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
Riverside
Agnes Obel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Where everybody goes to be alone
Where you won't see any rising sun
Down to the river we will run
When by the water we drinks to the dregs
Look at the stones on the riverbed
I can tell from your eyes
Down by the water the riverbed
Somebody calls you somebody says
Swim with the current and float away
Down by the river every day
Oh my god I see how everything is torn in the river deep
And I don't know why I go the way
Down by the riverside
When that old river runs past your eyes
To wash off the dirt on the riverside
Go to the water so every near
The river will be your eyes and ears
I walk to the borders on my own
Fall in the water just like a stone
Chilled to the marrow in them bones
Why do I go here alone
Oh my god I see how everything is torn in the river deep
And I don't know why I go the way
Down by the riverside
Oh my god I see how everything is torn in the river deep
And I don't know why I go the way
Down by the riverside
Oh oh
Ah ah ah
Oh oh
Ah ah ah
Oh oh
Ah ah ah
Down by the riverside
Down by the riverside
In Agnes Obel's "Riverside" we have a song that is centered around the relationship between an individual and the river. The song talks about the river as a place of solace and escape from reality, allowing one to be alone and free. The lyrics paint a picture of a serene and tranquil environment, far away from the city, where the water is clean and there's no rising sun.
The lyrics describe the act of sitting by the river, drinking to the dregs and looking at the stones on the riverbed. It is as if the river allows one to be in touch with nature, to feel grounded and alive. Furthermore, the song talks about the river washing away the dirt and filth, creating a sense of purity and cleansing.
However, amidst this beautiful and serene environment, there is an underlying sense of sadness and pain. The lyrics mention how everything is torn and there is no clarity as to why one goes to the riverside. There is also a sense of loneliness and isolation, as the singer falls into the water just like a stone and is chilled to the marrow in their bones.
In summary, "Riverside" is a melancholic song that portrays the relationship between an individual and the river. The river serves as a place of serenity and escape, but also represents pain and loneliness.
Line by Line Meaning
Down by the river by the boats
Where everybody goes to be alone
Where you won't see any rising sun
Down to the river we will run
The river by the boats is a perfect place to be alone, where no sunrise bothers us, and we will run there.
When by the water we drinks to the dregs
Look at the stones on the riverbed
I can tell from your eyes
You've never been by the riverside
As we drink by the water and observe the riverbed, I can tell you've never been to the riverside before.
Down by the water the riverbed
Somebody calls you somebody says
Swim with the current and float away
Down by the river every day
Near the river, someone calls you and suggests you should swim with the current and float away, and you can do it every day by the river.
When that old river runs past your eyes
To wash off the dirt on the riverside
Go to the water so every near
The river will be your eyes and ears
When the old river runs past, it washes off the dirt on the riverside. Go to the water, it's so close, the river will be your eyes and ears.
I walk to the borders on my own
Fall in the water just like a stone
Chilled to the marrow in them bones
Why do I go here alone
I go to the borders alone and fall into the water just like a stone. My bones get chilled to the marrow. Why do I go here alone?
Oh my god I see how everything is torn in the river deep
And I don't know why I go the way
Down by the riverside
The deep river tears everything apart, and I don't know why I go to the riverside.
Oh oh
Ah ah ah
Oh oh
Ah ah ah
Oh oh
Ah ah ah
Down by the riverside
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Agnes Caroline Thaarup Obel
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@sharynferguson5627
I have a really special, amazing memory associated with this song, it’s the one song in my life that fills me with true melancholy. I don’t know if anyone will ever actually read this, but I think it’s quite a fun story for the love lovers out there.
When I was 14, my mum and I went on holiday to Iceland. As soon as I saw the landscape from the plane I already felt like it was going to be a magical experience (I was also a 14 year old who romanticises EVERYTHING and 10 years later at 24 I am still the same lmfao). Anyway, we have a couple of excursions booked through our Hotel, one of them being driving out into the middle of nowhere to see the northern lights.
So we are on the bus, I notice a cute blonde boy go past when I had already sat down, and then he sat one row from behind me, so we are pretty close in proximity on the bus. We stop a few times in different locations. On the first stop, he held up a bit of fencing for me and my mum to get through and there was a bit of elongated eye contact.. So 14 year old me is in love obviously, then we get back on the bus and we start playing footsie or whatever (this sounds so cringe but it was magical under all the stars and it being dark on the bus).
At the second stop, my mum stays on the bus and I go out by myself. I’m staring at the stars (no northern lights but the stars alone were INSANE, no light pollution at all). All of a sudden I hear a hello, and then ALL of a sudden I have headphones being put on my head, and then this magical mantra starts playing… I stood there looking up at the stars and this song was on, I memorised the lyrics instantly and it was in my head the whole night afterwards.. We then spoke on the third stop and had a little holiday romance and now we just have eachother on Facebook hahahaha.
I don’t know, but the moment was just so magical, and for this to be the song playing it just makes me think about how beautiful life can be and how special these moments really are.. And now I have what feels like a spiritual connection to this song !!
@Galeryn218
Down by the river by the boats
Where everybody goes to be alone
Where you won't see any rising sun
Down to the river we will run
When by the water we drink to the dregs
Look at the stones on the river bed
I can tell from your eyes
You've never been by the riverside
Down by the water the riverbed
Somebody calls you somebody says
Swim with the current and float away
Down by the river everyday
Oh my God I see how everything is torn in the river deep
And I don't know why I go the way
Down by the riverside
When that old river runs pass your eyes
To wash off the dirt on the riverside
Go to the water so very near
The river will be your eyes and ears
I walk to the borders on my own
To fall in the water just like a stone
Chilled to the marrow in them bones
Why do I go here all alone
[x2:]
Oh my God I see how everything is torn in the river deep
And I don't know why I go the way
Down by the riverside
Oh oh, hey hey [x3]
Down by the riverside [x2]
@randalphbriegsiel9553
Lyrics:
Down by the river by the boats
Where everybody goes to be alone
Where you won't see any rising sun
Down to the river we will run
When by the water we drink to the dregs
Look at the stones on the river bed
I can tell from your eyes
You've never been by the riverside
Down by the water the riverbed
Somebody calls you somebody says
Swim with the current and float away
Down by the river everyday
Oh my God I see how everything is torn in the river deep
And I don't know why I go the way
Down by the riverside
When that old river runs past your eyes
To wash off the dirt on the riverside
Go to the water so very near
The river will be your eyes and ears
I walk to the borders on my own
To fall in the water just like a stone
Chilled to the marrow in them bones
Why do I go here all alone
Oh my God I see how everything is torn in the river deep
And I don't know why I go the way
Down by the riverside
Oh my God I see how everything is torn in the river deep
And I don't know why I go the way
Down by the riverside
Oh oh
Ah ah ah
Oh oh
Ah ah ah
Oh oh
Ah ah ah
Down by the riverside
Down by the riverside
@_-Kin-_
2024 anyone?
@menace2fear
yesss
@slyeryx
yeah
@michelepereira5839
Yeeeees ♥️
@MariaEspinoza-kz5jc
Yeeeessss
@mindzugas
Still here
@Majid_Osman
i am torn..
These kinds of songs should be more popular
But also i like them to be my little secrets...
@giljon5971
+Jack Sparrow it's 'captain' jack sparrow!
totally agree btw
@mazhufvgj
+Jack Sparrow 18m views, seems pretty popular to me when compared to the music i normally listen to (let's say they have around 1000-5000 views on average)
@circo_
+Jack Sparrow yes so true.. I can sing this in school with nobody singing along. Freedom