My Fellow Riders
Anja Garbarek Lyrics
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Into lush darkness
Into the dreamless place
I begin to sing this song
Staying loud enough
To drown out any noise
In presence of strangers
I begin to sing this song
It appears to be done
For the pleasure of the doing
But I'm no better shape
Than my fellow riders
Every now and then
I'm slipping back again
Empty and mortal
I begin to sing this song
My mind is moving fast
Trying to make connections
Taking short-cuts
Noting events
Listing all
Filing away
Along with opinions
Making connections
Taking short-cuts
Noting events
Listing all
Filing away
Along with opinions
Making connections
Taking short-cuts
Noting events...
It appears to be done
For the pleasure of the doing
But I'm no better shape
Than my fellow riders...
The lyrics of Anja Garbarek’s song “My Fellow Riders” seem to describe an introspective and contemplative moment for the singer. She describes being “pleasantly removed” into a “dreamless” and “lush darkness” where she feels comfortable enough to sing her song. The singer is also mindful of her own voice, making sure to “stay loud enough” to drown out any external noise.
As she sings, she admits that despite the beauty of the moment, she still feels no different than her “fellow riders,” implying that she may not have achieved any kind of enlightenment or transcendence as a result of her introspection. In fact, she feels “empty” and “mortal” at times, slipping back into a state of mundanity.
The second half of the song describes the singer’s racing thoughts as she tries to make connections and take shortcuts in her mind. She is filing away events and opinions, noting them down to try to make sense of the world around her. Despite this mental activity, she still feels no better than her peers, suggesting that the struggle to find meaning is a universal human experience.
Line by Line Meaning
Pleasantly removed
I am in a state of blissful detachment
Into lush darkness
I am surrounded by a captivating darkness
Into the dreamless place
I have entered a place of peaceful nothingness
I begin to sing this song
I start to express myself through music
Staying loud enough
I want to be heard over any other sounds
To drown out any noise
I want to block out any external distractions
In presence of strangers
Even in front of people I don't know
It appears to be done
It may seem like my music is created just for pleasure
For the pleasure of the doing
I create music purely for the joy of making it
But I'm no better shape
I am no different from others
Than my fellow riders
I am the same as everyone else on this journey
Every now and then
Sometimes, occasionally
I'm slipping back again
I fall back into old patterns
Empty and mortal
I am vulnerable and human
I begin to sing this song
I use music to fill the emptiness and express myself
My mind is moving fast
My thoughts are racing quickly
Trying to make connections
I am attempting to find meaning in the chaos
Taking short-cuts
I am taking the simplest/fastest route to conclusions
Noting events
I am paying close attention to what happens
Listing all
I am making a comprehensive list
Filing away
I am storing in memory
Along with opinions
In addition to my personal views
Making connections
I am seeing relationships between things
Taking short-cuts
I am choosing the easiest/fastest conclusions
Noting events...
I am keeping track of everything that's happening
It appears to be done
It may seem like my music is created just for pleasure
For the pleasure of the doing
I create music purely for the joy of making it
But I'm no better shape
I am no different from others
Than my fellow riders
I am the same as everyone else on this journey
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: GISLI KRISTJANSSON, ANJA GARBAREK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind