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Frightened Rabbit — Swim Until You Can't See Land
Album: The Winter of Mixed Drinks
Avg rating:
6.3

Your rating:
Total ratings: 716









Released: 2010
Length: 4:15
Plays (last 30 days): 0
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I salute at the threshold of the North Sea of my mind
And I nod to the boredom that drove me here to face the tide
And I swim, I swim, oh swim

Dip a toe in the ocean, oh how it hardens and it numbs
The rest of me is a version of man built to collapse in crumbs
And if I hadn't come now to the coast to disappear
I may have died in a landslide of rocks and hopes and fears

So I swim until you can't see land
Swim until you can't see land
Swim until you can't see land
Are you a man? Are you a bag of sand?

Swim until you can't see land
Swim until you can't see land
Swim until you can't see land
Are you a man? Are you a bag of sand?

Up to my knees now
Do I wade? Do I dive?
The sea has seen my like before, though it's my first and perhaps last time
Let's call me a baptist, call this a drowning of the past
She is there on the shoreline throwing stones at my back

So I swim until you can't see land
Swim until you can't see land
Swim until you can't see land
Are you a man? Are you a bag of sand?

Swim until you can't see land
Swim until you can't see land
Swim until you can't see land
Are you a man? Are you a bag of sand?

And the water is taller than me
And the land is a marker line
All I have is a body adrift in water, salt and sky

So I swim until you can't see land
Swim until you can't see land
Swim until you can't see land
Are you a man? Are you a bag of sand?

Swim until you can't see land
Swim until you can't see land
Swim until you can't see land
Are you a man? Are you a bag of sand?

Swim until you can't see land
Swim until you can't see land
Swim until you can't see land
Are you a man? Are you a bag of sand?

Are you a man? Are you a bag of sand?
Are you a man? Are you a bag of sand?
Are you a man? Are you a bag of sand?
Are you a man? Are you a bag of sand?

Are you a man? Are you a bag of sand?
Are you a man? Are you a bag of sand?
Are you a man? Are you a bag of sand?
Are you a man? Are you a bag of sand?
Comments (45)add comment
...and that's exactly what he did...breathtakingly heartbreaking...
Posted 7 months ago by Sean-E-Sean    [ Reply ]
 SoundThinker wrote:

I don't think there is any song that freaks me out more than this song!

Swim until you can't see land? Are you friggin' NUTS!?!?!?!?!?



That's kinda what the song is about. Sometimes it seems that half of what Scott wrote was a sort of suicide note.
Posted 2 years ago by plaid    [ Reply ]
 SoundThinker wrote:

I don't think there is any song that freaks me out more than this song!

Swim until you can't see land? Are you friggin' NUTS!?!?!?!?!?




Yeah, I was just going to write something similar. If you swim until you can't see land, you will become a bag of sand!
Posted 2 years ago by Jelani    [ Reply ]
I don't think there is any song that freaks me out more than this song!

Swim until you can't see land? Are you friggin' NUTS!?!?!?!?!?
Posted 2 years ago by SoundThinker    [ Reply ]
I saw these guys open for Death Cab back in 2011. 

RIP, Mr. Hutchison.
Posted 2 years ago by TimeWaster    [ Reply ]
Swim until your cat sees why
Posted 2 years ago by Sofa_King    [ Reply ]
Lol
Posted 3 years ago by sfyi2001    [ Reply ]
 cavemanleong wrote:

It's so ironic that he sang about the very way he eventually took his own life. You are so missed Scott.

just thought it was a sad song, now it seems like a solemn goodbye...hope that no one I love ever opts for suicide. RIP

Posted 3 years ago by xcranky_yankee    [ Reply ]
I basically hate this song!!! It so FREAKS me out! NO FUCKING WAY would I ever swim until I cannot see land! Are you friggin' CRAZY?!?!?!? Do you want to die? 

I've only been afraid I was going to die twice in my life and both times it was in the water too far away to see land. 
Posted 3 years ago by SoundThinker    [ Reply ]
A Scottish jewel and excellent song writer. You will be missed  
Posted 3 years ago by geonuine    [ Reply ]
Five years ago, this was my kid's favorite bedtime song to bounce and tire themselves out.  Today, this touches my heart as I dive deeper and deeper into introspection and daily meditation.  
Posted 3 years ago by mjlucas    [ Reply ]
It's so ironic that he sang about the very way he eventually took his own life. You are so missed Scott.
Posted 3 years ago by cavemanleong    [ Reply ]
I saw FR in Lafayette, LA in 2006.  Scott's intensity and willingness to be emotionally raw onstage was remarkable.   Few artists have had that level of intimacy that I have seen (live).  It was beautiful and heartbreaking.  What a loss
Posted 4 years ago by greiffenstein    [ Reply ]
No way!!! Frightened Rabbit is an appropriate name for me about this crazy song! 

My biggest fear is swimming in salt water! 

Swim until you can't see land? You must be insane! Never! 
Posted 4 years ago by SoundThinker    [ Reply ]
This track is growing on me. Reminds me of XTC. 
Posted 4 years ago by Pumpkincat    [ Reply ]
 jukes1 wrote:

There is no sea like the Northsea!!!
Top 5 album ever.
 

Posted 4 years ago by zon00460    [ Reply ]
 coldatlantic wrote:
If you like this at all, their previous album—The Midnight Organ Fight—is a masterful bundle of artful, bitter breakup music.
 

Top 5 album ever.
Posted 4 years ago by jukes1    [ Reply ]
 NoEnzLefttoSplit wrote:


Jeepers, reading  the back story this song is almost unbearably painful. swim till you can't see land.. what a powerful and excrutiatingly sad  metaphor.
 

This isn’t even the worst one. This is devastating for all its beauty.

edit: technically I’m wrong as there isn’t much metaphor in Floating in The Forth 
Posted 4 years ago by jukes1    [ Reply ]
 DaidyBoy wrote:
As a sufferer of depression, I can appreciate where this song comes from and I find it unbearably tragic every time I hear of caring, talented people leaving of their own accord.

Beautifully followed here today by Morning Has Broken, I hope Scott has found the peace he deserves, whatever follows.
 

Jeepers, reading  the back story this song is almost unbearably painful. swim till you can't see land.. what a powerful and excrutiatingly sad  metaphor.
Posted 4 years ago by NoEnzLefttoSplit    [ Reply ]
Are you a man? Are you a bag of sand?
Posted 4 years ago by KurtfromLaQuinta    [ Reply ]
Only heard it just now for the first time and it's already annoying.
Posted 5 years ago by ppopp    [ Reply ]
Anyone else thing there is a bit of an XTC vibe in this song?
Posted 5 years ago by csetti    [ Reply ]
As a sufferer of depression, I can appreciate where this song comes from and I find it unbearably tragic every time I hear of caring, talented people leaving of their own accord.

Beautifully followed here today by Morning Has Broken, I hope Scott has found the peace he deserves, whatever follows.
Posted 5 years ago by DaidyBoy    [ Reply ]
I've been listening to these guys for a few years now. Thanks to KCRW-FM Santa Monica.
What a tragic loss of Scott Hutchison the leader of this group.
This is one of my favorite songs.
Posted 6 years ago by KurtfromLaQuinta    [ Reply ]
So this happened last night...  any way to do a tribute??

https://www.msn.com/en-us/music/news/scott-hutchison-frightened-rabbit-frontman-found-dead-by-police/ar-AAx6ZPw?ffid=gz

Posted 6 years ago by dhallag    [ Reply ]
 coldatlantic wrote:
If you like this at all, their previous album—The Midnight Organ Fight—is a masterful bundle of artful, bitter breakup music.
 



That's an excellent album.
Posted 13 years ago by Darlington    [ Reply ]
If you like this at all, their previous album—The Midnight Organ Fight—is a masterful bundle of artful, bitter breakup music.
Posted 13 years ago by coldatlantic    [ Reply ]
At first, an easy 7, but then looking up and reading the lyrics, I have to make it an 8.  Next time I hear it, I will revisit my rating.  kthxbai.


Posted 13 years ago by laozilover    [ Reply ]
Frightened rabbit swimming?  I remember Jimmy Carter having that problem.
Posted 13 years ago by Baby_M    [ Reply ]
 RParadise wrote:

A perfect argument against cute band names.

Yes, I know.  The above comment has nothing to do with the music.  Still, I stand by my opinion.

 
Ah, well, that's the end of Gerry and the Gibbering Gerbils then :o)

I can't see this frightening any rabbits. Anaesthetising them, maybe... {#Sleep}
Posted 13 years ago by fredriley    [ Reply ]
 mandolin wrote:


...oh, wait, frightened, not ing...
 
Oh, mandolin - I'm laughing until I can't see straight. And then I'm gonna swim until I can't see land.  And after that, I'm gonna swarm until I'm candyland.

Love this song...

Posted 14 years ago by Cynaera    [ Reply ]


...oh, wait, frightened, not ing...
Posted 14 years ago by mandolin    [ Reply ]
Unless you're Aquaman...that doesn't sound like a good idea.
Posted 14 years ago by CamLwalk    [ Reply ]
Finally found the CD - saved my lunch money and bought this and Mumford & Sons.
Posted 14 years ago by sunybuny    [ Reply ]
Timid Bunny, eh?  OK...
Posted 14 years ago by shutter    [ Reply ]
great song title, album title, band name, and song! the video is pretty good, too.
Posted 14 years ago by zenhead    [ Reply ]
7 just for the Scottish accent. {#Heartkiss}
Posted 14 years ago by fingerpin    [ Reply ]
My quickest added upload ever.
Posted 14 years ago by KurtfromLaQuinta    [ Reply ]
Had tried to give it a 5, but the repetitive ending dropped it to a 4.
Posted 14 years ago by grungepuppy    [ Reply ]
Last year was my winter of mixed drinks... this year I am raising the bar, it will be my winter of straight bourbon. 
 
Posted 14 years ago by ch83575    [ Reply ]
First heard this band on an episode of NBC's Chuck during the show's first season and heard enough there to want to check them out. Interesting textures and all around good stuff.

Posted 14 years ago by Badfish81    [ Reply ]
I'm having a devil of a time finding this cd locally!
Thanks Bill! 
Posted 14 years ago by sunybuny    [ Reply ]

A perfect argument against cute band names.

Yes, I know.  The above comment has nothing to do with the music.  Still, I stand by my opinion.


Posted 14 years ago by RParadise    [ Reply ]
Sounds a bit like Counting Crows.. not bad
Posted 14 years ago by DaveInSaoMiguel    [ Reply ]
Love this song!
Posted 14 years ago by KurtfromLaQuinta    [ Reply ]