A song about crossing oceans with just two arms and a stubborn refusal to crawl back.
The phrase 'I'll do anything' gets undercut pretty quickly.
Only a fool like me' bookends the track gives it a weary, circular feel.
Lyric guide
Channel Swimmer
A song about crossing oceans with just two arms and a stubborn refusal to crawl back.
person
Curated by Ethan Walker
LyroVerse team
Quick meaning
A fast read before the full lyric
Editor's note
10cc's Channel Swimmer and the Fool's Journey
A song about crossing oceans with just two arms and a stubborn refusal to crawl back.
But I ain't gonna crawl on back to you, no way
The phrase 'I'll do anything' gets undercut pretty quickly. He'll do the breaststroke and the backstroke, he'll swim while you're asleep or awake, but then comes the pivot: 'But I ain't gonna crawl on back to you, no way.' The willingness has limits, even in the middle of the sea.
After all that talk of strokes and determination, this is the real anchor. The physical refusal mirrors the emotional one.
The way 'Who'd be a channel swimmer? Only a fool like me' bookends the track gives it a weary, circular feel.
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Listen for
What to keep in your ear
the pull of "I'll do anything"
the pull of "But I ain't gonna crawl on back to you, no way."
Lyrics
Channel Swimmer
The lyric stays readable and compact here; the note and related paths sit nearby so you do not lose the song while looking for context.
Well it's cold down here in the water
It's cold down here in the sea
Who'd be a channel swimmer?
Only a fool like me
I've greased my body
and I'm heading over the ocean
These two arms are the only locomotion
I need
See me swim and see me float
I don't need no motorboat
or a yacht to get me there
I'll do the breaststroke
and the backstroke
I'll do anything
I'll be swimming when you're all asleep
I'll be swimming when you're all awake
I'll do the sidestroke
the other sidestroke
I'll do the butterfly
But I ain't gonna crawl
on back to you, no way
I see your face in every breaker
I see your smile across the reef
I came across the sea to take you
Don't make me out to be a thief
You'll be dreaming when you're all asleep
But I'll be drowning when you're all awake
I did the breaststroke
I did my best stroke
I did everything
But I ain't good enough
'Cause it's cold down here in the water
It's cold down here in the sea
Who'd be a channel swimmer?
Only a fool like me
Who'd be a channel swimmer?
Only a fool like me...
would forget he can't swim
Quick answers
What this page can answer fast
What is "Channel Swimmer" by 10cc about?
A song about crossing oceans with just two arms and a stubborn refusal to crawl back. The phrase 'I'll do anything' gets undercut pretty quickly. Only a fool like me' bookends the track gives it a weary, circular feel.
Who performs "Channel Swimmer"?
10cc performs "Channel Swimmer", and this lyric page sits inside the 10cc catalog on LyroVerse.
Does LyroVerse have an editor's note for "Channel Swimmer"?
Yes. The page carries the LyroVerse editor's note "10cc's Channel Swimmer and the Fool's Journey", followed by the full lyric and related songs.
Are there related songs to explore after "Channel Swimmer"?
Yes. The related section below points to L.A. Inflatable and Ships Don't Disappear In The Night (Do They) with a short reason for opening each page next.
Where can I find more songs by 10cc?
Use the artist link near the top of the page or the related paths section below to keep moving through 10cc's lyric pages.
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