Erik Bye (Kjempen) was one of the most important figures in norwegian Tv an… Read Full Bio ↴Erik Bye (Kjempen) was one of the most important figures in norwegian Tv and radio. He was acutally born in New York and later moved back to Norway where he started working in the national broadcasting corporation (NRK). He had an extensive education which stretched over English, journalism and dramaturgy.

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.

Vintereplet
Erik Bye Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Et vintereple ble jeg visst
som hang for lenge på sin kvist,
men falle måtte jeg til sist
-da vinden fant meg.
Nå ligger jeg blant strie strå
med frosne nattetårer på
og undres; vil du komme nå
-og kanskje se meg?

Og løfte meg i hånden din
og legge meg mot hals og kinn
og kanskje helt på barmen inn?
-man kan jo drømme.
En drøm som kan bli sterk og sann
når solen er en isnet brann
imot en irrgrønn himmelrand
-og alt liv fryser.
Så tar du meg til reisens mål:
ditt nattbord og en sprukken skål.
Jeg lenges så, men må gi tål,
-for tyss, du sover.
Ja, sov min hvite vinterbrud!
En sommer sitrer i din hud
og anger mot meg milde bud
-om alt jeg elsket.
Så våkner du vel av din blund
og løfter meg opp mot din munn.

Fortær meg du - å, salig stund!
-Slik vil jeg ende!

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Erik Bye's song "Vintereplet" (The Winter Apple) are written in the first person by the apple which was left hanging for too long on the branch before falling due to the wind. The apple is now lying in the cold, frosty straw, wondering if someone will come and see it. Ideally, this person would pick it up and hold it, placing it against their neck, cheek, or even closer to their chest. The apple is dreaming of this encounter becoming a reality when the sun is as cold as ice and everything in life is frozen. It wishes for someone to take it to its final destination, a nightstand with a cracked bowl. However, it ends with the apple asking its imagined lover to consume it, making it a blissful moment for the apple’s passing.

The apple is used as a metaphor for the author's personal life, and the story behind the lyrics is a reflection of his wishes and desires. The lyrics speak about being abandoned and waiting for someone to come to take care of the apple. The apple's desire for warmth, touch, and being consumed is a direct result of the author's human emotion and personal needs. The song is written with a slow tempo, and the melody, along with the lyrics, provokes a melancholic mood and a sense of loneliness.

Line by Line Meaning

Et vintereple ble jeg visst
I am like a winter apple that remained on its branch for too long

som hang for lenge på sin kvist,
I held on for too long without letting go

men falle måtte jeg til sist
But eventually, I had to let go and fall

-da vinden fant meg.
As soon as the wind caught me

Nå ligger jeg blant strie strå
Now I am lying amongst rough straw

med frosne nattetårer på
With frozen night tears on me

og undres; vil du komme nå
And I wonder, will you come for me now

-og kanskje se meg?
And perhaps even notice me?

Og løfte meg i hånden din
Will you lift me up in your hand

og legge meg mot hals og kinn
And place me against your neck and cheek

og kanskje helt på barmen inn?
Maybe even nestle me in your bosom?