 Swimming Hour (2001) [ larger cover art ] |
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I'm a breather mail receiver
And I don't know where I stand
Not since someone informed me
That my house was built on sand
And it's not the earth beneath me
It's just the concept of the land
And I'm standing on the corner
When the buildings they all fell
If you blink once you're a goner
Everything just goes pell-mell
It's a real hard sell
My conceptual hell
Not even good for kindling
When the buildings they all fell
I'm a breather mail receiver
Bottom feader just getting by
And you know it's all just par for the course
But you blame it on some non-existent force
Oh yeah, of course
You know you can't ride the concept of the horse
But still I try
In a cartoon desert landscape
With a pair of ACME jetskates
Focused on my destination
I seem to have forgot my station
Now it's time to face the nation
And I'm riding to meet you
On a brown gray speckled mare
But there's something that unnerves me
Like I'm riding on thin air
These few doubts disserve me
Thinking no one really cares
And I'm jumping over fences
On this obstacle course
But it seems I'm getting nowhere
On the concept of the horse
It's a real hard sell
My conceptual hell
Not even good for kindling
When the buildings they all fell
I'm a breather
Bottom feader
How many liters
Must I imbibe
And you know it's all just par for the course
But you blame it on some non-existent force
Oh yeah, of course
You know you can't ride the concept of the horse
But still I try
And I don't know where I stand
Not since someone informed me
That my house was built on sand
And it's not the earth beneath me
It's just the concept of the land
And I'm standing on the corner
When the buildings they all fell
If you blink once you're a goner
Everything just goes pell-mell
It's a real hard sell
My conceptual hell
Not even good for kindling
When the buildings they all fell
I'm a breather mail receiver
Bottom feader just getting by
And you know it's all just par for the course
But you blame it on some non-existent force
Oh yeah, of course
You know you can't ride the concept of the horse
But still I try
In a cartoon desert landscape
With a pair of ACME jetskates
Focused on my destination
I seem to have forgot my station
Now it's time to face the nation
And I'm riding to meet you
On a brown gray speckled mare
But there's something that unnerves me
Like I'm riding on thin air
These few doubts disserve me
Thinking no one really cares
And I'm jumping over fences
On this obstacle course
But it seems I'm getting nowhere
On the concept of the horse
It's a real hard sell
My conceptual hell
Not even good for kindling
When the buildings they all fell
I'm a breather
Bottom feader
How many liters
Must I imbibe
And you know it's all just par for the course
But you blame it on some non-existent force
Oh yeah, of course
You know you can't ride the concept of the horse
But still I try
| Jelani (Home of the freak, land of the vague) | Posted: Jan 11, 2012 - 16:59 Kind of sounds like Russel Brand here. :-) |
| vandal (arriving somewhere, but not here. . .) | Posted: Oct 08, 2011 - 16:41  |
| andrewmi (capitoltown) | Posted: Dec 29, 2010 - 13:40 Ah! Thought I recognized Andrew Bird by the instrumentation at the beginning and was surprised to find that this was an old song of his. Quite enjoyable; I have all of his post-Weather Systems stuff but it may be time to delve further back in his catalog... |
| aelfheld | Posted: Dec 29, 2010 - 13:40 Too twee. |
| Rooney (Near Paradise) | Posted: Oct 27, 2010 - 08:00 skogman wrote: He obviously got himself a good pronounciation coach after this album... I actually understood 3 words in a row. An all-time high for me and my relationship with mr. Bird. In the words of the poet, Andrew Bird, "sooo mielll waaa fooor twaa naa jujuuuu shaaa ninnnaaa foroo toonuu."  |
| Proclivities (Carrboro, NC) | Posted: Sep 25, 2010 - 12:53 fredriley wrote: He must have been pushed for another "-ell" rhyme to include "pell-mell", which is a pretty archaic term. I hear people still use that term in the US - generally in a humorous or satirical manner though. Then again, I run into a lot of English language academic types and/or folks who work on crossword puzzles... |
| DaveInVA (In a hovel in effluent Damnville, VA) | Posted: Aug 24, 2010 - 12:34 I actually like this Andrew Bird...  |
| 4merdj (donde el viento se devuelve) | Posted: Jul 23, 2010 - 13:18 Hehehe!! ... First, "Oi Va Voi - S'brent", followed by "Andrew Bird - Case in Point" ... nice surreptitious message  |
| ziggytrix (Dallas, TX) | Posted: Mar 18, 2010 - 12:32 fredriley wrote: He must have been pushed for another "-ell" rhyme to include "pell-mell", which is a pretty archaic term. Bird uses nonsense words all the time, so he's never that hard pressed for a rhyme. |
| skogman (Sweden) | Posted: Jan 14, 2010 - 12:03 He obviously got himself a good pronounciation coach after this album... |
| fredriley (Nottingham, UK) | Posted: Dec 14, 2009 - 02:17 He must have been pushed for another "-ell" rhyme to include "pell-mell", which is a pretty archaic term. |
| k8ling1114 (Minneapolis, MN) | Posted: Nov 12, 2009 - 16:39 I hear Jack Skellington in this. |
| MilesSmiles (Netherlands) | Posted: Aug 10, 2009 - 03:41 Off all the Andrew Bird's songs played on Radio Paradise, 'Sovay' is missing which is to my humble opinion Andrew's finest song...  |
| fatcatjb (Sunny Sacramento) | Posted: Jul 09, 2009 - 11:36 hear hear! Right here felam wrote: If you really wanted to do something good for the environment, sell your SUV and buy something fuel efficient (better yet how about a bike?), plant a garden, unplug the tv, and get your lazy overweight ass off the couch and walk to work. Throwing money at a problem isn't going to fix it. |
| peter_james_bond (Lunenburg, NS) | Posted: Jun 07, 2009 - 16:43 Wow.... so this guy has been putting out good music for a while now. And  is a funny post!  |
| orthomd (scottsdale, arizona) | Posted: May 06, 2009 - 23:35 norman bates discovers music... |
| copymonkey (in the northeast, but not near anywhere cool) | Posted: Jun 09, 2008 - 12:21 but i don't think there are too many large corporations that stand to make a lot of money on it... No, but don't you think the Carbon Neutral thing will disincentivize (made up word?) corporations from actually DOING anything to reduce their carbon emissions? Can you picture the board meeting as the cigar-chomping CEO coughs and says "Open another coal plant Stan, and don't worry about the pollution. We'll trade our carbon output with some crunchy cheese farm in Vermont" Meanwhile the lady that lives next door to the new coal plant can look forward to kids with black lung. |
| aeknust | Posted: Apr 07, 2008 - 13:53 felam wrote: Sorry, I have to agree on the Carbon Neutral thing. It's such a crappy marketing ploy and really turns me off.
marketing ploy? I understand that there is a developing market for trading the right to release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere... but i don't think there are too many large corporations that stand to make a lot of money on it... probably a lot more stand to lose out... so who do you suppose is funding this "crappy marketing ploy" |
| felam (City By The Bay, Ca) | Posted: Apr 07, 2008 - 13:52 If you really wanted to do something good for the environment, sell your SUV and buy something fuel efficient (better yet how about a bike?), plant a garden, unplug the tv, and get your lazy overweight ass off the couch and walk to work. Throwing money at a problem isn't going to fix it. DoctorHooey wrote: Yeah! Stupid environment!! WHO NEEDS IT? Buncha hippies ruining MY fun!
|
| DoctorHooey (/etc) | Posted: Apr 07, 2008 - 13:41 Yeah! Stupid environment!! WHO NEEDS IT? Buncha hippies ruining MY fun! |
| Martino | Posted: Apr 07, 2008 - 13:40 That_SOB wrote: karljonasson wrote: ******************** My, can 'you' imagine what he would think of you; but you will never get a chance to find out, because he's made something out of himself and you, well.....nobody that dumb would know a good songwriter. AMEN! |
| felam (City By The Bay, Ca) | Posted: Apr 07, 2008 - 13:39 Sorry, I have to agree on the Carbon Neutral thing. It's such a crappy marketing ploy and really turns me off. |
| That_SOB (The Dark Side of the Tune) | Posted: Mar 07, 2008 - 01:27 karljonasson wrote: "I liked this until I went to his website and found out that he made his tour 'carbon neutral'. Then I realized he was yet another bandwagon-jumping hippie who buys all the misinformation thrown at him by the anti-human brainwashers on television. Nobody that dumb could be a good songwriter."
******************** My, can 'you' imagine what he would think of you; but you will never get a chance to find out, because he's made something out of himself and you, well.....nobody that dumb would know a good songwriter. |
| miahfost (Svensk Socialist Soviet Monarki) | Posted: Feb 20, 2008 - 04:13 Jacksonstat wrote: Saw Mr. Bird last night with Wilco. He's a quirky dude no doubt, but very talented. Played the hell out of a violin and can whistle like nobody's business!!
That is a double bill I would love to see. |
| trekhead (HORTA-Culture) | Posted: Feb 20, 2008 - 04:09 Rufus, izzatchoo??? 6. |
| PeterRigg (Lancashire, England) | Posted: Feb 04, 2008 - 15:06 What's he on about? |
| slartibart_O (N29°57'-W97°34') | Posted: Nov 02, 2007 - 10:31 karljonasson wrote: I liked this until I went to his website and found out that he made his tour 'carbon neutral'. Then I realized he was yet another bandwagon-jumping hippie who buys all the misinformation thrown at him by the anti-human brainwashers on television. Nobody that dumb could be a good songwriter.
 your  |
| Jacksonstat (Columbus OH) | Posted: Oct 17, 2007 - 12:14 Saw Mr. Bird last night with Wilco. He's a quirky dude no doubt, but very talented. Played the hell out of a violin and can whistle like nobody's business!! |
| peyotecoyote (London, Ontario) | Posted: Oct 17, 2007 - 12:11 This isn't Rufus? |
| AlienRelic (east of Eden) | Posted: Aug 31, 2007 - 13:16 karljonasson wrote: I liked this until I went to his website and found out that he made his tour 'carbon neutral'. Then I realized he was yet another bandwagon-jumping hippie who buys all the misinformation thrown at him by the anti-human brainwashers on television. Nobody that dumb could be a good songwriter.
So he believes the multitude of FACTS about greenhouse gases and global warming that science has been providing for over 50 YEARS, and that makes HIM dumb? Seem's like it isn't Andrew Bird who needs to wise up and pull his head out of the sand here. |
| folkalta (Santa Clara CA) | Posted: Aug 15, 2007 - 16:13 Anti-human?  Brain washing aside, what has hippie got to do with carbon neutral? And the music is listenable.
karljonasson wrote: I liked this until I went to his website and found out that he made his tour 'carbon neutral'. Then I realized he was yet another bandwagon-jumping hippie who buys all the misinformation thrown at him by the anti-human brainwashers on television. Nobody that dumb could be a good songwriter. |
| chiggins (Ever'whar) | Posted: Aug 15, 2007 - 16:06 how come he reminds me of Nellie McKay? |
| Ender43 (Logan, UT - Home of mtn. biking, great skiing...and golden tablets.) | Posted: Aug 15, 2007 - 16:04 karljonasson wrote: I liked this until I went to his website and found out that he made his tour 'carbon neutral'. Then I realized he was yet another bandwagon-jumping hippie who buys all the misinformation thrown at him by the anti-human brainwashers on television. Nobody that dumb could be a good songwriter.
You really reveal a lot about yourself, through posts like this. Massive over-generalization, uninformed criticism about a topic that millions of people understand and are behind...not to mention, you base your opinion of music on someone's attempt to reduce the environmental impact of his tour? |
| HazzeSwede (Stockholm) | Posted: Jul 31, 2007 - 02:45 Violin can be beatiful NOT this one.(5) |
| miahfost (Svensk Socialist Soviet Monarki) | Posted: Mar 27, 2007 - 04:43 I saw Andrew Bird the other night at Pustervik, he was great. The airline had lost all his luggage and equipment but he still managed to generate loops and make beautiful music. |
| lmic (Uniondale, NY) | Posted: Mar 11, 2007 - 14:56 Hey, there's that xylophone again, which someone in another forum mentioned seems to be making a comeback of late... EDIT: A mere three songs later - Bill's playing that other xylophonic tune - Imogen Heap, "Glittering Cloud".... |
| (former member) (Near the coffeemaker) | Posted: Mar 11, 2007 - 14:50 Post-modern tango! Sweet! |
| flyboy (Wasilla, AK) | Posted: Feb 08, 2007 - 10:20 Nice use of the word imbibe. I call the "drink, drank, or drunk" rule. |
| celadonstone (the Lowcountry of SC (2858.50 mi East of Paradise)) | Posted: Feb 08, 2007 - 10:17 rebus wrote: "
you know you can't ride the concept of a horse, but still I try " quite possibly one of my favorite lyrics of any song. It is pretty cool. I've heard that clapping two coconut shells together helps with riding a concept horse. Better yet, have your noble manservant Patsy do it while you assuming the riding posture and skip along... |
| celadonstone (the Lowcountry of SC (2858.50 mi East of Paradise)) | Posted: Feb 08, 2007 - 10:17 rebus wrote: "
you know you can't ride the concept of a horse, but still I try " quite possibly one of my favorite lyrics of any song. It is pretty cool. I've heard that clapping two coconut shells together helps with riding a concept horse. Better yet, have your noble manservant Patsy do it while you assuming the riding posture... |
| obzidian (Toronto, ON, Canada eh?!) | Posted: Feb 08, 2007 - 10:14 Ana Ng. Very much at the beginning...Poke a hole in the sky... :) horstman wrote: Yes, some one else out there thinks like me. Wait a minute. That's more than a little frightening!  |
| horstman | Posted: Sep 15, 2006 - 08:02 Shimmer wrote: I hear They Might Be Giants in this.
Yes, some one else out there thinks like me. Wait a minute. That's more than a little frightening! |
| Odyzzeuz (Austin, Texas) | Posted: Aug 02, 2006 - 10:50 Hey, an Andrew Bird song I don't find completely insufferable! An enthusiastic 5!!! Yay! |
| Dianyla (Portland, OR) | Posted: Aug 02, 2006 - 10:49 bobringer wrote: So this is what it would sound like if Thom York had a child with Rufus Wainright?
Nicely done! That's exactly what he sounds like.  |
| Shimmer (Bethesda, MD) | Posted: Aug 02, 2006 - 10:49 I hear They Might Be Giants in this. |
| Pyro (Lose E. Anna) | Posted: Aug 02, 2006 - 10:48 For a moment, his vocal style reminded me of Jackson Browne....meets Rufus Wainright. |
| bobringer (Wayne, NJ) | Posted: Apr 07, 2006 - 13:04 So this is what it would sound like if Thom York had a child with Rufus Wainright? |
| rebus (Athens, GA) | Posted: Mar 23, 2006 - 21:08 " you know you can't ride the concept of a horse, but still I try " quite possibly one of my favorite lyrics of any song. |
| Steven_G | Posted: Feb 22, 2006 - 11:02 Bob_Loblaw wrote: If you must own one Andrew Bird album then you must own The Swimming Hour. Excellent. I just listened to the Amazon.com's Samples on the album. I have to say that I would not be able to pin down Andrew's music to any particular style or genre. He is certainly a unique artist!
From AMG - Biography by Heather Phares
Chicago singer/songwriter/violinist Andrew Bird updates the traditions of small group swing, German Leider and New Orleans jazz, mixing gypsy, folk and rock elements into his distinctive style. Bird's projects include his group the Bowl of Fire (which also includes drummer Kevin O'Donnell, bassist Josh Hirsch and guitarist Colin Bunn) and performing as an auxiliary member of the Squirrel Nut Zippers; in turn, the Zippers' Katherine Whalen and James Mathus appeared on the Bowl of Fire albums Thrills and Oh! The Grandeur. Bird has also recorded with artists like Pinetop Seven and Lil' Ed Williams, teaches music at the Old Town School of Folk Music, and performed on the score and soundtrack from the 1999 Tim Robbins film The Cradle Will Rock. His third album, 2001's The Swimming Hour, surprisingly found the Bowl of Fire turning to pop music, and with excellent results. |
| Bob_Loblaw | Posted: Feb 22, 2006 - 10:49 If you must own one Andrew Bird album then you must own The Swimming Hour. Excellent. |