Swans - Failure 

"I can't even elegantly bleed" must be one of the most self-hating lyrics I've ever heard

"and they tempt me with violence, and they punish me with ideals. And they crush me with an image of my life that is nothing but unreal"

This song has some of the most potent lyrics I've ever heard. Each line paints a vivid picture in my mind of a man below rock bottom.

Michael Gira wasn't on Rolling Stone magazine's list of greatest singers, which makes the list a failure.

Absolute classic. "I can't even elegantly bleed."

Every facet of Swans is beautiful. Some are terrifying, some are jarring, some are uncomfortable, some are ethereal, some are ephemeral, some are lofty, some are dreamy, but they are all beautiful. An exploration of the human experience itself.

His voice is like some kind of magnet or witchcraft than doesn't allows me to stop listening until the song its over

probably one of the greatest feel-bad songs i’ve ever heard. the lyricism is masterful and really illustrates the morbid nature of humanity, and i get goosebumps every time I hear the (sort-of) chorus. for a six-minute track which alternates between two short musical segments the whole time, i’m surprised that i don’t get bored listening to this song, and it’s easily one which is in the Swans’s top ten tracks of all time.

2024 🎉 Swans, brilliant!!

It is kind of a relief when you realize you are never leaving the hole. I have accepted it.

''I'm the fuel that fires the engines of failure'' Beautiful line to describe the money

"my back hurts me when I bend" Me too, Michael, me too....

This is what living on earth dancing to a corrupt system sounds like. All generations will find something relatable here.

"Failure" I, I've been lonely And I, I've been blind And I, I've learned nothing So my hands are firmly tied To the sinking leadweight of failure I've worked hard all my life Money slips through my hands My face in the mirror tells me it's no surprise That I'm pushing the stone up the hill of failure They tempt me with violence They punish me with ideals And they crush me with an image of my life that's nothing but unreal Except on the goddamned slaveship of failure I'll drown here trying to get up for some air But each time I think I breathe I'm laid on with a double share Of the punishing burden of failure I don't deserve to be down here But I'll never leave And I've learned one thing You can't escape the beast In the null and void pit of failure When I get my hands on some money I'll kiss its green skin And I'll ask its dirty face "Where the hell have you been?" "I am the fuel that fires the engine of failure" I'll be old and broken down I'll forget who and where I am I'll be senile or forgotten But I'll remember and understand You can bank your hard-earned money on failure I saw my father crying I saw my mother break her hand on a wall that wouldn't weep But that certainly held in The mechanical moans of a dying man who was a failure My back hurts me when I bend because I carry a load My brain hurts me like a knife-hole Because I've yet to be shown How to pull myself out from the sucking quicksand of failure Some people lie in Hell Many bastards succeed But I, I've learned nothing I can't even elegantly bleed Out the poison blood of failure

This song describes how i felt after I graduated high school.

Yep, It's about that fucking time again.

I relate to every word of this song. It hit me straight in the chest when I first heard it over a decade ago when I was still in high school.

I'm getting back to this song from time to time. When I'm in public transport (bus, tram), and listening to this song, I'm looking at the faces of the passengers. Their faces are sad. And I'm thinking of their lives, thinking of my own. Been listening to Swans for 10 years or so. This song is special for me.

This song has a significant place in my life for years

I can't listen to SWANS on anything but top volume

Swans are extreme in every possible way. Extreme loud in theire beginning, extreme catchy in theire next stage, extreme dark yet extreme beautyfull. I always avoided them because of all the horrorstorys about their early Works like filth or cop. Man, was i ignorant!!

The song that most exactly describes my life... Next to Love Will Save You. Shit happens. How can one pull oneself out FAILURE

First heard this song on the local punk radio show in 1992. Was a very dark time in my life. Didn't know who it was but it was engraved in my mind deeply all these years. So good.

Darkest song ever written.

everything is so well mixed and mic'd. huge props to gira and thirlwell.

The most truthful song eveR....

I listened to this album for the first time today and this song really stuck out and resonated with me. Great stuff

Still so absolutely beautiful a song !!

we all don't deserve to be down here...but we'll all never leave...

And even after so many years of feeling this. ...I'm still dying here trying ..........

This feels like someone's dragging a serrated knife down the center of my torso. I love it.

More brutal than any Swan song to this day. A gaze down into the abyss. And it stares back at you.

"I don't deserve to be down here/But I'll never leave." One of the most heartbreaking songs I've heard in the last thirty years. Anybody who have found themselves in debt, will recognise the mordant sentiments expressed in this brilliant track. The flipside of Iggy's "Success". Thanks for posting it. I saw the group in 1992, and this track brought the audience to a standstill. A few were openly weeping.

The most immediately arresting song I've ever encountered. An absolute masterpiece.

The song I sing along with on my birthday.

This masterpiece describe what I am, what I think and what I feel in this time of my life...

Wow im just now hearing swans and im in love hell yea

[Verse 1] And I, I've been lonely And I, I've been blind And I, I've learned nothing So my hands are firmly tied To the sinking lead weight of failure [Verse 2] I've worked hard all my life Money slips through my hands My face in the mirror tells me It's no surprise that I am Pushing the stone up the hill of failure [Verse 3] And they tempt me with violence And they punish me with ideals And they crush me with an image of my life That's nothing but unreal Except on the goddamned slaveship of failure [Verse 4] And I'll drown here trying To get up for some air But each time I think I breathe I'm laid on with a double share Of the punishing burden of failure [Verse 5] I don't deserve to be down here But I'll never leave And I, I've learned one thing You can't escape the beast In the null and void pit of failure [Verse 6] When I get my hands on some money I'll kiss its green skin And I'll ask its dirty face "Where the hell have ya been?" "I'm the fuel that fires the engines of failure" [Verse 7] And I'll be old and broken down And I'll forget who and where I am I'll be senile or forgotten But I'll remember and understand You can bank your hard-earned money on failure [Verse 8] I saw my father crying I saw my mother break her hand On a wall that wouldn't weep But that certainly held in The mechanical moans of a dying man who was a failure [Verse 9] My back hurts me when I bend 'Cause I carry a load And my brain hurts like a knife-hole Because I've yet to be shown How to pull myself out from the sucking quicksand of failure [Verse 10] Some people lie in Hell Many bastards succeed But I, I've learned nothing I can't even elegantly bleed Out the poison blood of failure

Lyrics...as I wrote them... feel it with every bone in my body... I can't even elegantly bleed ..🖤🖤🖤.

"My brain hurts like a knifehole"

Swans: they crush me with an image of my life that is unreal except on the goddamned slave-ship of failure Burger King: Sir would you care to order this is a drive through

Amazing! I love Swans!

Idk if there’s any other song that i feel as deeply as this one.

Incredible song

Still brilliant, since yesterday!!!

When I met Pat Essex it was my first day washing Kegs at Bell’s Brewery. I had washed over a hundred Hoff-Stevens kegs that day. You’d drill out the wood bung and stick a long screw driver into to pull it out. It was winter and the steaming “caustic” agent burned your lungs as you moved the keg through the three stations (hot water, caustic and cold rinse). I got done late because I didn’t know what I was doing. I walked into the bar to get my shift beer and a tall really good looking man with the same dumb blue coveralls was leaning against the bar. I’m saying he was handsome as an observation. A fact. He asked me to help him cellophane an open fermenter. When we finished he gave me a ride home in a hick looking Ford truck from the ‘80s. Again just am observation. He put a clear cassette tape into the stock tape player. This song plays. We don’t speak. I knew the Swans. How did this all fucking American and what was so bad about his life? It reinforced in me that everyone has pain. Some wallow in it. It feels good to feel that darkness sometimes. You hold to it and know that somehow you feel more in touch with Sisyphus. But we’re surrounded by others with different sized rocks and different sized hills.

I am Openly Weeping. For so many things.

But we all are yet to be SHOWN. ..! ♡♡♡ ThankYoU Mr. Gira.............♡

Gives many joy and pleasure .I saw SWANS on autumn 2017 in Bologna but I need more ...another vision with THEM and with You Michael .

Perfect description of samsara

like a fatal stab wound after a life of nothing but emotional pain that's only a joke to others. favourite song.

this song sounds like ugly truths.. just what i wanted

i know this song it have been with me since the 90s .and just find it fantastic ..and im married ,have a house and a car and a job that pays pretty good ,,but it sure is not happiness ,happiness was youth ,freedom,candle lights ,music,cheap wine ,pizza in a worn down apartment and no worries at all .

Probably the greatest song ever written.

This song commanded my reevaluating my life, my experiences, brutal honesty about who I've become and how much did I influence negativity into that. I've been listening to Swans and Michael Gira since the mid eighties (one of my good decisions) and I always get a positive vibe from listening to and following this music. Not intending to sound like the 'oh how you changed my life with your music' crowd, but my taste did in fact change for better.

I don't deserve to be down here But I know I'll never leave

Thank you

Just the perfect song

This is one of the most devastating songs that I have ever heard. How he managed to go through this and come out alive is beyond me.

the best band. Respect Mr Gira and Friends

love you too uncle gira 😘

love you, too

IMPAGABLE, y SUBLIME !!

I can’t imagine anyone who would not be affected by this.

awesome

Well said Diego.

I listen to this every night before bed, whenever I manage to sleep at least, to remind myself of what I truly am.

On the god damn slave ship of failure!

Man, let me subtitle this master-piece so I can share it's greatness with my friends

an anthem for 2020

This song is the anthem of what it’s like to live in 2019

This song is cure for depression, if you know how to listen..

I CANT EVEN ELEGANTLY BLEED.

Swans give a spiritual and beyond the realms kinda sound.

this... god damn song.

let us remember

Going down that path... Regardless, great song, as the album as a whole.

My goal in life is to never relate to this song.

Just one of a few albums that I couldn't get into...... I'll give it another try in year 2019

This is Game Over music

Finest moment in the history of western culture.

relateble

Hurtful Truth

"You can't escape the Beast"

I miss this epoch

This is what post-nut guilt sounds like

Wow I’m sad now

You will never be crushed like this by anything. Listen to your grindcore or emo or anything in a mosh pit. You will not be destroyed the way Swans can to you. And always have and will.

Dignity whatever you're going through

You can bank your hard earned money on failure

🖤

this vinyl is every time on heavy rotation (no pun intended) on my stereo. ps: i would like an EU shop to buy from, anyway... bye.

How I feel exactly.

One new years night I was spending with my boyfriend and friend we were all doing nothing and as soon as it turned midnight i put this song on to bring in the new year. Better than auld lang syne. Lol.

I can't believe I grew up to be sad

Damn.

A masterpiece. Pure hilarity.

Hey, my theme song!

I live this song. Im thirty five years old and havent been able to change a damn thing in my life. Ive just accepted the fact that I am nothing and that I really don't matter. Unable to save money, dead end opportunities, and a mindset of nihilism. No pity party. I still have it better than a lot of people though. But that's just the way life is. Pain makes us stronger everyday. Im a failure, but thats okay cause death will come sooner or later to set us free. 🖤🥀💪💀SWANS💀💪🥀🖤

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