Fever Ray is an alias of Swedish musician Karin Dreijer, formerly of The Kn… Read Full Bio ↴Fever Ray is an alias of Swedish musician Karin Dreijer, formerly of The Knife. They debuted with the single "If I Had A Heart" (15 Dec 2008) under the alias, followed by the self-titled album Fever Ray (2009). Their second album, Plunge was released in October 2017 without prior announcement. Their vocal style is highly distinct - shrill and piercing, with a heavy Swedish accent and frequent use of pitch-shifting technology.

Dreijer was born on 7 April 1975 in Gothenburg, Sweden. In 1994, they formed the indie rock band Honey Is Cool, where they served as the lead vocalist and guitarist. Together with their brother Olof Dreijer, they formed an electronic music duo The Knife in 1999, and have spanned a series of successful and critically acclaimed albums.

What would you do if one decade into your career you suddenly saw one of your songs turned into a worldwide hit, won six Grammis in your native Sweden and your latest release was declared album of the year by one of the world’s most influential music websites? If you’re Karin Dreijer, the answer is to take a couple of years off and return as a solo artist under a new name: Fever Ray.

In Dreijer's's own words: “I had so many songs to record that I just had to make an album. I thought I was going to have a longer break but I guess it will never happen. I can't stop working. My aim was to finish the album and, now that it's done, I'm a bit restless (good that The Knife has an opera to write then). During the last years, I discovered that I like to sing too, so I hope that my newly found live band Fever Ray will make it to the stages next year. We are rehearsing and building something beautiful and brilliant."

2 Dry And Dusty
Fever Ray Lyrics

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Never leave me
Walk close beside me
Your hand my hand
Fits so easy

No tomorrow
Let us stop here
We did some great things

Didn't we?

Dry and dusty
I am a capsule of energy
You speak softly
We are capsules of energy

Work as I've been told
In return I get money

Small feet in the hall
And I long for every moment

Overall Meaning

In "2 Dry and Dusty," Fever Ray paints a heart-wrenching picture of a relationship that's come to a halt. The song opens with the plea "Never leave me, walk close beside me" as the singer desperately clings to a love that's slipping away. They reminisce on past memories, recalling "We did some great things" in an effort to hold onto what they once had. But the harsh reality sets in, with the line "No tomorrow, let us stop here" indicating that this partnership has reached its end.

The images of dryness and dustiness that permeate the song give a sense of hopelessness and finality. The singer describes themselves as a "capsule of energy," which suggests that they once had a spark, but now feel trapped and contained. The line "Work as I've been told, in return I get money" suggests a sense of dissatisfaction with the daily grind, as if the singer is merely going through the motions and not living a fulfilling life. The small feet in the hall may represent the singer's children, or perhaps they're simply a symbol of the fleeting moments of happiness that the singer desperately longs for.

Line by Line Meaning

Never leave me
Please never abandon me

Walk close beside me
Walk with me very near

Your hand my hand
Our hands are joined together

Fits so easy
It feels so effortless and natural

No tomorrow
We aren't concerned about the future

Let us stop here
Let's take a break and enjoy the current moment

We did some great things
We accomplished amazing feats

Didn't we?
A rhetorical question expressing agreement

Dry and dusty
Arid and lacking water

I am a capsule of energy
I am a vessel that contains tremendous vitality

You speak softly
You talk in a gentle tone