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Swimmin' in the Sea

Written and performed by Gaelic Storm

When I was five
We’d get up at four
And drive on down to the Cornwall shore
Our holidays had come at last
They came real slow and went by fast
Just one week, that’s all we had
Then back to work went mom and dad
Happy to be swimmin’ in the sea

The seagulls yell
You’re getting near
We’d waited patiently all year
And we hadn’t slept a wink all night
White faces in the morning light
I see the sea my sister cried
The seaside we’d soon be beside
Happy to be swimmin’ in the sea

Now it was cold
And rainin’ too
We’d stay all day
Till our lips turned blue
Only a week
It wasn’t fair
We’re on holiday, holiday, holiday
And we don’t care!

In every pool
Stranded by the tide
Clams and fishes under seaweed hide
We’d catch them all in a fishing net
As close to heaven as a kid could get
We’d dream of smugglers and pirate ships
Lunch was ice cream and a bag of chips
Happy to be swimmin’ in the sea

Now to kid of five
That rocky shore
Was a magical place full of tales and lore
Now the seagulls call once more to me
Hey come on back to the Cornish Sea
Now by the water by the foam
Just one more week and I’m going home
Happy to be swimmin’ in the sea

 
 

When I decided to do the font poem, I knew I wanted to use a song by my favorite band, Gaelic Storm. I think they write phenomenal lyrics, and they are fantastic musicians. Plus, I never miss an opportunity to put in a plug for them. As I was sitting in Linguistics class running their songs through my head trying to find a good, highly-visual snippet of lyrics, this section struck me. I decided I had to use this one not only because I think it works well as a font poem, but also because it’s part of my mom’s favorite song.

The song Swimmin’ in the Sea has painted a very vivid mental picture for me ever since the first time I heard it on June 18, 2001. In fact, it’s one of the songs that hooked me on Gaelic Storm. The tune and lyrics stuck with me, but so did the images of small children playing in the ocean and enjoying their summer holiday, despite inclement weather. As Steve Twigger, who wrote the song and performed on their third album Tree, said, “You’ve waited all year for your summer holiday and you’re going to sit on the beach and enjoy it even if you have to freeze your knackers off.” It makes me glad I don’t live in England, but it conjures up an image of enjoying the simple pleasures in life, and enjoying yourself even in the face of adverse conditions.

When I created the font poem image, I took into consideration the meanings of the lines of poetry that Twigger composed. I tried to emphasize certain elements, like the playfulness of lyrics (“just one more week”), or paint pictures with words (“that rocky shore”). I also made it very colorful, because when I think of my own summer vacations, they usually aren’t rainy and cold (thank God). I think of sunshine and sand and beach balls and bathing suits. The colors feel like summer to me, and this song reminds me of summer, partially because of the lyrics and partially because I get to see Gaelic Storm most often during the summer. Through this font poem I think I have captured visually (using only fonts, anyway) what Steve Twigger and Gaelic Storm conjure up in my mind’s eye when I hear the song Swimmin’ in the Sea.