Agnes Obel was born Agnes Caroline Thaarup Obel in 1981. Living in Copenhagen, and coming from a musician family, Agnes Obel learned piano at a very young age. Her mother used to play Bartók and Chopin at the piano. During her childhood, Agnes Obel found inspiration in Jan Johansson's work. Johansson's songs, European folk tunes done in a jazzy style, have influenced the young musician a lot.
She attended high school at Det frie Gymnasium and university at Roskilde University.
At the age of seven, Agnes Obel worked in a little band where she used to sing and play bass guitar. The group appeared in a festival and even recorded some titles.
Later, and with the help of Danish musician and producer Elton Theander, Obel founded the Copenhagen based band Sohio. After few years of collaboration, Obel debuted as a solo singer with her first album Philharmonics (2010).
Agnes Obel writes, plays, sings, records and produces all her material herself.
She is influenced by artists such as Roy Orbison, Joni Mitchell, PJ Harvey and also by the French composers Claude Debussy, Maurice Ravel and Eric Satie.
Obel lives in Berlin.
Website: http://agnesobel.com
Mary
Agnes Obel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Age old habits echoed in the ground
One would sing and one would hold me down
They might listen if I make no sound
Oh I know this
From my high school heart
That nothing is over
Wide on the sky
In my house the silence rang so loud
Under doorways, through the hallway down
Waiting for the secret to grow out
Oh what we do when no one is around
Oh I know this
From my high school heart
That nothing is over
From a touch it will begin
Wide on the sky
In the dark I hear you sing
Fingers move and chords they ring
Be the witness of my shame
Swaying in the summer rain
Feathers falling from your wing
In the dark I hear you sing
The opening verse of Agnes Obel’s song, “Mary,” sets the scene for a dramatic and emotional journey. “Heaven hid her face as we fell down,” is a metaphor for the feeling of being abandoned by a higher power. This feeling is accompanied by the familiar “age old habits” that keep us stuck in emotional patterns that are difficult to break free from. The line, “One would sing and one would hold me down” can be interpreted as the struggle between the conscious and unconscious mind, with the latter holding us back from growth and change. The desire to be heard and seen is expressed in the final line of the verse, “They might listen if I make no sound.”
The chorus, “Oh I know this, from my high school heart, that nothing is over, from a touch it will begin, wide on the sky,” speaks to the universal experience of feeling trapped by our past but also acknowledging that the potential for change and growth is always present. The image of “wide on the sky” suggests that the possibilities for us are endless, but we need to be open to them.
The second verse describes the feeling of being alone and isolated, with “silence rang so loud” and waiting for a “secret to grow out.” This sense of being stuck and uncertain is echoed in the line, “Oh what we do when no one is around.” The final verse brings us back to the idea of music and singing, with the image of “feathers falling from your wing” suggesting a sense of lightness and freedom. The final line, “In the dark I hear you sing,” can be interpreted as a call to connect with our own inner voice and creative potential.
Line by Line Meaning
Heaven hid her face as we fell down
As we experienced a downfall, it felt like the heavens turned their backs on us.
Age old habits echoed in the ground
The habits of our past, inherited from generations before, continue to affect us and our actions.
One would sing and one would hold me down
In my relationships, there has always been someone who offered support while the other tried to control me.
They might listen if I make no sound
I feel like I'm only heard when I'm being silent, and no one listens when I speak up.
In my house the silence rang so loud
The quietness in my home was so profound that it was almost deafening.
Under doorways, through the hallway down
The silence was so dense that it even spread throughout the halls and rooms, as if it was a physical thing.
Waiting for the secret to grow out
I'm waiting for some secret or hidden truth to be revealed and grow to fullness.
Oh what we do when no one is around
We all have our secrets and things we do when no one is watching or listening.
In the dark I hear you sing
Even though we're apart, I can still sense your presence and hear your voice in my mind.
Fingers move and chords they ring
The emotions and memories tied to our connection are so strong that they seem to physically manifest through the music you play.
Be the witness of my shame
I'm exposing and being vulnerable with you about something that I'm deeply ashamed of.
Swaying in the summer rain
The experience with you feels like a release and relief, as if dancing in the rain on a sunny day.
Feathers falling from your wing
Your protection and support is gently shedding from you, as if you're about to fly away and let me find my way on my own.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: AGNES CAROLINE THAARUP OBEL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@MarieAntoinettekent
Heaven hid her face as we fell down
Age old habits echoed in the ground
One would sing and one would hold me down
They might listen if I make no sound
Oh I know this
From my high school heart
That nothing is over
From a touch it will begin
Wide on the sky
In my house the silence rang so loud
Under doorways, through the hallway down
Waiting for the secret to grow out
Oh what we do when no one is around
Oh I know this
From my high school heart
That nothing is over
From a touch it will begin
Wide on the sky
In the dark I hear you sing
Fingers move and chords they ring
Be the witness of my shame
Swaying in the summer rain
Feathers falling from your wing
In the dark I hear you sing
@iMaateus
Nothing gets out of my head that this song was written by James for Mary in Silent Hill 2. Incredible!
@watersnakesii9516
The change of the melody at 3.03 is giving me the chills every time. What an artist!
@ellervercingetorix9343
Watersnakes II Literally the best part
@Majacquie1
I love Agnes. I was going to see her in Toronto but the show was cancel. Lord she plays piano with her left hand. She is from another planet. I love her from my planet to Jupiter and back.❤️❤️🌹🌹
@junaidtownsend6405
"In the dark I hear you sing."
Brilliantly beautiful.
@karimshebeika8010
if my life was a movie this song should play when I die...
@jeffhayhoe
It's amazing how a simple change to the key/melody at 3:02 divides the song into two parts that together creates the most
mesmerizing chilling feel
@fb7984
the best fade-out....ever!
@BrianLuvzJustin
So true. Pure beauty
@worldunitedmusic9136
The album "Citizen of Glass" is an empathic journey that begins with a subtle presence gently absorbing ones essence, to cradle the spark of life at the core of ones being. The album holds the listener in a healing matrix well into the moments after the soft angelic tones of Agnes Obal’s voice slowly echoes into far off silence. I have the LP on repeat. The entire album is simply magical and pleases the senses like no other I have heard. An empathic experience not to be missed ~ World United Music - Favorite track: Mary.