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.

While I'm Reaching For You
Immanu El Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Islets pass
through the dawn
we go
over waters
over depths

As day breaks
colours shifting everywhere

your face are changing
and out of reach
you're smiling astray

While i'm reaching for you

What have filled me
what i owe
won't breach
through your walls
through your conscience

Drives through me
flowing over as we go
your face
turns away
in vain

You're fading astray

As i try to reach you
i am reaching for you

you are fading astray
while i'm reaching for you

Overall Meaning

The opening lines of "Islets pass through the dawn we go, over waters, over depths" sets the scene for "While I'm Reaching For You" by Immanu El, a song about the struggles of being in a relationship with someone who is emotionally distant. The "Islets" may represent the small moments of hope and connection in the relationship that come just at the dawn of the day but are fleeting- quickly passing away with the morning light. The "waters, over depths" could represent the challenges and difficulties of the relationship they must pass through together.

The next lines, "As day breaks, colours shifting everywhere, your face are changing and out of reach, you're smiling astray" describe a world of change, one where nothing is stable. The colours of the world around them are changing, and so too is the person they are with. Their face is "out of reach," and they are "smiling astray," suggesting they are moving away, becoming more distant.

The repetition of the line, "While I'm reaching for you," emphasizes the distance between the singer and their partner. They are desperately trying to connect, but as the chorus progresses, it becomes clear that the person they love is "fading astray." Despite all their efforts, they are losing them.

Overall, "While I'm Reaching For You" is a poignant and powerful song about the complexities of love, loss, and emotional distance.

Line by Line Meaning

Islets pass
We are traveling through small islands

through the dawn
during the early morning

we go
we are moving forward

over waters
across the sea

over depths
over the deep sea

As day breaks
As the sun rises

colours shifting everywhere
the colors around us change

your face are changing
your facial expressions are changing

and out of reach
you are not accessible

you're smiling astray
you're smiling, but not towards me