Immanu El (often typeset as IMMANU EL) is a Swedish post-rock band from Jön… Read Full Bio ↴Immanu El (often typeset as IMMANU EL) is a Swedish post-rock band from Jönköping.

Formed by Claes Strängberg and his brother Per in 2004, Immanu El was joined by Michael Persson and Emil Karlsson soonafter where they began to work on their first release.

The band name, Immanu El, is a play on words (of sorts) on the Hebrew Bible's prophecy of Immanuel, the prophesied Messiah, and the Semetic word for God, El (deity), and "with us" (Immanu). The band's name takes on even deeper meaning in light of the Judeo-Christian philosophies of Jesus being simultaneously the Jewish Messiah and God in one.

After touring, supporting such bands as Logh and Loney, Dear they got the chance in 2005 to play a set on the 'Rookie Stage' in the Hultsfred Festival; an opportunity for unsigned bands to perform at a major event.

They released their first EP titled Killerwhale, before being signed to And the Sound Records in 2006. The following year, Immanu El recorded and released their first full-length album They'll Come, They Come. Building on the success of their first album they released their second album Moen in 2009, followed by In Passage in 2011.

Kosmonaut
Immanu El Lyrics

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(Spoken passage from the Book of Revelation)

I'm in need of someone
I'm in need of something

Through my ears and through my eyes
Through my bones and through my mind

Black faces wild

Never shape me

Overall Meaning

The opening passage of Immanu El's song, Kosmonaut, features a spoken passage from the Book of Revelation. This quote sets the tone for the lyrics that follow, which speak to the search for meaning and connection in a confusing and chaotic world. The singer expresses a deep need for someone or something to help them navigate the complexities of life. This sentiment is reinforced by the repeated phrase, "through my ears and through my eyes, through my bones and through my mind," which suggests a desire for a holistic understanding of the world around them.

The second half of the lyrics juxtaposes this need for connection with the image of "black faces wild," which implies a sense of otherness or alienation. Despite this, the singer insists that these faces will "never shape me," suggesting a refusal to be defined by external circumstances or societal norms.

Overall, Kosmonaut is a powerful meditation on the search for meaning and the struggle to maintain a sense of self in a confusing and often disorienting world.

Line by Line Meaning

I'm in need of someone
I require the presence of another person in my life

I'm in need of something
There is a compelling necessity in me for an unknown entity

Through my ears and through my eyes
The entity I desire must engage my sensory organs of sight and sound

Through my bones and through my mind
This entity must connect with me on a physical and emotional level

Black faces wild
The external world is unpredictable and uncontrollable, using the image of wild black faces to illustrate

Never shape me
I am independent of external circumstances and will not be negatively influenced by them

Contributed by Callie R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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