Swing (In A Dream)

Album: O Monolith (2023)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This claustrophobic and tense song was inspired by a dream singer and drummer Ollie Judge had about Jean-Honoré Fragonard's painting, The Swing. In the dream, Judge was in the painting, but it was flooded, and everything was floating away. "I thought it might be a climate anxiety dream, so I rode with that and imagined everyone screaming and dying," he told NME, "like that scene in Terminator 2: Judgment Day."

    French artist Jean-Honoré Fragonard created The Swing in 1767. The painting depicts a young woman on a swing being pushed by a bishop, while a smiling younger man admires the woman's legs as her swinging motion reveals them.
  • Squid started writing "Swing (In A Dream)" the Monday after their August 22, 2021, show at Green Man. "We were really hungover, and I don't think I could be bothered to play the drums properly," Judge said, "so that's where that really simple drumbeat came from."
  • The Yoonha Park-directed music video features Squid's friends and family playing a game inspired by the popular children's book series, Where's Wally. The clip takes visual cues from the animated TV series Where's Waldo and the artists Richard Scarry and Brueghel to express the anxieties associated with the climate crisis,

    New York-based Korean-American director Yoonha Park has also directed visuals for Washed Out ("A Dedication"), and M83 ("Lower Your Eyelids To Die With The Sun").
  • Squid debuted "Swing (In A Dream)" at their February 9, 2023, one-off headline show at London's Scala. They used the King's Cross venue to give fans a first look at tracks from O Monolith.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Scott Gorham of Thin Lizzy and Black Star Riders

Scott Gorham of Thin Lizzy and Black Star RidersSongwriter Interviews

Writing with Phil Lynott, Scott saw their ill-fated frontman move to a darker place in his life and lyrics.

Marc Campbell - "88 Lines About 44 Women"

Marc Campbell - "88 Lines About 44 Women"They're Playing My Song

The Nails lead singer Marc Campbell talks about those 44 women he sings about over a stock Casio keyboard track. He's married to one of them now - you might be surprised which.

Andrew Farriss of INXS

Andrew Farriss of INXSSongwriter Interviews

Andrew Farriss on writing with Michael Hutchence, the stories behind "Mystify" and other INXS hits, and his country-flavored debut solo album.

Chris Fehn of Slipknot

Chris Fehn of SlipknotSongwriter Interviews

A drummer for one of the most successful metal bands of the last decade, Chris talks about what it's like writing and performing with Slipknot. Metal-neck is a factor.

Thomas Dolby

Thomas DolbySongwriter Interviews

He wrote "She Blinded Me With Science" so he could direct a video about a home for deranged scientists.

Superman in Song

Superman in SongSong Writing

Not everyone can be a superhero, but that hasn't stopped generations of musicians from trying to be Superman.