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

Kelly Keagy of Night Ranger

Kelly Keagy of Night RangerSongwriter Interviews

Kelly Keagy of Night Ranger tells the "Sister Christian" story and explains why he started sweating when he saw it in Boogie Nights.

Mike Love of The Beach Boys

Mike Love of The Beach BoysSongwriter Interviews

The lead singer/lyricist of The Beach Boys talks about coming up with the words for "Good Vibrations," "Fun, Fun, Fun," "Kokomo" and other classic songs.

Leslie West of Mountain

Leslie West of MountainSongwriter Interviews

From the cowbell on "Mississippi Queen" to recording with The Who when they got the wrong Felix, stories from one of rock's master craftsmen.

Keith Reid of Procol Harum

Keith Reid of Procol HarumSongwriter Interviews

As Procol Harum's lyricist, Keith wrote the words to "A Whiter Shade Of Pale." We delve into that song and find out how you can form a band when you don't sing or play an instrument.

Jon Oliva of Trans-Siberian Orchestra

Jon Oliva of Trans-Siberian OrchestraSongwriter Interviews

Writing great prog metal isn't easy, especially when it's for 60 musicians.

Jimmy Jam

Jimmy JamSongwriter Interviews

The powerhouse producer behind Janet Jackson's hits talks about his Boyz II Men ballads and regrouping The Time.