The Wars, Part Four

Start at Part One. ~

Tyrone Wells is a brilliant singer. (Seems that I haven't disliked a single artist in my playlist yet... Perhaps over-long exposure to their music has fine tuned my ears to their nuances and styles.) ~ This song was first introduced to me by my good friend FL, whose taste in music is very much like my own. ~ Oddly enough, "Sink or Swim" reminds be of the How to Train Your Dragon series by Cressida Cowell, recently made into an animated movie. ~ One of the characters is named Camicazi, which could hint at the reason behind my train of thought. ~ Regardless, I suggest anyone with free time to take a lot at both Tyrone Wells' other music and the book series aforementioned. ~ Enjoy! ~

Nevertheless, the continuous, taxing effect of war will eventually drive some individuals mad, at which time they will consider suicide.

Sink or Swim, by Tyrone Wells:

[Verse 1]
Caught in the middle of a cross-fire
Lost my balance on a high-wire
Trying to figure out what to do

[Verse 2]
Pushed to the edge of my reason
Everywhere around me in treason
I don't want to do that to you

[Chorus]
Kamikaze airplanes in the sky
Are we going down or will we fly
This could be a ship wreck on the shore
Or we could sail away forevermore
This time it's sink or swim

Sink or swim

[Verse 3]
Hearing the song in your laughter
A melody I chase after
No one else has done this to me

[Chorus]

[Bridge]
Take a deep breath
No more time left
This is what I thought I wanted
Why am I afraid

[Chorus, repeat]

Sink or swim

Lyrical Content

In “Sink or Swim,” the individual speaks to a fellow soldier about his thoughts on suicide, as reflected by the use of the metaphor of “kamikaze airplanes.” In war, the individual’s life is “balance[d] on a high-wire,” precariously hinged on every decision and movement. Having been “pushed to the edge of [his] reason” by the continuously taxing effect of fighting, the individual remarks that there is a very fine line between life and death in war through his metaphor of “sink or swim.” To sink would be to give in to his thoughts on suicide, whereas to swim would be to retake hold of his life and thereby do his best to survive the war. These suicidal thoughts are sparked by his fellow soldier, who, having gone mad and desiring death himself, entices the individual with “the song [of death] in [his] laughter.” Seeing that there is a certainty in death as compared to the dilemmas and horrors in war life, the individual feels as though he, too, should resort to suicide. However, just as his fellow soldier has “no more time left” and chooses to take his own life, the individual realizes that he is actually “afraid” of death.

Auditory Elements

The brief pause in accompaniment during the word “kamikaze” parallels a simulated feeling of the individual’s stomach dropping as he falls from a tall height, thereby evoking the image of jumping from an airplane. This moment of musically-unsupported free-fall reflects the individual’s sense of hopelessness and alarm. Also, the addition of the drumset during the chorus raises the volume of the song, emphasizing the individual’s desperate tone.

To the very end, the individual seems to be “caught” in his dilemma of “sink or swim,” repeating the chorus twice as he struggles to make his decision. However, after the lyrics end at 2:45, the calm acoustic guitar accompaniment continues on, striking a definitive chord at 2:49 and conveying a tone of finality, thereby suggesting that the individual has made his choice – to live, as hinted at by the final major chord’s bright and relaxed sound.