The band's origin dates back to the summer of 1989 when Zak Tell and Jocke Skog met while working together at the Rosenlund Hospital somewhere in the vicinity of Stockholm. In 1990 they were joined by the Norwegian guitarists Bård Torstensen and Erlend Ottem who were also working at the same hospital. Soon the four realized their similar interests in music. Bård and Erlend previously played in a band called Theo in their hometown Arendal back in Norway. Their free time was invested in exploring the musical world, composing and writing songs while evolving into a band.
Their original demo comprising three tracks (Waste of Time, Nigger and Profit Preacher) quickly secured them local radio airplay and consequently brought them to the attention of the MVG label. "Nigger" is an anti-racism statement that caused quite a stir and was a massive success; it was also released as a single. By the beginning of the 1990s, Clawfinger self-released their debut Deaf Dumb Blind. This sold in over 600,000 copies worldwide and was critically acclaimed in Swedish press. With the addition of André Skaug and drummer Morten Skaug, Clawfinger went on tour and played at countless European festivals including major support slots with Anthrax and Alice in Chains.
The band received many awards, including two home Grammies at the Swedish Grammy Awards in 1994 for best hard rock band and best music video. After touring, they went straight back in the studio to record their second album, Use Your Brain. After the release of this album they went on yet another touring campaign, most notably participating at Ozzy Osbourne's Monsters of Rock Festival in Brazil and Chile, rocking alongside American metal counterparts like Megadeth, Faith No More, and Alice Cooper. Back in Europe they continued their touring campaign by participating at festivals and countless gigs.
Their self-titled album Clawfinger was released in 1997. The first song on the album is Two Sides, which expanded the band's reach by using female choir vocals and a Middle Eastern sound. The rest of the album continues with the band's typical aggressive voice and socio-political lyrics.
A Whole Lot of Nothing was the fourth album released on 23 July 2001. The music showcases the same aggressive guitars, with more distortion effects and sounds, adding a whole new level of diversification. As for the synthesizers, on this particular album they're more present than on any other of Clawfinger's works.
Zeros & Heroes was released in 2003 and it caused controversy in America because the song Step Aside did not sit well with most American audiences due to the fact it slams George W. Bush and the post 9/11 (and not only) military politics of the US. It offers yet another style change for the ears of the listener. The electronic sound and synthesizers from A Whole Lot of Nothing are gone and replaced by a more complex and melodic guitar riffing.
Hate Yourself With Style was released in 2005. The album continued the path entered on Zeros & Heroes and is characterized by hardrock style melodic speedy guitar riffs. The keyboards which particularly characterized A Whole Lot of Nothing have completely disappeared.
Life Will Kill You was released in 2007. It has spawned three singles: Prisoners, The Price We Pay, and Little Baby.
The band officially disbanded in 23 August 2013.
Current members:
Zak Tell — vocals
Jocke Skog — keyboards
Bard Torstensen — guitar
Henka Johansson — drums
Andre Skaug — bass
Vienna
Clawfinger Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Freezing breath on a window pane
Lying and waiting
A man in the dark in a picture frame
So mystic and soulful
A voice reaching out in a piercing cry
It stays with you until
It means nothing to me
This means nothing to me
Oh, Vienna
The music is weaving
Haunting notes, pizzicato strings
The rhythm is calling
Alone in the night as the daylight brings
A cool empty silence
The warmth of your hand and a cold grey sky
It fades to the distance
The image has gone only you and I
It means nothing to me
This means nothing to me
Oh, Vienna
This means nothing to me
This means nothing to me
Oh, Vienna
The lyrics of Clawfinger's song Vienna invoke a sense of loneliness and despair. The song refers to two people walking in the cold air with their freezing breath on a window pane. As they lie and wait, they gaze at a man in a picture frame, mystic and soulful, whose voice reaches out in a piercing cry. The lyrics suggest that the feeling of the man's voice stays with the two people until the feeling has gone, leaving them alone in their melancholy.
The haunting and weaving music adds to the eerie atmosphere of the song, with pizzicato strings and a rhythm that calls out in a lonely way, alone in the night as the daylight brings a cool empty silence. The warmth of the person's hand is the only comfort against the cold grey sky, but the image fades away as the lyrics suggest that it means nothing to the person singing.
Overall, the song Vienna can be interpreted as a ballad about the transience of human connection and the isolation that comes with it. The lyrics suggest that the momentary sensation of bonding with someone or something often fades away as quickly as it comes, leaving behind an empty feeling of longing for something that once was.
Line by Line Meaning
We walked in the cold air
The singer and someone else walked in the cold air outside.
Freezing breath on a window pane
Their breath became frost on a windowpane due to the low temperature.
Lying and waiting
The singer and the other person were lying down and waiting for something.
A man in the dark in a picture frame
There was a man in a picture frame in a dark place.
So mystic and soulful
The man in the picture seemed mystical and had a deep soul.
A voice reaching out in a piercing cry
The man's voice was reaching out in a piercing cry - possibly for help.
It stays with you until
The memory of the voice stayed with the singer and the other person until something happened.
The feeling has gone only you and I
The feeling they shared was unique and personal to them since only the two of them experienced it.
It means nothing to me
The singer is trying to dissociate from the experience and saying that it has no meaning to them.
This means nothing to me
The singer is trying to further emphasize their lack of investment in the experience.
Oh, Vienna
This is a reference to the location where the experience took place - possibly representing a change in perspective.
The music is weaving
Music is playing and creating a weave of sounds.
Haunting notes, pizzicato strings
The sounds of the music are haunting, and the instrument being used is a stringed one that is being plucked.
The rhythm is calling
The rhythm of the music seems enticing or captivating.
Alone in the night as the daylight brings
The singer is alone at night, but daylight is coming soon.
A cool empty silence
There is an unremarkable and empty silence existing alongside the music.
The warmth of your hand and a cold grey sky
The person's hand is warm while the atmosphere around them is cold and grey.
It fades to the distance
The memory of the experience fades away into the distance.
The image has gone only you and I
The image of the experience is only remembered by the singer and the other person who shared it.
This means nothing to me
The singer continues to reinforce their lack of investment in the experience.
This means nothing to me
The singer further emphasizes their indifference towards the experience.
Oh, Vienna
The singer concludes the song with another reference to the location.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CHRISTOPHER THOMAS ALLEN, MIDGE URE, WARREN REGINALD CANN, WILLIAM CURRIE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind