out in a whale.. traveling in a whale.. fun times

Jogging Gorgeous Summer: Having met people inside the whale and eaten a few, the hero falls in love.

Volcanoes: Their island is a volcano. Lots of people die because they think they angered the gods. Alaska melts.

If: getting tired of the person that the hero is with, he threatens that if they're not sweet to him, he'll "salt you to make you savory", implying he'd eat them, too

Ones: depressed about the whole thing, the hero retreats into his mind.

please note that half of this is sarcastic, the other half i believe.

this song is just fantastic. it's amazing that they open their album with a nine-and-a-half minute track.

interesting thoughts! I don't really have any ideas as to what it could mean, but goodness gracious is this song amazing. I love it. and I can't wait to see them on Saturday in Philadelphia.

Well, there seem to be several Unicorns references in here.. I'm sure Islands are tired of hearing about the Unicorns, but regardless:

The intro- the guitar here is in a Unicorns song, "Thunder and Lightning" "I woke up thirsty the day I died"- Similar to a line in "Ready to Die" "sun-smudged peach moon"- line from "Peach Moon"

So, similar to what yanquiUXO said, WWCOHWWG had a lot of death themes, and Nick, as a Unicorn was supposed to die... but he didn't, and now he's moving on..? I guess someone who knows more about Islands and the Unicorns would be able to go further with this/prove me completely wrong.

Corrections from liner notes:

a. and all i see is sea two shining seas*

b. and who knew how much the sky'd cover me?

c. bones bones bones grown homes with the sparrows in the trees we leave them for they love the marrow

I knew I recognized that guitar sound from a Unicorns song. The first time I heard it was live and I thought for a minute that they were playing a Unicorns song. Thank you for pointing that out soupcans.

I think this is my favorite song on the album. I think of it as being about dieing and waking up in a strange, surreal afterlife. I love the part about climbing into a whale and lighting a fire while looking out of it's mouth.

i love it when he tthey sing this line "And the sun-smudged peach moon still hung loose"

unicorns all over!

It's a well known myth that swans don't sing until the day they die, at which point they sing a beautiful song.

The silver Swan, who living had no Note, when Death approached, unlocked her silent throat. Leaning her breast upon the reedy shore, thus sang her first and last, and sang no more: "Farewell, all joys! O Death, come close mine eyes! "More Geese than Swans now live, more Fools than Wise." -Orlando Gibbons

Just thought I'd point that out.

This song is just a group of unicorns refrences

I woke up thirsty the day I died And the tide was swirling My mouth is so dry And all I see is sea Two shining seas

Ready to die

The mouth is so wide Yet all I see is sea And azure sky A little wave and ebb tide

Ebb Tide, Azure Sky

Swans Swans Swans sung songs Till the morning dawned on us And the sun-smudged peach moon still hung loose

Peach moon.

And I am sure there are many others that aren't as obvious.