Not Waving but Drowning Not Drowning, Waving takes their name from the poem. The underground '90s emo-hardcore act I Hate Myself recorded a song with the same name on their album 10 Songs. A track on Julian Cope's 1991 album "Peggy Suicide" was titled "Not Raving but Drowning" after the poem. The poem was also set to music by singer-songwriter Vic Chesnutt on his debut album Little with a spoken introduction from a Stevie Smith recording. Singer and songwriter Tanita Tikaram set the poem to music in her song titled "Not Waving but Drowning" which appeared as a b-side to her single "I Might
Not Drowning, Waving their fourth album, "Claim" in May. The album was voted 'Best Australian Album' on the Australian "Rolling Stone" Critics Poll in 1989. Later that year, the group visited Papua New Guinea playing several concerts and meeting George Telek (Moab Stringband, Painim Wok) with whom they later recorded two tracks for their next album, "Tabaran" (March 1991). "Tabaran" was credited to Not Drowning, Waving and the Musicians of Rabaul, Papua New Guinea Featuring Telek. The album was nominated for 'Best Indigenous Release' at the ARIA Music Awards of 1992. Meanwhile, Helen Mountfort had joined on cello in 1990, and the group