Şebnem Ferah (born 12th April 1972) is a Turkish singer and song-writer. Sh… Read Full Bio ↴Şebnem Ferah (born 12th April 1972) is a Turkish singer and song-writer. She was the lead vocalist of the all-female hard rock band Volvox (TR) until 1994, after which she went on to pursue a solo career. Her musical style varies from acoustic rock to hard rock, though her later albums have progressively incorporated more of the hard rock sound.

Born in Yalova to Turkish immigrant parents from Skopje, Macedonia, Ferah got her first guitar when she was in the first year in boarding at Bursa Namık Sözeri High School. She took lessons on the acoustic guitar, and during her second year she hired a studio with her friends and formed the group Pegasus. The group had their first stage experience during a rock festival in Bursa, in 1987. After a while, Pegasus disbanded. In 1988 with her four friends, Ferah formed Volvox, which was named after a microorganism that they had encountered in a biology lesson.

After a period during which she attended Middle East Technical University, studying economics in Ankara, she moved to Istanbul, where she attended classes on English language and literature at the Istanbul University. For two years she performed in various bars with Volvox, until they disbanded in 1994.

She released her first solo album, Kadın in 1996, and has gone on to release a total of six full studio albums, the last one being Benim Adım Orman, released in 2009. In addition to composing the music and writing the lyrics of every song in her albums, she occasionally sings on stage cover versions of work by artists of similar vocal qualities and style, such as Amy Lee and Skin.

On her third album, Perdeler, she collaborated with the Finnish cello rock band Apocalyptica.

Ferah's current group consists of Buket Doran (bass guitar), Metin Türkcan (electric guitar), Aykan İlkan (drums), and Ozan Tügen (keyboard), who have been performing with her in studio and on stage since her third album, Perdeler.

Eski
Şebnem Ferah Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Eski bir şiir, eski bir hikaye,
Eski bir ezgi, var aklımda.
Herkes hayattaydı, bildiğim herkes,
Hiç korku yoktu, yoktu aklımda.

Eski bir kitap, eskimiş resimler,
Eski bir şarkı, var aklımda.
Sevdiğim birini, hiç kaybetmemiştim,

Kaybetmek yoktu, yoktu aklımda.

Sıradan basit bir günün uğruna,
Hiç dua etmemiş, hiç yalvarmamıştım.

Sen nasıl başardın, yüz yıllık ağaç gibisin?
Nasıl böyle kaldın, uyurken eskimeyen, eskise de değerlenen?
Sen nasıl başardın, yüz yıllık ağaç gibisin?
Nasıl böyle kaldın, yoksa sen de sadece öyle duranlardan mısın?

Eski bir oyun, eski bir sokakta,
Eski bir hırka, var omzumda.
Aşka inanırdım, her hücremle,
Hiçbir yük yoktu, yok omzumda.

Hiç dua etmemiş, henüz yalvarmamıştım.

Sen nasıl başardın, yüz yıllık ağaç gibisin?
Nasıl böyle kaldın, uyurken eskimeyen, eskise de değerlenen?
Sen nasıl başardın, yüz yıllık ağaç gibisin?
Nasıl böyle kaldın, yoksa sen de sadece öyle duranlardan mısın?

Sen nasıl başardın, yüz yıllık ağaç gibisin?
Nasıl böyle kaldın, uyurken eskimeyen, eskise de değerlenen?

Sen nasıl başardın, yüz yıllık ağaç gibisin?
Nasıl böyle kaldın, yoksa sen de sadece öyle duranlardan mısın?

Overall Meaning

The song "Eski" by Şebnem Ferah is a nostalgic and reflective piece about memories and the passage of time. The lyrics speak of old poetry, stories, and music that the singer remembers fondly. At one time, everyone in the singer's life was alive and there was no fear or worry in her mind. She remembers old books, photos, and a particular song, which she associates with memories of her past. She had never lost anyone she loved and had never even considered the possibility of loss. She reflects that she had taken life for granted, never praying or begging for anything.

In the chorus, the singer marvels at the strength and resilience of a tree that has survived for a hundred years without aging. She questions how it is possible for it to stay so unchanged, and wonders if it is one of the constant things that never change. She compares the tree to herself, who has grown old and is now experiencing the consequences of her past mistakes. She wonders if she is just like the things in her life that she believed would always remain the same.

Line by Line Meaning

Eski bir şiir, eski bir hikaye,
A poem and a story from the past,

Eski bir ezgi, var aklımda.
An old melody I remember.

Herkes hayattaydı, bildiğim herkes,
Everyone was alive, everyone I knew,

Hiç korku yoktu, yoktu aklımda.
No fear existed, nothing to be afraid of.

Eski bir kitap, eskimiş resimler,
An old book, worn-out pictures,

Eski bir şarkı, var aklımda.
An old song I remember.

Sevdiğim birini, hiç kaybetmemiştim,
I never lost someone I loved,

Kaybetmek yoktu, yoktu aklımda.
Losing them was never a thought in my mind.

Sıradan basit bir günün uğruna,
For the sake of an ordinary day,

Hiç dua etmemiş, hiç yalvarmamıştım.
I never prayed or begged for anything.

Sen nasıl başardın, yüz yıllık ağaç gibisin?
How did you manage to be like a hundred-year-old tree?

Nasıl böyle kaldın, uyurken eskimeyen, eskise de değerlenen?
How did you remain unchanged while sleeping, becoming even more valuable with age?

Sen nasıl başardın, yüz yıllık ağaç gibisin?
How did you manage to be like a hundred-year-old tree?

Nasıl böyle kaldın, yoksa sen de sadece öyle duranlardan mısın?
How did you remain unchanged, or are you just one of those who stand still?

Eski bir oyun, eski bir sokakta,
An old game in an old street,

Eski bir hırka, var omzumda.
An old sweater on my shoulder.

Aşka inanırdım, her hücremle,
I used to believe in love with every cell of my body,

Hiçbir yük yoktu, yok omzumda.
There was no burden on my shoulders.

Hiç dua etmemiş, henüz yalvarmamıştım.
I never prayed or begged for anything yet.