The Band was founded together with Geir Jenssen. He left after the second album in 1990 and pursued a solo career in ambient music as Biosphere.
During the years from 1985 to present (2006) Bel Canto have been taking breaks as Anneli Drecker has pursued a solo career and done concerts with other bands and artists (including touring with A-Ha), as well as playing in films and theatre plays. Nils Johansen, on the other hand, has composed music for film and television as well as working and performing with his other band, Vajas.
21 Years after the band was founded they are still active. In the fall of 2006 they continued to do concerts, primarily in Norway.
In 2007 Bel Canto will continue to work together, both by writing new material and by doing more gigs. At the same time both Anneli Drecker and Nils Johansen will also work on other projects. Latest update by 2022 is that Bel Canto are currently working on their next album.
2) Bel Canto Choir from Lithuania.
Bombay
Bel Canto Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've seen what a man can do
He climbs up a straight rope right up to the clear full-moon
And "boom", he is gone
Yeah, heaven is not that far
And limbs from a body are falling down on the ground
Gee! It must be hard to do
Yes, it is true, yes, it is true
I think the limbs belonged to an orang-outang, orang-outang,
Orang-outang
I've been to Bombay
I've seen what a man can do
He climbs up a straight rope
A monkey is with him too
And "boom", he's gone to heaven
He's mighty daring mighty, right he must be some kind'a guru
He's out of orbit, out of orb...
It seems as if the rope was held by one of the Gods, one of the Gods
So tight! Not like elephant's trunks: They wobbley-wob, wobbly-wob,
Wobbly-wob
I've been to Bombay
I've been to Bombay
In my youth
My wild youth
I've been to Bombay
I've been to Bombay
In my youth
Dadaeeaoo!
And "boom", he's gone to heaven
He's mighty daring, mighty, right he must be some kind'a guru
He's out of orbit, out of orbit
The crowd went hurly-burly
He never came down, never came down
He must have gone to heaven and out of orbit, out of orbit
No, I would never lie to you
Yes, it's true, yes, it is true
Bel Canto's song "Bombay" is a whimsical, surrealistic depiction of the singer's experiences in the city of Bombay, which is most likely the bustling, chaotic city now known as Mumbai, India. The song describes a scene in which the singer witnesses a man climbing up a straight rope to the full moon, accompanied by a monkey. The man and monkey disappear suddenly, leaving behind body parts that the singer speculates belong to an orangutan. The song's lyrics evoke a sense of otherworldliness, with references to heaven, gods, and being out of orbit.
The lyrics of the song are open to interpretation, but they suggest a wistful nostalgia for a time in the past when the singer was young and adventurous. The song's repeated refrain of "I've been to Bombay" emphasizes the singer's sense of having experienced something unique and magical. The song's surreal imagery and playful tone contribute to a dreamlike quality that enhances the sense of nostalgia and longing.
Line by Line Meaning
I've been to Bombay
The singer has been to the city of Bombay.
I've seen what a man can do
The singer has witnessed an impressive feat by a man in Bombay.
He climbs up a straight rope right up to the clear full-moon
The man climbed up a rope to a great height under the full moon.
And "boom", he is gone
The man disappeared suddenly, possibly having ascended to heaven or another ethereal realm.
Yeah, heaven is not that far
The artist believes that ascending to heaven is not as distant or impossible as some might think.
And limbs from a body are falling down on the ground
Body parts are falling from the sky, indicating that something supernatural or unusual is happening.
Gee! It must be hard to do
The singer is impressed by the difficulty and skill required for the feat they witnessed.
Yes, it is true, yes, it is true
The artist continues to affirm that what they saw was real and not a fabrication.
I think the limbs belonged to an orang-outang, orang-outang, Orang-outang
The artist speculates that the body parts falling from the sky belonged to an orangutan, but this may be a fanciful interpretation.
A monkey is with him too
The man had a monkey with him during the impressive feat.
He's mighty daring mighty, right he must be some kind'a guru
The singer admires the skill and daring of the man and suggest he may be a spiritual or religious leader.
He's out of orbit, out of orb...
The man seems to have defied gravity or the physical laws of the world in some way, indicated by the metaphor of being outside of orbit or orb.
It seems as if the rope was held by one of the Gods, one of the Gods
The singer suggests that the man's impressive feat may have been divinely aided or inspired.
So tight! Not like elephant's trunks: They wobbley-wob, wobbly-wob, Wobbly-wob
The rope used by the man was very taut and secure, not floppy like an elephant's trunk.
The crowd went hurly-burly
The onlookers reacted energetically and enthusiastically to the feat.
He never came down, never came down
The man did not return to the ground or come back down to earth.
He must have gone to heaven and out of orbit, out of orbit
The artist speculates that the man may have ascended to heaven or another celestial realm, defying the gravity that would keep him on earth.
No, I would never lie to you
The singer is sincere in their account and insists that they are not exaggerating or fabricating what they saw.
Yes, it's true, yes, it is true
The singer reiterates the veracity of their account.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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