For over 7 years he was the singer, bassist and songwriter of a band who rocked North Germany with a dark melodic grunge-rock sound. After moving to Berlin and being inspired by his influences Jan found his passion in electronic music. Making a tough decision to quit the band, he traded his guitar for an apc40 and 5x8Spur-Matrix and began producing and performing solo.
Today his sound can be described as a mixture of Radiohead, Muse, Bodi Bill, Stephan Bodzin and James Holden - a beautiful balancing act between melancholic, melodic electro-pop and euphoric minimal techno making Jan one of the most interesting and promising young artist in Berlin at the moment."
Winter Roads
Jan Blomqvist Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He just wanted to say 'Hey Hello'
The stranger gets stranger tho
As your eyes give no Hello
Like on the streets transparent looks
Easier to just say, 'Hello'
And maybe we overstate to push us
To fucking wake up, Hell Oh
Then another light, Hello?
The dead canary waits
Down the mine to say, 'Hello'
And on the streets the cameras know
Smile and wave, 'Hello'
Hmm what's on the other side?
Open the curtain wide, say 'Hey Hello'
Kurt was a stranger tho
He just wanted to say 'Hey Hello'
The stranger gets stranger tho
As your eyes give no Hello
Like on the streets transparent looks
Easier to just say, 'Hello'
And maybe we overstate to push us
To fucking wake up, Hell Oh
Fucking wake up
And on the street the cameras know
And maybe we overstate to push us
To fucking wake up, Hell Oh
Fucking wake up!
Fucking wake up!
Fucking wake up!
Fucking wake up!
It's dark on the road tonight, fucking wake up!
The dead canary waits, fucking wake up!
And on the street the cameras know, fucking wake up!
What's on the other side? Open the curtain wide, fucking wake up!
And maybe we overstate to push us
To fucking wake up, Hell Oh
The song Winter Roads by Jan Blomqvist explores the idea of the increasing disconnect and superficial interactions in our modern society. The lyrics start by mentioning Kurt, a stranger who just wants to say hello, but as the song progresses, it becomes evident that such simple human interactions are becoming increasingly difficult. People on the streets have "transparent looks," and their eyes give no hello, which makes it easier to simply say "hello" and move on. The song highlights the paradox of a world that is becoming more interconnected yet isolated at the same time. The lyrics mention cameras on the street that "know" and encourage people to smile and wave hello, despite the facade of genuine interaction.
The chorus of the song is a cry for people to "fucking wake up." The idea is that maybe, if we overstate the problem, we might be forced to confront the reality of the situation, which is that we are moving towards a society where human interactions are becoming increasingly superficial. The line "what's on the other side? Open the curtain wide" suggests that maybe if we made a conscious effort to break out of this superficial cycle, we might find something meaningful.
Line by Line Meaning
Kurt was a stranger tho
Kurt is a stranger, but he just wanted to greet with a 'Hey Hello'
The stranger gets stranger tho
People become even more distant as they avoid eye contact and fail to greet
As your eyes give no Hello
The eyes of people passing by do not show any recognition or greeting
Like on the streets transparent looks
People appear transparent, avoiding interactions and communication
Easier to just say, 'Hello'
It's easier and more meaningful if people just greet and acknowledge each other
And maybe we overstate to push us
Perhaps we need to exaggerate the need for connection and engagement to motivate people
To fucking wake up, Hell Oh
To truly awaken and recognize the value of social interaction
It's dark on the road tonight
The way forward seems uncertain and possibly dangerous
Then another light, Hello?
Is there hope for companionship with someone else appearing on the road?
The dead canary waits
A warning sign that there are dangers ahead
Down the mine to say, 'Hello'
Even in the depths of danger, acknowledging each other would make a difference
And on the streets the cameras know
Surveillance cameras see everything, including the lack of connection between people
Smile and wave, 'Hello'
Pretending to be friendly for the sake of appearances, not genuine connection
Hmm what's on the other side?
Wondering what opportunities for connection there may be if one takes the risk to look beyond their comfort zone
Open the curtain wide, say 'Hey Hello'
Taking a leap of faith to open oneself up to the possibility of social interaction and expressing a greeting
Lyrics © Motor Songs GmbH
Written by: FELIX LEHMANN, JAN FRETER, RYAN MATHIESEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@medaminerezeb6783
WINTER ROADS (Jan Blomqvist & Ryan Mathiesen, Jul 2017)
Kurt was a stranger tho,
he just wanted to say ‘Hey Hello’.
The stranger gets stranger tho
as your eyes give no Hello.
Like on the streets transparent looks,
easier to just say, ‘Hello’.
And maybe we overstate to push us
to fucking wake up, Hell Oh.
It’s dark on the road tonight,
then another light, Hello?
The dead canary waits
down the mine to say, ‚Hello’.
And on the streets the cameras know,
smile and wave, ‚Hello’.
Hmm what's on the other side?
Open the curtain wide, say ‘Hey Hello’.
Kurt was a stranger tho,
he just wanted to say ‘Hey Hello’.
The stranger gets stranger tho
as your eyes give no Hello.
Like on the streets transparent looks,
easier to just say, ‘Hello’.
And maybe we overstate to push us
to fucking wake up, Hell Oh.
Fucking wake up
And on the street the cameras know…
And maybe we overstate to push us
to fucking wake up, Hell Oh.
Fucking wake up!
Fucking wake up!
Fucking wake up!
Fucking wake up!
It’s dark on the road tonight, fucking wake up!
The dead canary waits, fucking wake up!
And on the street the cameras know, fucking wake up!
What's on the other side? Open the curtain wide, fucking wake up!
And maybe we overstate to push us
to fucking wake up, Hell Oh.
(Extra Lines:
Culture is calcified, either change or die, lets go.
Money is measure time, we walked that line, decades ago )
@evalou222
Kurt was a stranger tho
He just wanted to say 'Hey Hello'
The stranger gets stranger tho
As your eyes give no Hello
Like on the streets transparent looks
Easier to just say, 'Hello'
And maybe we overstate to push us
To fucking wake up, Hell Oh
It's dark on the road tonight
Then another light, Hello?
The dead canary waits
Down the mine to say, 'Hello'
And on the streets the cameras know
Smile and wave, 'Hello'
Hmm what's on the other side?
Open the curtain wide, say 'Hey Hello'
Kurt was a stranger tho
He just wanted to say 'Hey Hello'
The stranger gets stranger tho
As your eyes give no Hello
Like on the streets transparent looks
Easier to just say, 'Hello'
And maybe we overstate to push us
To fucking wake up, Hell Oh
Fucking wake up
And on the street the cameras know
And maybe we overstate to push us
To fucking wake up, Hell Oh
Fucking wake up!
Fucking wake up!
Fucking wake up!
Fucking wake up!
It's dark on the road tonight, fucking wake up!
The dead canary waits, fucking wake up!
And on the street the cameras know, fucking wake up!
What's on the other side? Open the curtain wide, fucking wake up!
And maybe we overstate to push us
To fucking wake up, Hell Oh
@annamusic1516
Jan is so Effing under rated! I love you JAN!
@frankpage6573
Still the most underrated track on the internet.
@samnzimande
Flippin true
@PatilChaki
Thanks for your existence Jan.
@RHSSB
This song helped me get over my ex too! Turned it all the way up Cried, screamed, all of the above! Still a favorite!!
@giventhapelofisha
Recently discovered this track 3 weeks ago and it has been on repeat ever since.
@kristinkoenig7080
Ich bin immer wieder erneut begeistert!
@bgoodman9545
THIS IS SO SOOOOOOO GOOD
@krzysieksiewio8930
I've heard it in some Austrian radio last winter when being there. Can't stop listening it since then.
@khensk
This song helped me get over my ex. Song I listen to when I'm angry or have pent up energy, such a master piece