Somewhere else is higher

Come swim farther, don't hold back;
somewhere else is higher--
you must onward swim,

always onward swim.

Come swim farther, don’t hold back,

you could lose direction -

you must onward swim,

always onward swim.

Come swim farther, don’t hold back, 

straight up from the bottom -

you must onward swim,

always onward swim.

Come swim farther, don’t hold back,

where the winds are raging - 

you must onward swim,

simply onward swim.

First through black, then through grey,

then one thousand meters slowly through blue,

and you’ll see the turquoise shimmer.

Come swim farther, don’t hold back;

somewhere else is higher -

you must onward swim,

always onward swim.

Come swim farther, don’t hold back,

soon you will be lifted -

you must onward swim,

swim a little farther.

First through fire, then through ice,

through all that was - one final test -

and then at last all is bright and clear.

Come swim farther;

come swim farther;

come swim farther;

come swim farther.
Come.

"Irgendwo ist oben" - Words and music by Anna Depenbusch
Translated by Frank Beck

This is a very different side of Anna Depenbusch's music making. She cooked up this incantatory appeal to live more fully, more deeply by working collaboratively with her band. I love the way the entire lyric is built around one extended metaphor, and I love the intensity of her delivery. I also love songwriting that's this daring and ambitious--and that works.

• VIDEO: Anna Depenbusch sings "Irgendwo ist oben" at Bauhaus (24:30 on the YouTube video)
• The song's lyrics in German
• Anna Depenbusch on iTunes
• My profile of Anna Depenbusch