☝️ Key Points
- The song is about three riders moving through a snowy landscape and riding for different people.
- The riders follow the light of Belmont and pass through places with white walls.
- They sing for the girl on the swing and dedicate their song to her.
- The lyrics also include a passage where the singer talks about the meaning of love.
- The song lyrics were written in July 1982 and can be found on the B-side of the single 'The Whole Of The Moon'.
Interpretation
"The Girl in the Swing" by
The Waterboys is a song about three riders moving through a snowy landscape. One of them rides for a nameless woman, another for a king, and the third simply rides endlessly for the girl on the swing. The riders seem to race like ghosts in the light of Belmont and follow him. They pass through places with white walls while the noble voices of women sing and sanctify the night. They raise their voices and dedicate this song to the girl on the swing.
The lyrics also contain a passage where the singer is asked about the meaning of love. He answers that he knows what love is. It is the thief of his sleep, a boy with his dog, a red rubber ball, and other silly things. Love is like rain falling far away from home. It lives in the girl on the swing.
The song lyrics for "The Girl in the Swing" were written in July 1982 in Westbourne Park, London and can be found on the B-side of the 1985 single "The Whole Of The Moon".