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swimming towards the sun
composers
Written by: Kevin Hunter / Kathleen Stevens
publisher
© Astroglide Music / Mosais Music / Copyright Control (2004 Credit)
© Stage Three Music Publishing Ltd / Cop con. (Post 2014 Credit)
background
Swimming Towards The Sun was written by Kevin Hunter and
Anusha Solayea (K Stevens) in 1995. The demo features instrumentation by Kevin
with Anusha singing the vocals.
After hooking up with Kevin Hunter in 1999, Simple Minds recorded the song themselves
and it was selected as the opening track of Our Secrets Are The Same.
When the album's release was continually delayed, the song was eventually unofficially
premiered by Jordi Tarda on the 14th October 2000. It escaped being bootlegged from
that broadcast and a better quality version of the song was leaked a couple of weeks later.
"Songwriter and co-producer Kevin Hunter's cracked vision of suburban America comes to life through the eyes of
an anonymous storyteller. Hope reins nevertheless, and the sunshine and the rhythm motors on. Carrying all of us and out dreams
forward" - Jim, Silver Box.
It finally received its official release when Our Secrets Are The Same was included on
rarities compilation Silver Box.
It was one of the surprise highlights of the Lostboy ElectroSet Tour where it was plucked
from obscurity and played in a new electronic arrangement for a handful of dates.
After the conclusion of the
Celebrate: Greatest Hits + tour, Simple Minds returned to the recording studio and
re-recorded a "band" version of the song, which was released on the Deluxe Edition of
Big Music.
MH: And we start with – the one that comes up next on it – is
Swimming Towards The Sun and the name
Kevin Hunter and where that song comes from and the album where that
song comes from?
JK: Well, Swimming Towards The Sun was
first recorded for an album we did called Our Secrets Are The Same,
and you'll remind me if I'm wrong, 1998 was it? Or 1999?
MH: Yeah,it was 1998 to 1999 and it was really the first time I got to work with
you in a creative way. I was there and Kevin Hunter was
the catalyst to make that happen.
JK: The album itself, Our Secrets Are The Same,
it was
recorded at one of the most frustrating times for the band. Frustrating in terms that we were
still within a record deal but we were tied to a record company that really wasn't interested.
And though we were bravely soldiering on, it's hard when you know that that's the case.
But all is not lost, because although the album itself – it became, it wasn't even released
for a while, in the end it became almost our "lost" album which, you know, all the great bands – you've
got to have a lost album if you're a great band and stuff - and it was our lost album. It has since
been released as part of a box set but there's
some great songs on it. Again, thanks to you who introduced us to
Kevin Hunter, who comes from not so far from where
you are right now – and Kevin Hunter was... what was
the name of the band Kevin was in again?
MH: He was in a band called Wire Train.
JK: Wire Train, that's it.
MH: Originally from San Francisco.
JK: Anyway, Kevin produced
Our Secrets Are The Same with us and he came
over to Scotland and he wrote, or co-wrote, a number of the songs. One of which was
Swimming Towards The Sun which, again,
I think... Our Secrets Are The Same, one
of the things it suffered from in the end, was a poor mix and it's only my opinion but the
songs merited – some of the songs merited – having a look at again. And in the case of
Swimming Towards The Sun, and a lot of
it on this version is sung by the great Sarah Brown
who sings with us live, and she's an amazing talent. She had heard
Swimming Towards The Sun and said "I'd love a
crack at that" and I thought "Let's do it and who knows and where it will be?" but once we
heard it, we thought "We've got to get this out."
JK: There's something about this song – maybe it was the time it was done – but
it was at the height of the whole Breaking Bad mania – and the new production on
it, makes me think of some of the sounds, there's a real edge to it, some of the sounds make
me think of [laughs] that TV series. Even though that came after the song was written. But
I think it's OK to review work because it's never a fixed thing. Whenever we go and
play we update, we have new versions, we polish and I'm really glad we had the chance
to look at Swimming Towards The Sun again.
Martin Hanlin
The Real McCoy
KX 93.5
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see also:
Swimming Towards The Sun (Demo)
lyrics: our secrets are the same
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Razor dragging junkies line,
The bottom of the pool as I,
Swim towards the sun.
Every day ain't Mother's Day,
And every woman ain't your mum,
Sometimes funky isn't fun.
And it would be easy,
To become somebody else.
But at this particular point in time,
I'll hang on to myself.
I... I... I...
I'm swimming towards the sun.
And I... I... I...
I'm not the only one.
People throw Forget-Me-Nots,
The bullets through the flesh they're shot,
A tattoo with a name.
It's harder to forget the hate,
When it's the only thing you generate,
And it's you I'd like to blame.
It would be easy,
To blame somebody else.
But at this particular point in time,
I'd like to take the blame myself.
I... I... I...
I'm swimming towards the sun.
And I... I... I...
I'm not the only one.
And I... I... I...
I'm getting the feeling,
For everyone.
For everyone.
For everyone.
For everyone.
I... I... I...
I'm swimming towards the sun.
And I... I... I...
I'm not the only one.
And I... I... I...
I'm getting the feeling,
For everyone.
For everyone.
For everyone.
For everyone.
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lyrics: big music
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The neon lights are burning bright,
The darkness fades into the night,
I'm swimming towards the sun.
And every chaos there's control,
And every silence of the soul.
We're swimming towards the sun.
It could be easy,
To be somebody else.
But at this particular moment in time,
I'll hang on to myself.
I... I... I...
I'm swimming towards the sun.
And I... I... I...
I'm not the only one.
People send Forget-Me-Nots,
The bullets through the flesh they're shot,
I'm swimming towards the sun.
And every day's another day,
And every angel isn't one.
Still swimming towards the sun.
I... I... I...
I'm swimming towards the sun.
And I... I... I...
I'm not the only one.
And I... I... I...
I'm getting that feeling,
For everyone.
For everyone.
It can be easy,
To blame somebody else.
But at this particular point in time,
I'd like I'll hang onto myself.
And I... I... I...
I'm swimming towards the sun.
And I... I... I...
I'm not the only one.
And I... I... I...
I'm getting the feeling.
And I... I... I...
I'm swimming towards the sun.
And I... I... I...
For everyone.
And I... I... I...
I'm swimming towards the sun.
And I... I... I...
I'm not the only one.
And I... I... I...
I'm getting the feeling.
For everyone.
The neon lights are burning bright,
The darkness fades into the night,
I'm swimming towards the sun.
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discography
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