Vintage Berlin School tracks typically ran about twenty or thirty minutes, filling one side of a vinyl LP. The genre was so thoroughly identified with the long form that a general shift to shorter pieces in the 1980s seemed to herald the death of the movement. After the coming of the compact disc "retro" artists were no longer limited by the need to flip over a vinyl record. Some newer works run continuously as a single track for almost 80 minutes.
An outgrowth of Krautrock, Berlin School was so named because most of its early practitioners were based out of Berlin, Germany. The genre's identification with space music made it distinct from the more percussive and rhythm-oriented Dรผsseldorf School which included Can, Cluster, Kraftwerk, and Neu!.
Berlin School was and still is a relatively self-contained style that has not had nearly the impact on music in general that Kraftwerk has had on synth pop and techno, but ambient, electronica, New Age, and trance are partially rooted in Berlin School. The genre is sometimes considered a sub-branch of New Age or ambient, though it predates the widespread usage of both terms.
Concrete Over Water
Jockstrap Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The tower's blue and the sky is black
I feel the night
I sit, it's on my back
On my back
It makes me cry
This European air, I swear it does
Randomly I'm grateful for
Grateful for a night
Solemn night walker
To our telephone talker
It's you
Maybe it's you
Oh, a night
On what bridge we stood
Concrete over water
I think you remind me of the night
But also of the day
I think of Italy, champagne
I think of Spain
I wanna be there
I want more than my head
Should've meant it when I said
Now I'm more than my head
I'm glad you take me as I am
Whatever shape with woman, man
Black or blue, a filthy cheat I am
And you still come to see the band
Light and dark at once
Never lonely in holy matrimony
So dazzling dark because of its bright
And truth is good and God is light
The space behind the sky
In which the darkness depends on
In the creation of light
Oh, a night
On what bridge we stood
Concrete over water
I think you remind me of the night
But also of the day
I think of Italy, champagne
I think of Spain
I wanna be there
Two sides of my mind
Black spots on the sun
The lyrics of Jockstrap's song "Concrete Over Water" explore the complexity of human emotions and experiences through the lens of the cityscape. The repetition of "I live in the city" at the beginning of the song sets the scene and emphasizes the singer's sense of being overwhelmed by urban life. The contrast between the blue tower and black sky creates a feeling of disorientation, while the singer's acknowledgement of the night weighing heavily on their back suggests a burden that accompanies the frenetic pace of city living. This is further emphasized in the line "This European air, I swear it does," implying a sense of displacement and longing.
As the song continues, the singer turns to thoughts of a particular person who they have been speaking to on the phone. The line "Solemn night walker to our telephone talker" suggests a romantic connection but also a sense of distance โ the two have not yet met in person. The repetition of "Maybe it's you" indicates the singer's uncertainty and longing for a deeper connection.
The chorus introduces a new image โ that of standing on a bridge made of concrete over water. This juxtaposition of the industrial with the natural suggests a harmony between opposites that resonates with the song's larger theme of finding balance in a chaotic world. The lines "I think you remind me of the night but also of the day/I think of Italy, champagne/I think of Spain" further emphasize this idea of contrast and balance, as the singer reflects on both light and dark moments and different cultural experiences.
Line by Line Meaning
I live in the city
I reside in a bustling urban area
The tower's blue and the sky is black
The building is illuminated in blue, while the sky has turned pitch black
I feel the night
I am aware of the darkness outside
I sit, it's on my back
The weight of my environment is weighing heavily on me
On my back
I cannot escape the burden of my surroundings
It makes me cry
My situation is distressing enough to bring me to tears
This European air, I swear it does
The atmosphere of Europe has a profound impact on my well-being
Randomly I'm grateful for
Occasionally, I express gratitude for
Grateful for a night
I appreciate the beauty of the evening
Solemn night walker
I am a contemplative individual who spends time outdoors at night
To our telephone talker
Our conversations over the phone
It's you
I am speaking to you
Maybe it's you
Perhaps you are the one I am referring to
Oh, a night
Ah, the evening
On what bridge we stood
The location where we were standing on a bridge
Concrete over water
The bridge was made of solid material, but was constructed over a body of water
I think you remind me of the night
You bring to mind the darkness of the night
But also of the day
As well as the brightness of the day
I think of Italy, champagne
Italy and champagne both come to mind
I think of Spain
Spain is another location that I think of
I wanna be there
I desire to be in those places
I want more than my head
I desire more than just my thoughts
Should've meant it when I said
I should have made a more sincere statement when I spoke
Now I'm more than my head
I have expanded beyond just my mind
I'm glad you take me as I am
I appreciate that you accept me for who I am
Whatever shape with woman, man
Regardless of whether I am with a woman or a man
Black or blue, a filthy cheat I am
I am willing to indulge in immoral behavior
And you still come to see the band
Despite my flaws, you still come to watch us perform
Light and dark at once
Both brightness and shadow are present simultaneously
Never lonely in holy matrimony
I experience no isolation while being joined in a sacred union
So dazzling dark because of its bright
The darkness is brilliant because of the surrounding light
And truth is good and God is light
The truth is desirable, and God is associated with the light
The space behind the sky
The area beyond the sky
In which the darkness depends on
The place where the darkness is reliant
In the creation of light
Within the process of generating light
Lyrics ยฉ BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Georgia Ellery, Taylor Skye Burton
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@pandatare
You guys should be proud of this one.
@paulj0557tonehead
It's a masterpiece! And I hate everything.
@robshaff
@@paulj0557tonehead I read this as because this is so good I now hate everything haha but I think you meant your standards are high because you usually hate stuff.
@phaunus
it's okay if they are not, I'm proud enough for all of us <5
@markhenstock3757
You wish you wrote it ;) HUGE fan of yours btw
@caradocg1234
How cool is Georgia Ellery, a woman in two of the most exciting and unique UK bands of the past five years.
@markrudolf7567
What's the other band called?
@ThomasGoutbeek
@@markrudolf7567 Black Country, New Road
@pifflepockle
@@ThomasGoutbeek They suck. She left as she is the talented one
@ThomasGoutbeek
@@pifflepockle Fair if you don't like them, but they definitely don't suck. They made one of the most critically acclaimed albums this year. And Georgia didn't leave, she is just in two bands at the same time