 The song was first included in the 2003 compilation album "Punk Goes Acoustic", and was later expanded upon in the band's 2004 album "Siren Song of the Counter Culture".The music and lyrics for "Swing Life Away" were written by Rise Against's lead vocalist Tim McIlrath and his roommate Neil Hennessy.The band decided to not include the song in their 2003 album "Revolutions per Minute", as they felt that it would not fit in with the album's hardcore sound.