Swans - Helpless Child

[@MrGraphis]

In my youth, in the early 80's, I was blown away by Swans. They were utterly unlike anything else out there. Today, I'm 52, and Michael Gira hasn't sold out: he's still making the most awesome music I've ever heard.

[@vinyldiary6664]

So true! A legend

[@timvapid]

Comment aged well

[@exiledreptile2166]

And it’s still true today.

[@sunfucker2213]

Based

[@QwertyHens]

This is the most beautiful piece of music ever written.

[@crisha721]

Everytime I listen to this I'm deeply touched .There's no one better than Swans in exploring the dark side of human existence with such beauty. Swans were life changing to me when I first discovered them in my teenage years. Their music is above that of most "post-rock" bands because it's not about making beautiful soundscapes or showing off, they truly dig deep into human emotions. What they do is pure art.

[@JammastaJ23]

It's amazing that this is 25+ years old. This is still so avant garde with 25 years of music produced since. Way ahead of its time.

[@arnoburtner380]

I spoke Efrim on one of their first gigs in Europe and confronted him with the question if they were influenced by Swans. He agreed.

[@ahamburger111]

I cannot describe how incredible that organ sound is. Fucking love Swans.

[@ahamburger111]

The sound of a cathedral crumbling into dust with every microsecond extended unto eternity.

[@marcochies2476]

One of the most beautiful songs in the history of the music.

[@thomasskye2379]

Agreed, this song can easily reduce a grown man to a sobbing pile of misery. It's incredibly powerful. Which is exactly why it's never gonna be mainstream. Most people just lack the emotional maturity to deal with something as deep and intense as this. Hollywood sadness is all they can take. This would overtax them.

[@BaBooTubeVideos]

The truth right here. This is too refined for the radio, you can't dance to it (without being triple jointed in every limb).

[@franco5506]

No matter the course of my life, I always end up coming back here, I will always end up coming back here. Art hardly gets better than this

[@KendylTV]

One of the only songs I'll openly and proudly say I cry to; whether it's the instrumental or Gira giving one of his most raw, vulnerable vocal performances, or that goddamn organ at the latter part of the song, it's so achingly beautiful that I couldn't keep my composure if I wanted to. I'm wholeheartedly happy they've been finding success with their newer albums, both masterful in their own right, but I just hope their fandom continues to grow and they give their earlier material, specifically THIS, the album that began all the spectacle of TBK and grandiosity of The Seer, their wholehearted attention. Please.

[@brodftw]

The ending's just amazing. THe most epic thing I've heard in a long time.

[@sunn000]

Listening to this while reading Berserk Golden Age Arc, fucking awesome.

[@snaneychik]

The cathartic crescendo succeeding the miserable lyrics reminds me of "Fanny och Alexander".

[@RatSitnov]

I recently started to get into GY!BE and pretty much loving it, but every time I re-spin "Soundtracks" I feel like GY!BE are only toying around with a few elements of this giant mind-boggling monster of a record and can only do so much. "SftB" is probably the most incredible audio experience I've ever had with a band.

[@BobrLovr]

RatSitnov SftB is okay. It's not like the pinnacle of music. But it's an okay listen through like once or twice

[@BobrLovr]

Kirk Landau to you maybe.

[@BobrLovr]

Kirk Landau I've listened to the album countless times. It's just good, not amazing, just good. And that's in my own opinion, according to my own tastes.

[@tcaw8813]

Once, twice, maybe a couple dozen. :p

[@MrShahid0072]

I don't get the appeal either. I love GY!BE but this is no where near as good. Its alright.

[@daddyfatsaxohten]

Swans are the best kind of dangerous music... sometimes overpowering but always beautiful. This is them at their most beautiful.

[@caleburrea1041]

This is what really got me into the band. The organ later on in the song is beautiful. And the vocals paint such vivid imagery. I'm not certified to label this as art, and I'm not willing to get into how "deprived" the modern audience may be, but I will say this: It's gotten me through *a lot* of homework.

[@suggsugg7177]

This comment shot me.

[@xoen6]

You know enough.

[@chachachalewis]

you drugged me with kindness, so I could pretend I exist.

[@xoen6]

How are you, today?

[@Vojife]

15 minutes is about the right time for a masterpiece like this. I could listen to this kind of music forever! Well, until it would kill me.

[@marcochies2476]

We don't need another music after this amazing song.

[@xnzedvc]

unironically too short, this absolute masterwork should be at least 20-30 minutes long

[@raefinoh1172]

Yes please, I need another 10 minutes of just that instrumental section alone Edit: why tf did I type intro..

[@camusunder]

Eat your hearts out, Sigur Ros and Godspeed You! Black Emperor...Swans reigns supreme as king of the post-rock genre as far as I'm concerned.

[@gnalkhere]

the band doesn't, this album does.

[@Grouchator]

I know you posted this comment waaaaay before you did this, but I love your profile pic dude.

[@thesupplement5214]

Matthew Boren what about talk talk

[@Vandalgia]

Can't really compare Swans to Sigur Ros, it hits way too differently. I can get behind the comparison between Swans and GY!BE tho.

[@Dr3am1p]

I know, everytime i listen to this i end up crying like a baby, hidden in my room.

[@shupamelapijaboludo]

Now you be the mother, and I'll be your fool, I'll hide myself deep inside, your crimson pool. The muddy water runs, beneath your folds, you won't let me breathe, you won't let me go. Now you be the stranger, and I'll be the white-skinned son, you'll blacken my innocence, with sugar and opium... The children were suffocating, down in your damp cave, and you were the mother,and I was the sleeping slave. Protect me from violence, hold me in your cool lips, you drug me with kindness, so I can pretend I exist. Now you be the only child, I'll suck on your breast, you'll feed me with gasoline, I'll burn my name in your head.

[@Scubadevils]

This is utterly immense.

[@ARCEU5]

To think that we live in a world where Adele's "Someone Like You" is considered the mother of all tearjerkers... I'm not saying it's a bad song, but it doesn't have the slightest effect on me. Swans, however, could make me bawl like a bitch like 20 times per album if they wanted. And this particular song is the worst offender. Absolutely breathtaking. Seriously, if this is not one of the greatest pieces of music in human history, then there is no such thing as music.

[@BaBooTubeVideos]

I agree so much. It's simply such a powerful song, really all of SWANS is. I can't wait until the new tracks this month (hopefully). March 2019 there's supposed to be some new recordings released. Totally pumped!

[@YouTubingSheena]

It tears me down and builds me up...

[@HakimALIGHT]

You sir, are my new hero.

[@thomasmore5564]

"You drug me with kindness, so I can pretend I exist."

[@mind1jakab]

I wonder about the one single dislike... Maybe it is just for fun. Soundtracks for the Blind is evidently one of the most important AND beautiful music in the 20th century.

[@TheElvisNixon]

Magnificent.

[@m4shir0]

i love this

[@roysb_2628]

beautiful

[@23Minus]

deep. unquestionably, here we have an example of the heights (or depths?) which [art, music, poetry] can reach

[@coxac1]

their best song, truly epic at every moment!!!!!

[@stiggyh]

that sound at 1:25 sounds like a gigantic fuckin steel monolith vibrating in space- holy fuck what a cool sound !!! :)

[@vomeinsamenmadchensophie]

One of my favourite bands FoReveR...♡♡♡....+++

[@inasummerway]

Michael Gira, your mind disturbs me somewhat. In a good way though. In a very good way.

[@coxac1]

Donny Dollars favourite Swans song!!!

[@blackmetalblunt]

Who says I'm crying out of sadness?

[@jozefbodnar7750]

paci sa mi to velmi

[@heretheflowersunfold]

I begin to think that Swans hate everybody and their songs just make us more miserable,but in a wonderful way. I just know nothing

[@gmellow]

it hurts

[@mallegan21]

luv dis track

[@PLAGUE-KARM]

Banger

[@vomeinsamenmadchensophie]

♡♡♡

[@pavelnagl1526]

To je tak skvělé,ach bože,nevím co k tomu dodat...

[@KombinoHun]

"I burn my name in your head"

[@nobody845]

When I listened to this song I was laying down, next thing I know I have magic glue in my pants again :(

[@VersaVenit]

I wish...

[@D00m910]

immensa

[@AliceElicDeux]

When feelings and emotions cause everyone to fight here.... this song is jarring and everyone here is midway through the process of this song and letter out their bad sides... stop it! We all enjoy music diferrently and that must be respected to keep a good balance

[@father042]

At the beginning I thought it was Matt Berninger singing

[@alexandruderpescu4941]

That sentiment when no female companion.

[@nukebloc]

smh this

[@lacanian1500]

did you get a gf?

[@personarandom7579]

What

[@alexandruderpescu4941]

@@lacanian1500 actually i did. I am no longer feeling the feel

[@alexandruderpescu4941]

@@lacanian1500 yeah i did in the meantime

[@MichaelDOrazioMusik]

The live version on Swans are Dead is definitely better in a roomier kind of way...

[@trumpet90909]

I reckon you might also dig dadamah

[@drsaggamusic]

lol i think the same about adele hehehe

[@xoen6]

So I can pretend that I exist..

[@rtisi]

...sort of makes Crime & the City Solution & Nick Cave sound like pop music almost.

[@frankalbin1957]

Harmonics. We call this harmonics.

[@jamesmartinez1398]

for mela

[@brodftw]

Am I right in thinking at least some of the lyrics are about being born? Like literally the experience of birth.

[@BaBooTubeVideos]

Any interpretation is valid, this is high art territory.

[@TheHebenonVial]

Does anyone have the tabs/chords for this song by any chance?

[@MrBeastknows]

Oh Christ, the only reason you cry is because you have the feeling of sadness. Even when you cry of happiness, the emotion of sadness pours out and that's what makes you cry. Melancholy does not make you cry.

[@BaBooTubeVideos]

You're telling me you never just cry for no reason? Just spontaneously without really feeling anything at all?

[@blackmetalblunt]

Sorry, but you've been listening to Swans wrong then

[@MrBeastknows]

Sorry, but you've been using your mind wrong, because you can't listen to anything wrong. Swans' songs are not tearjerkers, for the Swans are post-punk, and tearjerkers are more lighter and sad, not dark and depressing. Swans is melancholy, not sudden sadness.

[@tommyhilfiger4546]

Swans' noise years/tendencies are what people usually bash. I don't like them either but I don't interior semiotics, so...

[@mikepastor.k6233]

This album is more GodSpeed than any Godspeed album

[@youtub-fj8mu]

nah

[@angelvelazquez4161]

aaHAHAHSHHSHSHAHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

[@sarrahmahcer1042]

Mosha.. تبا لك.

[@sarrahmahcer1042]

Send me a song when we stop talking

[@hikerdude21]

How is this pretentious?

[@MrBeastknows]

Sorry, but this song and most of Swans' songs really aren't tearjerkers at all.

[@ColombianThunder]

I'll agree but God Damn The Sun is a bit of a tear jerker

[@lennyrose5852]

For you. This song is the epitome of catharsis.