“Swan Song” sings of the end times at the hands of climate change, with a mythological bent forecasting a new world to rise out of the destruction. The track starts with a loud alarm-like synth melody with a harsh techno beat to follow. While more abrasive than most songs on The Silver Cord, the track also features tranquil passages that break up the action.
The song was released on October 27th, 2023. For the Hamburg record fair on 2024-05-22, Gizzard released a 7” single of the song with the b-side of “Extinction.” This single was later sold on the p(doom) EU store.
Three versions of “Swan Song” have been released: a standard mix, an extended mix and a single edit. The standard version runs four minutes and twenty-five seconds, while the extended mix features more arpeggiated synthesizers and unique lyrics for ten minutes and thirty seconds. The single edit can be found on the Hamburg 7” and features a fade out at its end.
“Swan Song” corresponds to “Dragon” from sister-album PetroDragonic Apocalypse by taking the melody from its breakdown. The extended version also quotes the chorus chants heard before Joey’s latin vocals. “Swan Song” is also referenced on the extended mix of “Gilgamesh,” where the first letter of each lyric in a verse spells out the song’s title. Interestingly, the phrase “cut the cord” featured in “Swan Song” was first used in the alternate lyrics of “Han-Tyumi, the Confused Cyborg.”
“Swan Song” was reportedly soundchecked as far back as 2024-05-22 but wouldn’t see it’s live debut until 2024-08-30 at the ExploreAsheville.com Arena in Asheville. The debut ended up being a sandwich with “Gilgamesh” in the middle and included the “Dragon” quotes from the extended version.