Anja Garbarek (born July 24, 1970) is a Norwegian singer-songwriter, daught… Read Full Bio ↴Anja Garbarek (born July 24, 1970) is a Norwegian singer-songwriter, daughter of the well known tenor/soprano jazz saxophonist, Jan Garbarek.

In 2001 she received the award Spellemannsprisen in the open class category for her album Smiling & Waving, which featured a duet with Robert Wyatt.

Garbarek also collaborated with the Norwegian black metal band Satyricon on their album Volcano.

In 2006 she provided the majority of the soundtrack for Angel-A and then released an album under her own name: Briefly Shaking.

Sites: Facebook.

That's All
Anja Garbarek Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Emerging
Through water
That's all we know

On hands and knees
Towards the shore
That's all we know

That's all we know
That's all
That's all we know
That's all

And he crawls
To the door
In the warm nurse
Where he walks
For the first time

Surrounded by dry clouds
He is leaving a trail

That's all we know
That's all
That's all we know
That's all

He climbs out of sleep
Holding on to the lamp
By his bedside table
The sunlight feeds
Of his radio

That's all we know
That's all
That's all we know
That's all
That's all we know
That's all
That's all we know
That's all

That's all we know

That's
All

Overall Meaning

At a surface-level, the lyrics of Anja Garbarek's "That's All" are sparse and simple. The song uses repetition and minimalistic imagery to convey a sense of uncertainty and unfamiliarity with the world. The opening lines "Emerging / Through water / That's all we know" seems to evoke the image of a newborn baby, emerging from the womb and into the world. The next line "On hands and knees / Towards the shore / That's all we know" further emphasizes this idea of a child learning to crawl and explore the world around them.

The second verse shifts focus to an adult who is experiencing something new and unknown. The lines "And he crawls / To the door / In the warm nurse / Where he walks / For the first time" suggest that this person is perhaps recovering from an illness or injury and is taking their first tentative steps towards recovery. The final image in the song, of a person waking up and being surrounded by "dry clouds," is again open to interpretation but could be seen as a metaphor for the way we experience the world - through a veil of our own perceptions and limitations.

Overall, "That's All" is a deeply introspective and enigmatic song that leaves much to the listener's interpretation. Its simple lyrics and repetitive structure only add to its sense of mystery and intrigue.

Line by Line Meaning

Emerging
Beginning to appear or become noticeable

Through water
Despite facing challenges and obstacles like water, we still manage to emerge and persevere

That's all we know
This is the extent of our knowledge and understanding on this matter

On hands and knees
Crawling towards a destination, showing determination and resilience

Towards the shore
Moving towards a place of safety or comfort

And he crawls
He moves forward despite difficulties and struggles

To the door
Trying to reach an exit or entrance, possibly for escape or relief

In the warm nurse
Seeking solace and comfort in a caring environment

Where he walks
Where he begins a new journey, possibly towards healing or recovery

For the first time
Experiencing something new or different

Surrounded by dry clouds
In an environment that is stagnant, with no growth or change