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Loudon Wainwright III — The Swimming Song
Album: Attempted Mustache
Avg rating:
6.8

Your rating:
Total ratings: 61








Released: 1973
Length: 2:24
Plays (last 30 days): 0
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This summer I went swimming
This summer I might have drowned
But I held my breath, I kicked my feet
Moved my arms around
I moved my arms around

This summer I swam in the ocean
And I swam in a swimming pool
Salt my wounds, chlorined my eyes
I'm a self-destructive fool
Self-destructive fool

This summer I did the back stroke
And you know that that's not all
I did the breast stroke, the butterfly
And the old Australian crawl
The old Australian crawl

This summer I swam in a public place
And a reservoir to boot
At the latter I was informal
At the former I wore my suit
I wore my swimming suit

Oh, this summer I did swan dives
And jack-knives for you all
And once when you weren't looking
I did a cannon-ball
I did a cannon-ball

This summer I went swimming
This summer I might have drowned
But I held my breath, I kicked my feet
And moved my arms around
Comments (23)add comment
Much nicer with just him and guitar.
Posted 11 years ago by owchita    [ Reply ]
Normaly i dont like style of this music, but my feet began to move!! Not bad!
Posted 12 years ago by helgigermany    [ Reply ]
Either the lyrics are deeply metaphorical or just plain mundane - I couldn't listen to it long enough to decide before I had to lever myself out of the pool. A nailed-on Ho-Hum from the doggy paddling Nottingham jury.
Posted 12 years ago by fredriley    [ Reply ]
He would have been better off getting some sweet babe to sing his songs for him. He voice is just pure crap.
Posted 13 years ago by gemtag    [ Reply ]
RiP Loudon, from a long time listener.
Posted 13 years ago by spindrift    [ Reply ]
 Alafia wrote:
An awesome songwriter on a par with John Prine.

 
He was great,as was his wife and her sister.

 Too bad about the kids.

Posted 13 years ago by bokey    [ Reply ]
 More_Cowbell wrote:
Dad is on!  Love it!
 
Yes, play more of him, his ex wife, his son and his daughter!!!!!!!!! you are ALL amazing!

Posted 13 years ago by Randomax    [ Reply ]
An awesome songwriter on a par with John Prine.

Posted 13 years ago by Alafia    [ Reply ]
YEAH!!!  Some Loudon!!!  He is a prime example of a life-long musician's musician....so professional live and his voice has just been so perfected over the years.....if you ever get a chance to see him live, DO IT....beautiful voice!!!!!!!!  Great songwriter
Posted 13 years ago by Randomax    [ Reply ]
 dpvest wrote:
I've been a Loudon fan since I was in HS.  I remember really liking a song of his he wrote about his son called "Rufus is a Tit Man".  I figured out an abbreviated chord progression and would sing it for my friends.  funny stuff...but I'll bet he would have been surprised to find out how wrong he was about rufus...
 

My ex husband used to sing Rufus is a Tit Man to our son when he was a baby.  hehehehehe

(Happily, Simon is none the worse for it)   hehe

Also, Attempted Mustache is such the great album title!    {#Jump}

Loudon is the undisputed King of the whimsical ditty.

Posted 13 years ago by Deadwing    [ Reply ]
I've been a Loudon fan since I was in HS.  I remember really liking a song of his he wrote about his son called "Rufus is a Tit Man".  I figured out an abbreviated chord progression and would sing it for my friends.  funny stuff...but I'll bet he would have been surprised to find out how wrong he was about rufus...
Posted 13 years ago by dpvest    [ Reply ]
I just love this song... Very Forrest Gump-ish... {#Mrgreen}

This summer I went swimming,
This summer I might have drowned
But I held my breath and I kicked my feet
And I moved my arms around,
I moved my arms around.

This summer I swam in the ocean,
And I swam in a swimming pool,
Salt my wounds, chlorine my eyes,
I'm a self-destructive fool, a self-destructive fool.

This summer I swam in a public place
And a reservoir, to boot,
At the latter I was informal,
At the former I wore my suit, I wore my swimming suit.

This summer I did the backstroke
And you know that's not all
I did the breast stroke and the butterfly
And the old Australian crawl, the old Australian crawl.

This summer I did swan dives
And jackknifes for you all
And once when you weren't looking
I did a cannonball, I did a cannonball.


Posted 13 years ago by Cynaera    [ Reply ]
 Jeff09 wrote:
The McGarrigle sisters covered it beautifully.  Sad that Kate passed away about a year ago.
 
I love their version. What a great summer song!

Posted 13 years ago by Phlegmaticman    [ Reply ]
Dad is on!  Love it!
Posted 13 years ago by More_Cowbell    [ Reply ]
This is funny.
I hope I have that much fun this summer. 
Posted 13 years ago by Jelani    [ Reply ]
LWIII's first 3 albums are underrated and sadly forgotten gems (this is the 4th, which wasn't quite as good, IMO).
https://www.lw3.com/discography.php

Posted 13 years ago by On_The_Beach    [ Reply ]
 Jeff09 wrote:
The McGarrigle sisters covered it beautifully.  Sad that Kate passed away about a year ago.
 
Just what I was thinking.  The McGarrigle Family is having a memorial concert for Kate in New York on May 13.  My daughter has tickets.  So jealous.

Posted 13 years ago by stub30    [ Reply ]
Yea, such a simple yet catchy song. Glad you all like!{#Cheers}
Posted 13 years ago by sirdroseph    [ Reply ]
Remember how HIP it was to have a moustache in the early 1970's?
Posted 13 years ago by Geecheeboy    [ Reply ]
I met Loudon once upon a time....very interesting guy.  I like the banjo on this swimming song.
Posted 13 years ago by Painted_Turtle    [ Reply ]
Oh man, no "Dead Skunk (In The Middle of The Road)" in the RP library....? 
Posted 13 years ago by socalhol    [ Reply ]
The McGarrigle sisters covered it beautifully.  Sad that Kate passed away about a year ago.
Posted 13 years ago by Jeff09    [ Reply ]
that's one attention-grabbing album title!
Posted 13 years ago by ziggytrix    [ Reply ]