While doing an incredible job for NRK traveling around and reporting, he also raised money for a Norwegian coastal rescue service (redningsselskapet). He also started recording tunes he learned on his journeys around the country and the world. This resulted in many recordings . Erik Bye was voted to be the 3'd most important Norwegian citizen of all time in 2005. He died in 2004.
He will always be known for the humour and radiation of positive energy.
Gjennom et hvitmalt gjerde
Erik Bye Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Mens natten svøper sin kappe, lindt om din spukne jord
Langt har jeg reist, og lenge. Og nå er du reisens mål
Igjen skal jeg ånde inn røyken fra fattigfolks bitre bål
Gjennom et hvitmalt gjerde, stirrer du mot meg, bror
Og smiler "Hei Mister Safari", men vet at jeg er den du tror:
Jeg kom hit for lenge siden, og bragte deg smerte og død,
Jeg trengte meg inn i din hage, jeg tok dine døtre med vold
En passe kjedsommelig søndag skjøt jeg din mormor før tolv
Så hengte jeg rifla på veggen, og vepnet med bønn og med bok
Bød jeg deg lite på herren, for herren er hvit og klok.
Alltid et hvitmalt gjerde, alltid det strenge stakitt
Som spriker mot støv og stjerner, og skiller ditt liv fra mitt
Med blod har stengsler vært revet, gjerder har morknet og falt,
Men nye ble reist ved din armod, og skiller oss kynisk og kaldt
Her står jeg med fett om munnen, og trette urolige drag
Du sovner i rus og glemsel, på flukt fra deg selv og din dag
Finnes et håp, en berøring av hjerte og hjerne og hud
Vi spør under tause stjerner "Hva er du du vil oss, Gud?"
The song "Gjennom et hvitmalt gjerde" by Erik Bye is a hauntingly beautiful piece of music that reflects on the complex relationship between two brothers. The singer observes his brother's shadow through a white-painted fence while the night envelops his brother's grave. The singer has traveled far and wide to reach his brother's resting place, and now he breathes in the smoke from the fires of the poor, which comforts him.
The second verse of the song takes a somewhat darker turn as the singer acknowledges the pain and death he brought to his brother. He recalls how he invaded his brother's garden, took his daughters by force, and shot his grandmother. The singer hung up his rifle and armed himself with the Bible instead, calling on the Lord to justify his actions. The white-painted fence remains a constant presence in the singer's thoughts, separating his own life from his brother's and reminding him of the irreversible damage he has caused.
In the final verse, the singer questions his own existence and the purpose of his journey. He is filled with self-loathing and a desperate need for redemption. The song ends with a plea to God for answers, spoken under the "silent stars."
Overall, "Gjennom et hvitmalt gjerde" is a powerful meditation on loss, guilt, and the complex emotions that accompany family relationships. The white-painted fence serves as a metaphor for the barriers, both physical and emotional, that separate people from each other. The song's haunting melody and evocative lyrics make it a timeless classic that continues to resonate with listeners to this day.
Line by Line Meaning
Gjennom et hvitmalt gjerde ser jeg din skygge, Bror
I see your shadow through a white fence, brother
Mens natten svøper sin kappe, lindt om din spukne jord
As night covers your haunted soil with its cloak
Langt har jeg reist, og lenge. Og nå er du reisens mål
I have traveled far and long, and now you are the destination of my journey
Igjen skal jeg ånde inn røyken fra fattigfolks bitre bål
Once again, I will inhale the smoke of the bitter fire of the poor
Gjennom et hvitmalt gjerde, stirrer du mot meg, bror
You stare at me through a white fence, brother
Og smiler 'Hei Mister Safari', men vet at jeg er den du tror:
And you smile 'Hey Mr. Safari', but know that I am who you think I am:
Jeg kom hit for lenge siden, og bragte deg smerte og død,
I came here a long time ago and brought you pain and death,
Og sendte min bleke Jesus, til trøst i din nakne nød
And sent my pale Jesus to comfort you in your naked need
Jeg trengte meg inn i din hage, jeg tok dine døtre med vold
I forced my way into your garden, I took your daughters by force
En passe kjedsommelig søndag skjøt jeg din mormor før tolv
On a reasonably boring Sunday, I shot your grandma before noon
Så hengte jeg rifla på veggen, og vepnet med bønn og med bok
Then I hung the rifle on the wall, armed with prayer and book
Bød jeg deg lite på herren, for herren er hvit og klok.
I didn't offer you much of the Lord, for the Lord is white and wise.
Alltid et hvitmalt gjerde, alltid det strenge stakitt
Always a white fence, always the strict picket fence
Som spriker mot støv og stjerner, og skiller ditt liv fra mitt
That reaches for the dust and stars, dividing your life from mine
Med blod har stengsler vært revet, gjerder har morknet og falt,
With blood, barriers have been torn down, fences have decayed and fallen,
Men nye ble reist ved din armod, og skiller oss kynisk og kaldt
But new ones were raised by your poverty, and divide us cynically and coldly
Her står jeg med fett om munnen, og trette urolige drag
Here I stand with grease around my mouth, and tired restless breaths
Du sovner i rus og glemsel, på flukt fra deg selv og din dag
You fall asleep in a daze and forgetfulness, running away from yourself and your day
Finnes et håp, en berøring av hjerte og hjerne og hud
There is hope, a touch of heart and mind and skin
Vi spør under tause stjerner 'Hva er du du vil oss, Gud?'
Under silent stars we ask 'What do you want from us, God?'
Writer(s): Hans Fredrik Jacobsen
Contributed by Juliana W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.