Bjørn Berge takes the Blues and Rock to the next level! He performs with an… Read Full Bio ↴Bjørn Berge takes the Blues and Rock to the next level! He performs with and without band. You wouldn't notice the difference. The man is a band on his own. Maybe thats why 'they' call him the 'string-machine'. Even the drumming is taken care off in a 'sole-man-performance'. Just a kick of a heavy, worn out boot on a wooden box for basedrum for example. His fingers play like he sold his soul to ,.... (Fill it in yourself)
His voice speaks for itself. Blues to the utmost ground!
Official Website: Bjørn Berge
ADDITIONAL DETAILS:
Bjørn Berge, Norway's best selling blues artist, started to play guitar when he was 13 years old. After playing for some years, Bjørn discovered Robert Johnson, Elmore James, Leo Kottke and John Hammond. Bjørn Berge, as we know him today, was born. Yet, the term "blues" doesn't cover what Bjørn Berge is all about. We're taking raw, hellraising rock influenced by a wide variety of music styles.
Bjørn Berge's got a voice like gravel and broken glass, and sings as if the devil himself is snapping at his heels. Years of touring with nothing much but junk food, cigarettes, rainy tarmac and ferry ports to look forward to between gigs have paid off; these days Berge is one of Norway's most respected and critically praised artists. Those who have seen this medicine man of music on stage know to rate him as one of our greatest guitarists.
He growls and barks, sometimes snarling the lyrics rather than singing them, spitting out his blueblack groove accompanied by just his guitar and right foot. It's raw with dirt, sweat and hunger and at times almost menacingly in touch with the dark side.
Even if Berge's background is blues, his spicy homebrew reflects equal measures hip-hop and badass-funk as it does traditional blues.
Berge released his critically acclaimed Blue Mood/Warner Music debut "Blues Hit Me" in 1999. The album firmly established him as one of the most exciting contemporary artists, as well as impressing critics and audiences alike with the rare authority of his musical expression. "Bag Of Nails" goes straight for the listeners jugular, and is an even more immediate and explosive experience than its predecessor.
Armed with only his guitar, Berge is a musical highway robber savvy enough to leave the mediocre by the wayside, and only take with him what can enrich his music and performance. Live Berge is merciless, leaving audiences, but reeling as he packs up his guitar and heads on to the next venue, the next gig, the next challenge.
He plays as if he had fifty sets of arms and twenty pairs of legs, and with an insatiable musical curiosity and appetite which will never allow him to become jaded or stuck in a rut.Album available by Bjørn Berge: "Blues hit me", "Bag of nails" and "Stringmachine".
Farmen have licensed Berge's releases on Warner Music for sale outside Norway.
In August 2002 he released his first album for Farmen, called "Illustrated Man", for which he received fantastic reviews in the press in Norway and Denmark. With "Illustrated man" he won the Norwegian Grammy (Spellemannprisen) for the best Norwegian blues album in 2002.
Mad Fingers Ball: Bjørn Berge, Norway's best selling blues artist, started to play guitar when he was 13 years old. After playing for some years, Bjørn discovered Robert Johnson, Elmore James, Leo Kottke and John Hammond. Bjørn Berge, as we know him today, was born.

Yet, the term "blues" doesn't cover what Bjørn Berge is all about. We're taking raw, hellraising rock influenced by a wide variety of music styles.

Bjørn Berge's got a voice like gravel and broken glass, and sings as if the devil himself is snapping at his heels. Years of touring with nothing much but junk food, cigarettes, rainy tarmac and ferry ports to look forward to between gigs have paid off; these days Berge is one of Norway's most respected and critically praised artists. Those who have seen this medicine man of music on stage know to rate him as one of our greatest guitarists.
He growls and barks, sometimes snarling the lyrics rather than singing them, spitting out his blueblack groove accompanied by just his guitar and right foot. It's raw with dirt, sweat and hunger and at times almost menacingly in touch with the dark side.

Even if Berge's background is blues, his spicy homebrew reflects equal measures hip-hop and badass-funk as it does traditional blues.
Berge released his critically acclaimed Blue Mood/Warner Music debut "Blues Hit Me" in 1999. The album firmly established him as one of the most exciting contemporary artists, as well as impressing critics and audiences alike with the rare authority of his musical expression. "Bag Of Nails" goes straight for the listeners jugular, and is an even more immediate and explosive experience than its predecessor.
Armed with only his guitar, Berge is a musical highway robber savvy enough to leave the mediocre by the wayside, and only take with him what can enrich his music and performance. Live Berge is merciless, leaving audiences, but reeling as he packs up his guitar and heads on to the next venue, the next gig, the next challenge.
He plays as if he had fifty sets of arms and twenty pairs of legs, and with an insatiable musical curiosity and appetite which will never allow him to become jaded or stuck in a rut.Album available by Bjørn Berge: "Blues hit me", "Bag of nails" and "Stringmachine".
Mad Fingers Ball: On this new album, Bjørn Berges unique fingerstyle is shown to its fullest advantage, reinforced by his unusually harsh, deep voice. His cover of Deep Purple's "Hush" is worth the listen.
All in all, the artist has released a total of 10 studio albums, two of which won a Norwegian Grammy (Stringmachine in 2001 and Illustrated Man in 2002).

Angel Band
Bjørn Berge Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

My latest sun is sinkin' fast, my race is nearly run
My longest trials now are past, my triumph has begun

Come angel band, come around me stand
Bear me away on your snowy wings to my immortal home,
Immortal home,
To my immortal home.

O bear my loving heart to him, who bled and died for me
Whose blood now cleanses from all sins and gives me victory

Come angel band, come around me stand
Bear me away on your snowy wings to my immortal home,
Immortal home,
To my immortal home.

I've almost reached my heavenly home
My spirit loudly sings
The holy ones, behold, they come!
I hear the noise of wings
Come angel band, come around me stand
Bear me away on your snowy wings to my immortal home,
Immortal home,
To my immortal home.
Come angel band, come around me stand
Bear me away on your snowy wings to my immortal home,

Immortal home,
To my immortal home.

Overall Meaning

Bjørn Berge's song "Angel Band" describes the journey of a person who is approaching the end of their life with the realization that they are almost at their heavenly home. The opening lines of the song suggest that the person's latest sun is sinking fast, and his or her race is nearly run. This could be interpreted as the end of life drawing near. However, the trials of the person are over, and the triumph has begun, which could be seen as a reference to the belief that death is not an end, but a new beginning.

The second stanza of the song reveals more about the person's thoughts on the approaching end of life. The person asks the angelic band to carry their loving heart to the one who bled and died for them. The one who is being referred to here is likely Jesus Christ, who died to save humanity from their sins. The person acknowledges the cleansing power of Jesus' blood, which gives him or her the ultimate victory, victory over sin and death.

The last stanza of the song is rife with hope and joy. The person feels that he or she is almost at their heavenly home, and he or she can hear the noise of wings as the holy ones come closer. The repetition of the phrase "to my immortal home" underscores the belief that the person is not simply dying but starting an eternal life with God. In summary, Bjørn Berge's song "Angel Band" is a beautiful and inspiring tribute to the transformative power of faith in God.

Line by Line Meaning

My latest sun is sinkin' fast, my race is nearly run
I am nearing the end of my life.

My longest trials now are past, my triumph has begun
I have overcome my biggest challenges and am ready for my victory.

Come angel band, come around me stand
I am calling for a group of angels to be with me.

Bear me away on your snowy wings to my immortal home,
I am asking the angels to carry me to my afterlife.

Immortal home,
Where I will exist until the end of time.

To my immortal home.
The place where I will spend my eternal life.

O bear my loving heart to him, who bled and died for me
I want the angels to take my heart to Jesus.

Whose blood now cleanses from all sins and gives me victory
I believe that the blood of Jesus can wash away all of my sins and grant me eternal life.

I've almost reached my heavenly home
I am nearing my afterlife.

My spirit loudly sings
I am full of joy and excitement.

The holy ones, behold, they come!
I can see the angels approaching.