The otherworldly take on pop, jazz and art rock has given Hukkelberg two nominations for the Norwegian Grammy, mulitple tours and a wide audience internationally and a tour with Wilco in 2010. This was also the year she travelled to New York to write new material.
The result is Featherbrain – Hukkelberg’s fourth album – the last part of the circle, to be released world wide February 2012.
Combining the noisy guitars and heavy rhythms of Blood From A Stone, the stripped-down, lyrical lightness from Rykestrasse 68, and the weired and quirky sound picture from Little Things, Featherbrain creates a kind of antique pop music, at the same time brittle and soft, powerful and fragile. Hukkelberg explains:”This album feels like the missing link. Now these four album are one”.
Featherbrain is a risky album. Both dissonant and lyrical, it is music for headphones and notebooks. Its intimate, eccentric sounds demand your intimacy and your eccentricity, but the effort is rewarded: a personal and honest sonic world opens up, in fact, so sincere Hukkelberg had to toughen up to record it. Listen carefully!
www.hannehukkelberg.com
Seventeen
Hanne Hukkelberg Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He's of steel, he's a cog in the wheel
A spine so steep, he'd never weep
But you could buy him pretty cheap
Didn't fit in school, a stupid rule
Made him a fool but bragging bold
What he's been told, that's his gold
A perfect master's tool
Dignity is astray if you can pay
He would even gladly
Go the easy way out
Line of least resistance
He's the king of cash
He's a gold digger soldier
Unknowingness are hurting less
Won't be a mess, affordability and getting things for free
Is of importance to be fed on champagne and
Get it directly in the vein
He's a puppet in a show
Just an undertow
But he doesn't know
The lyrics to Hanne Hukkelberg's song "Seventeen" depict the story of a young man who has seemingly lost himself to the demands of society. He is described as being "like a machine" and "of steel", implying that he has become unfeeling and robotic. His spine is "so steep" that he would never weep, indicating that he has lost any sense of vulnerability or emotion.
As the song continues, it becomes clear that this young man has been molded by a system that values conformity and obedience over individuality and creativity. He didn't fit in school because of a "stupid rule" and was made a fool for it. However, he has found a way to cope with this by embracing what he's been told as his "gold". This suggests that he has given up his own values and beliefs in order to fit in with the expectations of others.
The chorus of the song laments the fact that this young man has abandoned his dignity and integrity in order to gain material wealth. He is a "king of cash" and a "gold digger soldier", willing to do whatever it takes to get what he wants. However, the final line of the song reveals that he is, in fact, just a "puppet in a show" and "an undertow" - a pawn in a larger game that he doesn't even realize he's playing.
Line by Line Meaning
He's seventeen, he's like a machine
At seventeen, he behaves like a well-oiled machine, without much emotion or spontaneity.
He's of steel, he's a cog in the wheel
He is strong and resilient, but also replaceable like a small part of a larger machine.
A spine so steep, he'd never weep
He has a rigid backbone and doesn't show vulnerability or sadness.
But you could buy him pretty cheap
He can be easily influenced or persuaded, especially with money.
Didn't fit in school, a stupid rule
He didn't conform to societal expectations in school, which now seems like a trivial or unnecessary aspect of his life.
Made him a fool but bragging bold
His non-conformity made him seem foolish or rebellious, but he wore it as a badge of honor or something to brag about.
What he's been told, that's his gold
The beliefs or messages he's been taught or influenced by are his most valuable or prized possessions.
A perfect master's tool
He is a perfect pawn or instrument for someone in authority to control or manipulate.
Dignity is astray if you can pay
He doesn't value dignity or self-respect if he can gain something valuable by sacrificing those qualities.
He would even gladly
He is so desperate or compliant that he would actually welcome or enjoy doing something he wouldn't normally do.
Go the easy way out
He chooses to take the path of least resistance or difficulty because it is more convenient or profitable for him.
He's the king of cash
He values money above all else and is willing to prioritize wealth over his own values or morals.
He's a gold digger soldier
He is aggressively pursuing money or resources without concern for the consequences or morality of his actions.
Unknowingness are hurting less
He is ignorant or unaware of the negative impact his actions might have, and therefore feels less pain or remorse.
Won't be a mess, affordability and getting things for free
He avoids getting into difficult or messy situations by prioritizing affordability and taking shortcuts, even if it means getting things for free.
Is of importance to be fed on champagne and
He desires luxury and indulgence, and is willing to do whatever it takes to attain it.
Get it directly in the vein
He wants to experience pleasure or stimulation as directly and immediately as possible, without having to work for it or wait for it.
He's a puppet in a show
He is being controlled or manipulated by someone else, like a puppet on a string.
Just an undertow
He is the unseen or unnoticed force that is pulling him in a certain direction.
But he doesn't know
He is ignorant of the fact that he is being used or that his actions have negative consequences.
Contributed by Asher C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Nilestyles
Hanne Hukkelburg is amazing! Every song is a mystery waiting to be discovered!
ninetysixxtears
This is such a breathtaking song. I wish I could find the lyrics online.
gimmeshelter72
@RhodesII - Oh yeah i had never hear her before or of her in fact and just stumbled onto this here and now have purchased Hannas album- great voice and writing!
gimmeshelter72
I love this ong- i do have to say as it's too too conicidental especially as you covered break my doby- ther outtro is strikingly similar to No 13 baby by The Pixies i still really like this song so who cares i guess but hmmm they must've seeped into Hanne subconsciousness heh he
Carl Gustafson
@gimmeshelter72 Wow, you're right, this is actually really similar to No 13 Baby by the Pixies. Even the format with three bars of 4/4 and one bar of 2/4 is the same. I still love Hanne's song though.