Swallow Glass Song

An original song by Shannon Mahoney from the forthcoming album Keeps Time.

“Swallow Glass” began with a phrase that stayed with me after a difficult court hearing: You’re going to have to swallow glass.

Offered as a metaphor for accepting something painful, the words became the starting point for a song about what it means to be asked to endure harm in the name of progress, procedure, or patience. “Swallow Glass” explores the distance between human experience and institutional decision-making, and what it feels like to follow every instruction, complete every step, and reach every milestone, only to discover that the finish line has moved again.

At its heart, the song is also about the tension between protection and compliance, and the difference between what a system may label as defiance and what a parent may understand as responsibility.

Musically, “Swallow Glass” draws from sparse Americana folk traditions, using intimate storytelling and a restrained arrangement to leave space for the words to carry their weight.

Purchase the song directly from Mystic March and receive an MP3 download to keep.

Digital Download · MP3 · $1.50

Want to listen first? Hear the full song on the Mystic March Music page → Listen to the song