El Perro del Mar (The Sea Dog) is the nom de musique of Sarah Assbring, a S… Read Full Bio ↴El Perro del Mar (The Sea Dog) is the nom de musique of Sarah Assbring, a Swedish pop thrush whose recordings are glorious aural confections that combine Brill Building pop and the influences of Brian Wilson, Burt Bacharach, and Smokey Robinson with lyrics that speak with a sweet, ineffable sadness of the pitfalls of love and life. According to Assbring, the name El Perro del Mar came to her during an ill-fated vacation in Spain; she was alone, depressed, and out of sorts when a stray dog came up to her while she sat on the beach, and the dog's efforts to bond with her inspired her to express her feelings through songwriting. Assbring began recording her new songs on her own, playing most of the instruments herself as well as singing, and in late 2006 Sweden's Hybris label issued her debut release, a three-song EP. The EP earned enthusiastic reviews and respectable sales, and Assbring's next project was a split single with Jens Lekman, released in North America by the prestigious indie label Secretly Canadian.

A second EP, 2005's You Gotta Give to Get, was a hit in Sweden, thanks in part to a charming animated video for the title tune, and the disc helped spread the word about her music in England and the United States. Later that year, Hybris compiled El Perro del Mar's single sides and EPs into an album, Look! It's El Perro del Mar!; then, El Perro del Mar, a mostly reworked version of that first release, was issued in the U.K. by Memphis Industries in the fall of 2006, with an American version from The Control Group following shortly afterward. All of this was enough to get the singer signed to her fellow Swedes the Concretes' label, Licking Fingers, and she soon began working on new material. From the Valley to the Stars, her second full-length album of new material, arrived in early 2008. When she next returned to the studio, she signed up Rasmus Hägg of the group Studio as a collaborator. The album the duo created in 2009, Love Is Not Pop, was inspired less by her previous influences and more by disco and modern club sounds, though it still retained all the warmth and drama she had become known for.

Say
El Perro del Mar Lyrics

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Say what you say, what you say, what you say
There's a road that no one would follow
Say what you say, what you say, what you say
There's a road that no one would follow
Say what you say, what you say, what you say
There's a road that no one would follow

Never

(Never)
Never forget there's a road
(There's a road)
No one will get to

Never
(Never)
Never forget there's a road
No one will get to

Never
(Never)
Never forget there's a road
(There's a road)
No one will get to

Never
(Never)
Never forget there's a road
(There's a road)
No one will get to

Say what you say, what you say, what you say
There's a road that no one would follow
You say what you say, what you say
There's a road that no one would follow

You say what you say, what you say
There's a road that no one would follow
You say what you say, what you say
There's a road that no one would follow

Never
(Never, ooh, there's a road no one will get to)
Never
(Never, ooh, there's a road no one will get to)
Never ever ever forget there's a road
No one will get to

Never
(Never)
Never forget there's a road
(There's a road)
No one will get to

Ooh, what you say, what you say
Ooh, what you say, what you say
Ooh, what you say, what you say
Ooh, what you say, what you say

Ooh, what you say, what you say
Ooh, what you say, what you say
Ooh, what you say, what you say
Ooh, what you say, what you say

Say what you say, what you say, what you say
There's a road that no one would follow

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of El Perro del Mar's song "Say" seem to convey a message about individuality and the importance of staying true to oneself. The repeated phrase "there's a road that no one would follow" suggests that there are unique paths in life that may not be popular or widely accepted, but that should still be pursued. The lyrics encourage the listener to speak their truth and not be afraid to stand out or go against the norm. The repetition of the phrase "never forget there's a road no one will get to" emphasizes the rarity and value of these individual paths.

In addition to the message of individuality, the use of repetition in the lyrics creates a sense of emphasis and urgency. The repeated question "what you say, what you say" could be interpreted as a challenge or call to action for the listener to speak up and assert themselves. The song also has a dreamy and ethereal quality to its sound, which could suggest a sense of introspection or reflection.

Overall, the lyrics of "Say" by El Perro del Mar convey an empowering message about the importance of staying true to oneself and pursuing unique paths in life.

Line by Line Meaning

Say what you say, what you say, what you say
Express yourself in the way you want to, regardless of how others perceive it

There's a road that no one would follow
There is a path that nobody would choose to take, most likely due to its difficulty or risks involved

Never forget there's a road
Always keep in mind that there is a challenging path that you may have to take, even if others won't follow you

No one will get to
Few people are brave enough to try overcoming obstacles and following that path

Ooh, what you say, what you say
An interjection calling for transparency and honesty in communication

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: SARAH ASSBRING

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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