album released January 2009
written by .... Fever R… Read Full Bio ↴recorded 2008
album released January 2009
written by .... Fever Ray, Cecilia Nordlund
Fever Ray .... vocals, engineer, mixing, producer
Christoffer Berg .... engineer, producer, mixing
Henrik Jonsson .... mastering
recorded on the Rabid label
Keep the Streets Empty for Me
Fever Ray Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I am never the first to know
Following the stream up North
Where do people like us float
There is room in my lap
For bruises, asses, handclaps
I will never disappear
For forever, I'll be here
Whispering
Morning, keep the streets empty for me
Morning, keep the streets empty for me
I'm laying down, eating snow
My fur is hot, my tongue is cold
On a bed of spider web
I think of how to change myself
A lot of hope in a one man tent
There's no room for innocence
So take me home before the storm
Velvet mites will keep us warm
Whispering
Morning, keep the streets empty for me
Morning, keep the streets empty for me
Whispering
Morning, keep the streets empty for me
Morning, keep the streets empty for me
Uncover our heads and reveal our souls
We were hungry before we were born
Uncover our heads and reveal our souls
We were hungry before we were born
Uncover our heads and reveal our souls
We were hungry before we were born
Uncover our heads and reveal our souls
We were hungry before we were born
In “Keep the Streets Empty for Me,” Fever Ray mastermind Karin Dreijer Andersson tells the story of a person who is trying to find a place of solace in the world. The opening lines of the song express the singer’s feeling that she is always a little late to the party, always a little slow on the uptake. The singer goes north, possibly to find herself, but also possibly to find some other escape from the madness of the world.
The song continues with reflective lyrics that touch on how the singer uses pain as a means of survival: “there is room in my lap, for bruises, asses, handclaps.” The singer is open to absorbing pain and pleasure, but also needs space to breathe and reclaim her own identity amidst the overstimulation of the world around her.
In the chorus of the song, the singer begs the morning to keep the streets empty for her. She’s finding solace in the quiet moments where she can slow down and process, and this can only happen if the world around her slows down too. The middle section of the song sees the singer in a state of limbo, eating snow, and contemplating how to change herself.
Overall, "Keep the Streets Empty for Me" is a song about self-discovery through pain, while trying to navigate a world that is often overwhelming and chaotic.
Line by Line Meaning
Memory comes when memory's old
Memories often resurface when they have aged and become distant.
I am never the first to know
I am not usually informed of things until after others.
Following the stream up North
I am moving towards the northern direction alongside a flowing water body.
Where do people like us float
I am wondering where people with attributes similar to mine reside.
There is room in my lap
I have ample space on my lap.
For bruises, asses, handclaps
I am ready to accept and endure any level of physical or emotional pain, take pleasure in people clapping their hands.
I will never disappear
I will always stay present and noticeable.
For forever, I'll be here
I will continue to exist in this place for eternity.
Whispering
Speaking in a whisper or low voice.
Morning, keep the streets empty for me
Asking the morning to keep the streets unoccupied for me to wander alone.
I'm laying down, eating snow
I am lying on the ground while eating snow.
My fur is hot, my tongue is cold
My fur is warm while my tongue feels cold due to the low temperature.
On a bed of spider web
I am lying on a surface made of thin, delicate spider webs.
I think of how to change myself
I contemplate ways to transform and improve myself.
A lot of hope in a one man tent
Despite being alone in a tent, I am optimistic about the future.
There's no room for innocence
There is no space for naivety or purity.
So take me home before the storm
Take me back to safety before the storm arrives.
Velvet mites will keep us warm
Small, soft spiders will provide warmth in the absence of shelter.
Uncover our heads and reveal our souls
Expose the hidden aspects of our being and let our true selves be visible.
We were hungry before we were born
We have an inherent desire for fulfillment and satisfaction that existed long before our physical birth.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Cecilia Nordlund, Karin Dreijer Andersson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@iamanightmarewalking
Memory comes when memory's old
I am never the first to know
Following the stream up North
Where do people like us float
There is room in my lap
For bruises, asses, handclaps
I will never disappear
For forever, I'll be here
Whispering
Morning, keep the streets empty for me
Morning, keep the streets empty for me
I'm laying down, eating snow
My fur is hot, my tongue is cold
On a bed of spider web
I think of how to change myself
A lot of hope in a one man tent
There's no room for innocence
So take me home before the storm
Velvet mites will keep us warm
Whispering
Morning, keep the streets empty for me
Morning, keep the streets empty for me
Whispering
Morning, keep the streets empty for me
Morning, keep the streets empty for me
Uncover our heads and reveal our souls
We were hungry before we were born
Uncover our heads and reveal our souls
We were hungry before we were born
Uncover our heads and reveal our souls
We were hungry before we were born
Uncover our heads and reveal our souls
We were hungry before we were born
Tiocfaidh ár lá 😘❤️💞
@antiscyllisneocht5669
Keep the Streets Empty
Memory comes when memory's old
I am never the first to know
Following the stream up North
Where do people like us float
There is room in my lap
For bruises, asses, handclaps
I will never disappear
For forever, I'll be here
Whispering
Morning, keep the streets empty for me
Morning, keep the streets empty for me
I'm laying down, eating snow
My fur is hot, my tongue is cold
On a bed of spider web
I think of how to change myself
A lot of hope in a one man tent
There's no room for innocence
So take me home before the storm
Velvet mites will keep us warm
Whispering
Morning, keep the streets empty for me
Morning, keep the streets empty for me
Whispering
Morning, keep the streets empty for me
Morning, keep the…
-Fever Ray
@psychokittyletsplayandmore8589
I really feel like I need to explain this song from the perspective of a homeless person. Because as hauntingly sad and beautiful as it is, I feel like it is more so, from that perspective.
I feel like the first verse is expressing moments of abuse that much of the time will lead a youth to homelessness most likely coupled with the abusive lifestyle of actually being homeless. There are many preditors that prey on the homeless and when you are living with serious abuse and you become homeless, there is even a concern that you may be killed and yet a refusal to allow that to happen...a refusal to become one of the dissappeared and a will to fight for yourself.
I feel like the chorus refers to the need for the homeless to stay invisible, when you are invisible you can't be arrested or targeted. So, when morning comes, you are praying the streets stay empty until you can find a way to blend in or somewhere to go.
I feel like the next verse, is showing how it actually feels to live on the street. When you live on the street, you will find food and bed wherever you can, even if you have to eat snow or sleep on a bed of spiderwebs but at the same time, you are thankful if you have a warm coat. In those moments, when you are alone and going to sleep, all you can think about is how to change, how to fix your life. You have to cling to hope in order to keep going...even when you look around and see that you currently live in a tent or (if you are real lucky) a car but one thing that you lose, that you never get back, is innocents. You can't remain innocent, when you see what happens on the streets or behind certain closed doors, where you or someone you know might end up and because you know how bad things can get, you pray to find home before you lose hope or become a statistic.
I feel like the last words "uncover our heads and reveal our souls, we were hungry befoure we were born" is the full truth behind all of it. If people could take off the veil of prejidice or the mask of invisibility and see the Human being and thier, likely very sad, story...maybe we could make a change. People like this are not bad people, most of them never really had a chance. Alot of them are born into poverty, abuse, mental illness or drugs. Some of them may have had to run and hope for the best, in order to save thier own life.
@leroidunchou
I was walking home in Edinburgh to that song one night, after a late library session in the middle of the winter. Snow was falling and the streets were eerily empty so it just fit perfectly. Just as I was about to arrive I met a fox under these old pedestrian lights, its footprints imprinted in the snow, watching me. I remember staying there a while, thinking how peaceful this was. Perfect song, perfect moment.
@pranavu3708
Nice push
@greenlightgoddess7359
Perfect!! This song gives me images of foxes, coyotes or wolves roaming the outskirts of a town predawn...I love it! ALLLLL the FEELS
@dacianavanprice
Man. Beats my listening to this song while getting an excruciating tattoo. 😂😂🤣🤣
@dirtyjew1974
I can visualize that
@marialorenasanemeteriobust6717
leroidunchou love Edimburgo like I love my Buenos Aires
@lovisfeddersen9913
This is one of the songs you will hear once and never forget!
@ranazaman6121
I agree.
@DC-zd5ej
For you Jen....from your best friend David....I hope you are well.
@DC-zd5ej
Most people take a lifetime to do what we did in a summer homegirl !! I love you forever.