David & The Citizens is a band from Malmö, Sweden.

David & The Citiz… Read Full Bio ↴David & The Citizens is a band from Malmö, Sweden.

David & The Citizens were:
David Fridlund - Vocals, electric guitar
Conny Fridh - Bass, backing vocals
Magnus Bjerkert - Trumpet, organ, piano, guitar
John Bjerkert - Drums, backing vocals

They released their third full-length "Stop The Tape! Stop The Tape!" in August 2006. In February, 2007, on the cusp of a major tour and their first US appearances, all the members of the band (except Fridlund) quit.

There have been rumours that D&TC are finished. However, in his blog, David claims that these are false.

On the 17 December 2007 David & the Citizens released an EP called "I Saw My Reflection And I Didn't Recognize Myself" with four new songs. The EP is free for downloading at the web page and some pictures and the lyrics are included. The listeners have the option to pay for the EP if they are willing to and instructions are included in the EP. David also assures that the band still exists and "will be around till the day I decide to quit. And that day is yet to come."

Big Chill
David & The Citizens Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

There's a yellow light
Underneath the clouds
The city is at rest
I think of this and that
While holding my breath
Don't ring the alarm
Don't put up a fight
Over things I've said and done

One hundred years ago tonight
And my back is breaking
And my legs are aching
I'm a long way from home
I'm all alone
But you're eyes are here

If I lost myself
The way I fear I could
The way you said I would
If the prophecy was right
Then give yourself a reward now
You know that i walk
One foot after the other
My words just won't come
I walk alone
And the sun keeps shining
And I keep on falling
Into an unknown place
And your eyes are here

So go on, go fast
We don't have much time left
The big chill will hit you when you least expect it
Nobody talks about you like that, huh?
Walk under water and breath 'til you don't bleed
The world is a sad place but you're riding on it
So please no excuses
No give me no bullshit
I want you to know that no matter where you go
No matter where you go
I want you to know that my eyes are there

Big chill

Overall Meaning

in David & The Citizens's song could be interpreted as a metaphor for death. The yellow light underneath the clouds could represent the final flicker of life before it gets extinguished or the light at the end of the tunnel. The city being at rest suggests a peaceful and quiet environment, perhaps similar to a cemetery at night. The singer is deep in thought, holding their breath, and reflecting on their actions and words from a hundred years ago, indicating a life well-lived and long gone.

As the singer muses about their physical discomfort, one could interpret it as a reflection on the physical toll aging takes on the body, especially if one has lived a long and challenging life. Falling into an unknown place could symbolize the inevitable march towards death, but the singer finds solace in the thought that someone's eyes are always watching over them, suggesting a belief in an afterlife or the comfort of knowing that they will be remembered fondly by someone.

Line by Line Meaning

There's a yellow light
I see a yellow light shining below the clouds in the sky

Underneath the clouds
The yellow light is located below the clouds in the sky

The city is at rest
The city is quiet and still

I think of this and that
I am lost in thought about various things

While holding my breath
I am holding my breath for unknown reasons

Don't ring the alarm
Please do not startle me and cause alarm

Don't put up a fight
Don't argue with me or resist what I am saying

Over things I've said and done
I do not want conflict over past actions or words

One hundred years ago tonight
Metaphorical reference to the past, as if it was one hundred years ago tonight

And my back is breaking
My back is in pain and under stress

And my legs are aching
My legs are also in pain and feeling tired

I'm a long way from home
I am far from my place of comfort and familiarity

I'm all alone
I am by myself and have no company

But your eyes are here
Even though I am alone, I feel the presence of someone significant through their eyes

If I lost myself
If I were to lose my sense of self or direction

The way I fear I could
In the manner that I am afraid may happen

The way you said I would
In the way that you predicted I would lose myself or direction

If the prophecy was right
If your prediction of me losing myself or direction comes true

Then give yourself a reward now
If I do lose myself or direction, you will already know because you predicted it and therefore deserve credit or acknowledgement

You know that I walk
You are aware that I am moving on foot

One foot after the other
I am taking steps in succession, one foot following the other

My words just won't come
I am having difficulty expressing myself verbally

I walk alone
I am walking without any company or companionship

And the sun keeps shining
The sun continues to radiate light and heat as it usually does

And I keep on falling
I am repeatedly experiencing setbacks or hardships

Into an unknown place
I am entering unfamiliar territory or experiencing something new

And your eyes are here
Despite the unknown, I feel the presence of someone significant through their eyes

So go on, go fast
Continue moving forward quickly

We don't have much time left
We are running out of time or resources

The big chill will hit you when you least expect it
An unknown event or circumstance will affect you in a negative way when you are unprepared or unsuspecting

Nobody talks about you like that, huh?
Others do not speak highly or positively of you

Walk under water and breath 'til you don't bleed
Metaphor for enduring hardship or persevering through difficult circumstances

The world is a sad place but you're riding on it
Despite the gloomy state of the world, you are still making progress

So please no excuses
I do not want any reasons or justifications for why something cannot be done

No give me no bullshit
Don't try to deceive or mislead me

I want you to know that no matter where you go
I need you to understand that regardless of your location or situation

No matter where you go
Regardless of where you are or what you are doing

I want you to know that my eyes are there
I want you to know that I am present and watching over you

Contributed by Natalie I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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