Swim Until You Can’t See Land by Frightened Rabbit

I’m not much for prime time television, but there is one show that stands out to me--NBC’s “Chuck”. This isn't a save “Chuck” post, and I won’t bother writing one. Clearly, NBC couldn’t care less about my taste in TV shows (a possible subject for a future post). Besides, I don’t catch the show enough to be completely invested in it. However, I like the story line of a dork turned cool, hard ass actor Adam Baldwin (from “Firefly” fame) and the smokin’ hot blonde (which is saying a lot, since I’ve always preferred brunettes and redheads). But this is not why I really enjoy the show.

The most compelling part of "Chuck" for me is the music selection. In the past, I’ve been blown away that a prime time network show would feature music by bands such as Glasvegas and Bon Iver. No other show (with the possible exception of "Scrubs") had a better grasp of music and its involvement in the story.

A few months ago, I was watching Chuck with D. At the end of the show, as Sarah and Chuck were seemingly separated forever (again), this haunting tune sung with a Scottish accent played.

“Do you know who this is?” D said excitedly.

I hadn’t heard the song before. “No.”

“It’s Frightened Rabbit.”

I’m not ashamed to admit it, this was a huge turn on (by the way, D’s also a brunette). It was just more evidence that I married the right woman. Slowly but surely, I’ve been turning her into an audiophile. The student had become the master.

After absorbing the song on the show, I bought the CD, The Winter of Mixed Drinks. I’ve been obsessing over this band ever since. Although “Swim Until You Can’t See Land” may not be my favorite of their songs (the clear leader is “Keep Yourself Warm”…also featured on “Chuck”), but it is the one that has stuck with me the most.



The song is inspired by a Ben Kingsley film called The Wackness. Kingsley attempts suicide by swimming in the ocean so far, that he would eventually drown. He changes his mind and swims back to shore.

The song is about recovering from a horrible time. According to lead singer Scott Hutchinson, “It's about losing your mind in order to reset the mind and the body. Forget what's gone before and wash it out.”

The sea has seen my like before though it's my first
And perhaps last time.
Let's call me a baptist, call this the drowning of the past
She's there on the shoreline
Throwing stones at my back

Outside of getting married last September, the past 18 months or so have been a struggle. My wife and I have endured a layoff, health issues, family drama and a precarious personal financial future. As it says in the song, “now the water's taller than me, and the land is a marker line.” It’s easy to feel overwhelmed with the stresses that have come to pass.

The best line of the song is the hook of the song, “are you a man, or a bag of sand.” It’s sink or swim. Do you have the strength to make it to the next day, or are you too tired to fight the tide?

Am I a man or a bag of sand? Sometimes, I wished to God I knew.

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Season 2 of Pawn Stars Starts Tonight

About a month ago, D had possession of the remote and landed on the History Channel. We saw this big bald guy dressed in all black buying a 1982 Harley Davidson off of a guy who looked like he didn't get the memo that ZZ Top had broken up. This show is called "Pawn Stars", and it has quickly become my favorite reality television show (except when the Colts are on, of course).

So here's the main point of the story. Rick Harrison runs the Gold and Silver Pawn Shop, north of the strip in Las Vegas (the official Ian Shane preferred vacation spot). It's actually owned by his father "The Old Man", and he is grooming his son, "Big Hoss", to one day take over the family business. Corey's best friend, Chumlee, is the Pawn Shop's "village idiot" who is pure unintentional comic relief.

Now most people think of pawn shops as the one seen on Trading Places, seedy and run by Bo Diddley who says things like "In South Philly, it's worth 50 bucks." The show is not quite like that. It's more like "The Antiques Road Show", but people actually sell stuff. Some of the items are very rare and extremely cool. From Leon Spinks' IBF Heavyweight Title Belt to a 1950's Coke bottle dispenser, it's obvious that the Gold and Silver Pawn Shop is a haven for serious collectors. What separates this show with other reality shows is that each minute is a teachable moment. Rick usually knows the value and history of each item, but sometimes he calls in experts to tell more about the merchandise.

Plus if you're into the drama of a reality show, there is plenty of that. The Old Man has a hard time adapting to the changing times. He doesn't understand why everyone is dressed in jeans, and he refuses to admit that he is getting old (like the time he miss identifies a Carson City minted coin, because he couldn't see the "CC" on the bottom of the coin. It's the difference of $50 and $500). Rick struggles to keep things going while in the down economy. It's not that people aren't bringing things in, it's that the collecting market is down. And Big Hoss struggles to earn the trust and respect of his father (buying a boat for $16,000 without consulting his father).

I highly recommend this show. Season 2 starts tonight on the History Channel.