It's hot here. There's something about summer that makes you want to dive into some water. In our area, we have the option of joining a pool. But we never have. When it gets hot, sometimes we'll go over to Princeton and let the boys swim in the fountain, which is actually a very joyful experience, because there's good ice cream nearby, and because there are always children from all over the world there, and it's beautiful to see how little ones are completely uninhibited when it comes to making friends. And sometimes we go here... It's a creek, but in places it's deep enough for even Mr. Steenbeck (6'3" tall) to be immersed up to his chin.
So where does everyone else go swimming?
I couldn't think of any songs about swimming, but this is something I love that I'll never have a reason to post on RR.
La Folia, also called les folies d'espagne is a chord progression or ground bass that many different people wrote different variations on over the course of hundreds of years. (notably Vivaldi and Corelli). The one I posted is by Marin Marais and played on bass viol, which is an instrument I love. La Folia has been compared (for obvious reasons) to 12 bar blues or jazz arrangements, and I love it because it's beautiful, and some of the variations are actually ROCKIN. I have a few other versions--if anyone is interested in hearing, I will post them. Apologies if any of these facts are foggy, but foggy facts are my métier.
Marin Marais--La Folia
Martin Y Coll--Diferencias Sobre Las Folias
Corelli-- Violin Sonata In D Minor, Op. 5_12, _La Follia
And surely someone out there can think of some swimming songs...
Imagine swimming in that: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/gallery/2008/jul/28/1?picture=336023364
ReplyDeleteActually I should have said Swim Fail.
ReplyDeleteAah, looks like a refreshing dip in the water...
ReplyDeleteI had meant to say more about La Folia yesterday, but had to surrender the computer before I had the chance. La Folia, also called les folies d'espagne is a chord progression or ground bass that many different people wrote different variations on over the course of hundreds of years. (notably Vivaldi and Corelli). The one I posted is by Marin Marais and played on bass viol, which is an instrument I love. La Folia has been compared (for obvious reasons) to 12 bar blues or jazz arrangements, and I love it because it's beautiful, and some of the variations are actually ROCKIN. I have a few other versions--if anyone is interested in hearing, I will post them. Apologies if any of these facts are foggy, but foggy facts are my métier.
ReplyDeleteSong about swimming: 'Swimming Song' by Loudon Wainwright.
ReplyDeleteCan't swim too well, so I give you "The Drowning Man" by The Cure.
ReplyDeleteIt has to be 'Night Swimming' by REM. I've never been quite sure what the whole song's about, but I love the feeling of the lyrics - there's a sort of haunting, plaintive quality to it all:
ReplyDelete"Nightswimming deserves a quiet night,
I’m not sure all these people understand,
It’s not like years ago,
The fear of getting caught,
The recklessness and water,
They cannot see me naked."
There's perennially-nominated DsD fave (that I only know thanks to Mnemonic & TonNL) Hannibal, MO by Dolorean ... but it's a suicide-pact-by-drowning song "where the Mississippi turns flat and wide". She dies, he doesn't, he gets convicted of causing her death.
ReplyDeleteSo, on reflection, wholly inappropriate!
There's also "Floating In The Forth" by Frightened Rabbit, which is more about jumping in the Forth and then NOT swimming as a point. Itll be forthcoming in the next Blimpcast, which is going to be entirely about Scottish music btw.
ReplyDeleteAnd fully clothed, I float away
(I'll float away)
Down the Forth, into the sea
I'll steer myself
through drunken waves
these manic gulls
scream it's okay
take your life
give it a shake
gather up
all your loose change
I think I'll save suicide for another year.
Oh, and "Swim" by Madder Rose, and 90s alt classic no less!!
ReplyDeleteI'll post the video!!
"Your arms in a wild rotation"
Well, no one asked, but when has that stopped me? I posted a version by Corelli (Violins, FP!) and one by Martin Y Coll. I think they're all from roughly the same period (very early 18th c) but now we have a French, Spanish and Italian version. They're all gorgeous, but the Spanish & French versions have a sort of wildness that I love.
ReplyDeleteI thought of night swimming, but didn't have a copy to post it. And Shoegazer--doesn't everyone in Florida have a swimming pool in their yard?
Blimpy--looking forward to the next Blimpcast!
Yes, & I get to clean it.
ReplyDeleteOnly Skin by Joana Newsom
ReplyDeleteSummer Skin by Death Cab
Underwater by GFK
Listen to all the water songs I have. I hope it comes up as a subject some day. They're not quite about swimming, though...
ReplyDeleteNew World Water--Most Def
Hurricane Waters--Citizen Cope
Water--PJ harvey
Muddy Water--Bessie SMith
Water No Get Enemy--Fela
Take Me to the Water--Nina Simone
No Water--Bob Marley
Ice Water--Raekwon
Throw Some Water In--Lee Perry
Tread Water--De La Soul
Water--The ROots
COld Water--Tom Waits
And on and on and on...
Are You Swimming in Her Pools?
ReplyDeleteby Swan Lake
I really like this track for some reason..possibly 'cos the title just sounds dirty.
and
Swimmers/Drifters
by Francois
and
Help She Can't Swim... is an interesting band name (or crap) but that issue has been done to death.
If I can sort posting music again I'll be back tomorrow with pictures and where I've been.
"Down By The Water" - PJ Harv
ReplyDeleteBruce, 'The River'?
ReplyDeleteJust catching up on the 'Spill..
ReplyDeletewe tend to vist our local natural mineral springs here in Stuttgart, it sort of compensates for not having an ocean anywhere near..
I can think of a few sinking songs: the Go-betweens "dive for your memory" or "love is a sign" (starts "I'm ten feet under water
Standing in a sunken canoe,
Looking up at the waterlillies-
They're green and violet blue")
also "Submarine bells" or "Water wolves" by the Chills come to mind..
There are lots of wierd fishy or watery songs on Flying Nun too, not surprisingly for a New Zealand label...