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."

Coconut
Fever Ray Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

He came back one day and
Told me stories that I now dream of
(Oh, oh, oh, oh)

Open atmosphere
Take me anywhere
Take me there
(Oh, oh, oh, oh)

We have water mouth
Sand in pockets and a strained household
(Oh, oh, oh, oh)

When the night falls
There is fire in the bungalow

Lay back with a big cigar
Lay back we are where we are

Lay back with a big cigar
Lay back this is where we are

Overall Meaning

In "Coconut" by Fever Ray, the singer describes a visit from someone who has come back and shared stories that they now dream of. The second stanza mentions an open atmosphere that can take the singer anywhere they want to go. The third stanza finds the singer describing the odd collection of things they have, including sand in their pockets and a strained household. Finally, the fourth stanza takes place at night when there is a fire in the bungalow. The chorus repeats several times, encouraging the singer to lay back with a big cigar and enjoy where they are.

The song is evocative of a dreamlike state, with disjointed images and ideas. The stories the visitor tells are so compelling that the singer begins to dream of them, implying that the stories are either very exciting or deeply emotional. The open atmosphere of the second stanza is left undefined, but it represents the freedom the singer feels when they hear these stories. The sand in their pockets and the strained household may represent the singer's own troubles, which are forgotten in the face of the visitor's tales. The final stanza has a slightly ominous feeling, with the fire in the bungalow suggesting the possibility of danger, although it is not made clear what kind of danger.

Line by Line Meaning

He came back one day and Told me stories that I now dream of (Oh, oh, oh, oh)
He returned with tales of wonder to share, now I long for adventures yet to be had.

Open atmosphere Take me anywhere Take me there (Oh, oh, oh, oh)
The endless sky, a world without bounds, take me beyond the cages of the mundane.

We have water mouth Sand in pockets and a strained household (Oh, oh, oh, oh)
Thirst and hunger are our constant companions, our home is marked with wear and tear.

When the night falls There is fire in the bungalow
As darkness descends, we gather around the flame for warmth and light.

Lay back with a big cigar Lay back we are where we are Lay back with a big cigar Lay back this is where we are
Let us take a moment to relax and enjoy the present, for this is our reality now and forevermore.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: KARIN DREIJER ANDERSSON

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS