Carl was raised by his mum, with his two siblings. They lived on an island outside Bergen, called Osterøy. Even though the island is not more than a 40 minutes drive from Bergen city, it is a very rural and idyllic place. Carl has always loved to spend time in the nature, and was a real fishing enthusiast as a boy. His mother sang a lot, and his childhood home was always filled with music.
Among his cousins, aunts and uncles, you can find the woman behind the song Silent Storm, Carl’s cousin Josefin Winther, a London based artist and songwriter born in Bergen in 1986.
Following a dream
Four years younger than her cousin, Josefin has no problem recalling a day in her life being 12 years. Carl Espen had entered a local music competition on Osterøy, and Josefin was standing with her aunt in the audience. Carl performed Wild World by Cat Stevens, and ended up winning the whole competition. Josefin was so proud. Since then Josefin has pursued her own career in music, and established herself as a critically acclaimed artist and songwriter. That fact that Josefin has followed her dream, has always been a big inspiration for Carl Espen.
As a young man Carl enrolled in the military, and served for six months in Kosovo. In his adult life Carl became a carpenter, specialising in frames and glass. For the past 12 years he has been working for different companies within this industry. He has also done a lot of volunteer work for cancer research, and at night has worked as a doorman at Bergen’s rock bar Garage.
It is now or never
Music has always played big role in Carl’s life, and he has carried this dream with him all along. Josefin has always thought that more people should hear his beautiful and unique voice, and in August 2013 she finally sat down a wrote a song especially for Carl. She saw that he had so much inside him that needed to be expressed, and she wanted to give him the opportunity to express it through a song that was truly his own. The result was Silent Storm. She played it to him and he knew straight away that this was his song. They decided to enter into the Norwegian national selection, Melodi Grand Prix, and the rest is history.
Holding On
Carl Espen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Who's gonna watch me, tell me no?
I can't be leaving this
So afraid of what I'll miss.
But there are chances left to take,
Many mistakes left to make.
I have seen a different side,
Once I was in a place like you,
From up here, there's a different view.
I don't know, I don't know, I don't know,
I don't know, I don't know, I don't know
If I'll be coming home.
Don't embrace the past,
I'll miss you, but this just couldn't last
I can't rewrite the old song,
I don't wanna keep holding on,
Holding on.
In a while we'll look back at this
Reminiscing the final kiss
We will be in a higher state
Then we'll see a whole new fate.
There are chances we have to take,
So many choices left to make.
Here's a story I'm living now
It just happened, I don't know how,
Changing courses is not a crime
Getting lost is not a waste of time.
Now I know, now I know, now I know,
Now I know, now you know, now I know
I won't be coming home.
Don't embrace the past,
I'll miss you, but this just couldn't last
I can't rewrite the old song,
I don't wanna keep holding on,
Holding on.
Every time I said to you
We will last because we are true
I believed it!
I was standing by your side
But now it's time to stop this
Holding on, holding on.
Don't embrace the past,
I'll miss you, but this just couldn't last
I can't rewrite the old song,
I don't wanna keep holding on,
Holding on.
The lyrics of Carl Espen's song "Holding On" express a sense of inner conflict and the desire for change. The first verse presents the singer's fear of leaving something behind and not seizing opportunities, acknowledging that mistakes will be made along the way. The second verse contrasts a former self with the self that is speaking, implying that a transformation has occurred. The chorus repeats the refrain of letting go of the past and not holding on to something that is no longer feasible, despite acknowledging the pain involved.
The lyrics convey the message that holding on to something that is no longer tenable is not worth it, despite the pain it may cause. The singer recognizes that there are new paths to be taken, and that getting lost can be a valuable experience. The use of the second person in some parts of the song implies that the singer is addressing someone directly, possibly a former lover or even the audience, encouraging them to embrace change and not hold on to something that is no longer working.
Line by Line Meaning
Turn around and let it go
Let go of your past and move on.
Who's gonna watch me, tell me no?
There's no one to stop you from doing what you want.
I can't be leaving this
I can't let go of what I have.
So afraid of what I'll miss.
I'm scared of losing something important to me.
But there are chances left to take,
Despite my fear, there are opportunities I could try.
Many mistakes left to make.
I haven't experienced enough to learn everything yet.
I have seen a different side,
I've come to a realization that has changed my perspective.
I don't wanna run and hide.
I don't want to avoid facing the truth.
Once I was in a place like you,
I've been where you are now before.
From up here, there's a different view.
Now that I'm in a different position, I see things differently.
I don't know, I don't know, I don't know,
I'm uncertain about the future.
If I'll be coming home.
I don't know if I'll return to where I was before.
Don't embrace the past,
You should not hold onto what's already gone.
I'll miss you, but this just couldn't last
I'll always remember you, but we can't be together anymore.
I can't rewrite the old song,
I can't change the past.
I don't wanna keep holding on,
I don't want to keep living in the past.
Holding on.
Refers to holding onto the past.
In a while we'll look back at this
Soon, we will be able to see this situation from a different perspective.
Reminiscing the final kiss
We'll fondly remember the last moment we had together.
We will be in a higher state
We'll be in a better place than where we are now.
Then we'll see a whole new fate.
We'll face new opportunities and challenges in the future.
There are chances we have to take,
There are new opportunities that we must grab.
So many choices left to make.
There's still so much I don't know and so many decisions I have to make.
Here's a story I'm living now
I'm currently going through an experience.
It just happened, I don't know how,
I don't know how I ended up here, but I'm experiencing it now.
Changing courses is not a crime
It's normal to change direction in life.
Getting lost is not a waste of time.
It's okay to feel lost sometimes, it's part of the journey.
Now I know, now I know, now I know,
I've gained a new understanding.
Now I know, now you know, now I know
Both of us have learned something new.
I won't be coming home.
I've moved on and won't go back to where I was before.
Every time I said to you
In the past, I told you many times.
We will last because we are true
Our love will endure because it's real.
I believed it!
I truly believed what I said.
I was standing by your side
I was always there for you.
But now it's time to stop this
It's time to move on and let go.
Holding on, holding on.
Refers to the act of holding onto the past.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Josefin Winther
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind