Swansong
Written by Steve Hillier
Date written February 1999
Place written Hove, Sussex
Released When August 2000
Originally Sung By Sarah Blackwood
Features Roland S-760, Roland VG-8
Spotify Link
“Those were the days my friend, we thought they’d never end” Mary Hopkins, Those Were The Days And so we arrive at Swansong, the final song Dubstar would officially release on an album. This is the sound of the end, two people who despise each other and will separate forever. It’s spiteful, it’s bitter, and it’s exactly what I wanted say. This was the last act of an act that began as a stoned daydream to become a 4AD records artist… but instead had taken three people around the world on a crazy and rather wonderful escapade. Not a bad swap really.
And with a farewell reference to the 4AD dream, there’s a nod to the Cocteau Twins as this song fades out. I had to get this in, they were the reason Dubstar existed.
Swansong features a wall of guitar from Chris right at the very end. We created this by him playing the same part in various places on the neck of his Fender and using the Roland VG-8 to ‘retune’ his strings. Sounds tremendous, and we returned to this idea a couple of times on the United State of Being sessions too.
INSIDE OUTLINES, the first collection of solo piano pieces by Stephen Hillier is out now: