Where so many songwriters stretch for their highest notes, hoping to impress and astound, Duvekot bravely mines her deep reaches, where the dark feelings lurk. It softens her phrasing, leading us in with whispers, letting us know she believes every word she sings.
Her melodies seem like suddenly occurring thoughts, matching the hushed, conversational allure of her singing. They feel so immediate, so in synch with her lyrics; and yet also snugly rooted, oddly familiar, like memories you can't quite recall.
She sings, and writes, as if she thinks songs are important; not means to an end, but tools of survival. And for her, that's just what they are.
In 2006 Antje was a featured guest performer at the ten-year reunion concert of the contemporary Celtic band Solas, who performed two of her songs.
coney island
Antje Duvekot Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And it's a perfect Friday night
Hold me down
Cause I am feeling high as a kite
Cause I'm not living for the landing
Tonight I'm living for the flight
Don't wanna capture this moment
I just wanna let it go
Cause in a world so full of troubles
I think we've seen enough
And they'll still be here tomorrow
When the sun comes up
In a cab that crosses Brooklyn
I'll be your stolen pirate bride
And I still feel like I am falling
When I look in your eyes
And in the dunes at Coney Island
Will you kiss me on the lips like it was the first time
And I will pretend to resist
Cause in a world so full of troubles
I think that we've seen enough
And they'll still be here tomorrow
When the sun comes up
So will you hold me until we crumble
Under a dying August moon
Buy me an old-fashioned root beer
Cause one day the old world will lose
And we'll go dancing on the levy
With the sun beneath our feet
Cause time passes with such violence
We're just heart beats on a sea
Cause in a world so full of troubles
I think that we've seen enough
And they'll still be here tomorrow
When the sun comes up
The lyrics to Antje Duvekot's song Coney Island are full of emotion and a desire for escape from the troubles of the world. The first verse describes the Empire State Building gleaming on a perfect Friday night and the feeling of being high as a kite. The singer of the song isn't living for the landing, but rather for the flight. They don't want to capture the moment, they just want to let it go. This could be interpreted as a desire to escape from reality and live in the moment without worrying about the consequences.
The second verse takes us on a journey through Brooklyn in a cab with the singer's partner, who they refer to as their "stolen pirate bride". They feel like they are falling when they look into their partner's eyes and want to be kissed on the lips like it's the first time. They know that the troubles of the world will still be there tomorrow when the sun comes up, but they can forget about them for a little while.
The chorus repeats the idea that there are too many troubles in the world and that they will still be there tomorrow. The singer asks their partner to hold them until they crumble under a dying August moon and to buy them an old-fashioned root beer. The song ends with the idea that time passes with violence and that we are just heartbeats on a sea, which could symbolize the impermanence of life and the desire to make the most of the moments we have.
Line by Line Meaning
Well the Empire State is gleaming
The monument is shining brightly in the skyline, indicating that it's a good night to have some fun.
And it's a perfect Friday night
The night is casual and right for having some fun with someone dear.
Hold me down
Embrace me tight to the point of restraint.
Cause I am feeling high as a kite
The writer is ecstatic and excited for the night.
Cause I'm not living for the landing
The realization that their life isn't about coming down but rather living in the moment.
Tonight I'm living for the flight
Talking about the present and what is going on in the moment.
Don't wanna capture this moment
The writer is asking others to not ruin this time but allow it to happen naturally.
I just wanna let it go
Freeing up themselves from commitments and demands.
In a cab that crosses Brooklyn
Riding across the Brooklyn bridge in a taxi with their partner.
I'll be your stolen pirate bride
The writer is referring themselves as a stolen bride, in the innocence and purity of the moment.
And I still feel like I am falling
The writer is still amazed by everything happening around them.
When I look in your eyes
Looking deeply into the eyes of a lover.
And in the dunes at Coney Island
Discussing the possibility of being at Coney Island and lost in the moment there.
Will you kiss me on the lips like it was the first time
Just like the innocence of the first kiss, the writer wants their lover to treat them like the first time.
And I will pretend to resist
The idea of playfulness, embracing the moment whilst trying to be innocent.
So will you hold me until we crumble
Again asking the partner to hold them tight till everything crumbles away.
Under a dying August moon
The night is ending and the moon is a sign of completing the moment.
Buy me an old-fashioned root beer
Savoring the memories of the past one last time.
Cause one day the old world will lose
The idea that everything has an end and time will keep moving on.
And we'll go dancing on the levy
Enjoying the remaining bit of the moment just as they are.
With the sun beneath our feet
Walking on the levee, feeling the warmth of the sun under their feet.
Cause time passes with such violence
Acknowledging that time is unstoppable and changing.
We're just heart beats on a sea
Metaphorically describing that human life is just a heartbeat on the sea of time.
Cause in a world so full of troubles
With the world so full of hate, inequality, and social issues.
I think that we've seen enough
The writer believes that they don't want to see anymore of it.
And they'll still be here tomorrow
Even if people do believe that the world needs to change, tomorrow will see the same issues remain.
When the sun comes up
The sun marks the start of the next day, and with it another slice of reality.
Contributed by Matthew C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.