I think Swan Dive is about taking the plunge (or swan dive) into a relationship that she feels people will disapprove of.
I wonder if she was anticipating the reactions from others about her relationship and marriage with Andrew Gilchrist at the time. I think Ani had some fans that took her songs way too literally, and believed in a rigid form of feminism that almost resembled patriarchy (I have been an Ani fan since Puddle Dive came out and I have seen her audience change over the years). I always thought Ani's songs represented humanist ideals from a particular feminist's perspective. Some fans that I spoke to did not agree. They thought I had no place speaking about such things because I'm a man.
I could be way off about the meaning of this song, but this is what it makes me think about. I think she had come to a place in her life where she was beginning to feel the effects of living life under the microscopes of many rabid fans who couldn't accept the growth in her songs and life (all of which I absolutely loved and still love - isn't LPC a great album??).
I think in Swan Dive, she's saying the hell with what others think - "they can call me crazy". I love this song because it is so 'in-your-face'. Great guitar riff too. Did anyone else see her perform it solo on Sesssions at West 54th years ago? Gave me chills. What a great song (even if I don't have it right).
I think Swan Dive is about taking the plunge (or swan dive) into a relationship that she feels people will disapprove of.
I wonder if she was anticipating the reactions from others about her relationship and marriage with Andrew Gilchrist at the time. I think Ani had some fans that took her songs way too literally, and believed in a rigid form of feminism that almost resembled patriarchy (I have been an Ani fan since Puddle Dive came out and I have seen her audience change over the years). I always thought Ani's songs represented humanist ideals from a particular feminist's perspective. Some fans that I spoke to did not agree. They thought I had no place speaking about such things because I'm a man.
I could be way off about the meaning of this song, but this is what it makes me think about. I think she had come to a place in her life where she was beginning to feel the effects of living life under the microscopes of many rabid fans who couldn't accept the growth in her songs and life (all of which I absolutely loved and still love - isn't LPC a great album??).
I think in Swan Dive, she's saying the hell with what others think - "they can call me crazy". I love this song because it is so 'in-your-face'. Great guitar riff too. Did anyone else see her perform it solo on Sesssions at West 54th years ago? Gave me chills. What a great song (even if I don't have it right).