Jenny Hval studied Creative Writing at the University of Melbourne, and Literature at the University of Oslo. She has released the albums To Sing You Apple Trees (Trust Me Records, 2006) and Medea (Trust Me Records 2008) under the alias Rockettothesky. Her third album Viscera (Rune Grammofon 2011) was released under her own name. 2012 saw the release of the debut album of Hval’s band project, Nude On Sand, in which she collaborates with Håvard Volden. Jenny Hval made her debut as a writer with the book Perlebryggeriet (‘The Pearl Brewery’) with Kolon Forlag in 2009. Alongside this she has contributed to magazines and newspapers like Vinduet, ENO, Bergens Tidende and Klassekampen. In 2010 Hval contributed to the artwork War Song by the American artists Valerie Tevere and Angel Nevarez that was performed during the Ultima Festival in Oslo that year. In 2011 she created the sound installation ENTER/ Flesh for the bigger installation ENTER Sonic Tank at Tou Scene in Stavanger. In collaboration with the writer Inger Bråtveit she also created the work Kvit Søppel (‘White Trash’) in 2011.
She is currently working on her second book and her fourth studio album.
Mephisto In The Water
Jenny Hval Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
hold to kill her in the cause
she comes up with the river that climbs the mountain sight
if she climbs up the leaves, climbs up the leaves
with a swing in her hips.
The spring time, the spring time is here
it's.from my. the light in .
my heart is a beat and I'm out that saints
and what do you see, and what do you hear
the sound of the sea
or the sound of your heart heart heart heart heart
now that, now that, now that seems stand.
The water, the water.
release her, release her from me.
Are you counting yourself
the spring, the spring
I cover my ears,
and open my bags
but that seems into my bones
like it's floating in salt water
Uhh water
When I sleep into the water
covered by the gentle wings,
I follow .secrets
paths of what .right through you
Drift one town but .all like vegetables.
I run out to you
I run out to then
I run out the.
I run out of you
I run out of you
In "Mephisto In The Water," Jenny Hval paints a hauntingly surreal picture of a woman being held down in a river, perhaps against her will, as springtime comes. The lyrics suggest the woman might be a sacrifice, as there is an instruction to "hold to kill her in the cause." The woman "climbs up the leaves" with a "swing in her hips," possibly in an attempt to escape her captors. The singer hears the "sound of the sea" or the "sound of your heart heart heart heart heart." The lyrics suggest a struggle between the natural world and humanity, with the river and the spring representing life and rebirth, while the woman is trapped and fighting for her own survival. The final line, "release her, release her from me," suggests the singer is somehow connected to the woman in the water, or perhaps feels responsible for her plight.
The lyrics of "Mephisto In The Water" are open to interpretation, but they seem to contain themes of power, control, and gender dynamics. The woman in the water may represent the struggle of all those who are oppressed, silenced, or marginalized in our society. The idea of holding someone "in the cause" echoes the language of political movements, while the river and the spring may symbolize the forces of nature that are often exploited or destroyed by human greed. The line "what do you hear / the sound of the sea / or the sound of your heart heart heart heart heart" is particularly evocative, suggesting a choice between the vastness of the natural world and the inner depths of the self.
Line by Line Meaning
This spring
The current season of spring
hold to kill her in the cause
Hold onto the idea of killing someone or something for a certain purpose
she comes up with the river that climbs the mountain sight
She emerges from the river that flows uphill against the mountain's sight
if she climbs up the leaves, climbs up the leaves
If she ascends by climbing the leaves, climbing the leaves
with a swing in her hips.
She moves with a swaying motion in her hips
The spring time, the spring time is here
The season of spring has arrived
it's.from my. the light in .
It's the light from the singer's perspective
so there's.
Therefore, there is
my heart is a beat and I'm out that saints
My heart is beating and I'm no longer a saint
and what do you see, and what do you hear
What do you see and hear?
the sound of the sea
The sound of the ocean waves
or the sound of your heart heart heart heart heart
Or the sound of your own heart beating repeatedly
now that, now that, now that seems stand.
Now that, now that, now that seems to remain.
The water, the water.
Reference to water, possibly representing life or transformation
release her, release her from me.
Release her from the singer's hold
Are you counting yourself
Are you keeping track of your own actions or attributes?
the spring, the spring
The season of spring
I cover my ears,
The singer covers their ears to avoid hearing something
and open my bags
The singer opens their bags, possibly as a metaphor for revealing their inner thoughts or emotions
but that seems into my bones
But that feeling seems to permeate into the artist's being
like it's floating in salt water
Like it's floating in salt water, perhaps representing the disruptive or transformative nature of the emotion
Uhh water
Reference to the water motif
When I sleep into the water
When I fall asleep in the water, possibly representing a state of vulnerability or surrender
covered by the gentle wings,
Protected by gentle wings, possibly referencing guardian angels or spiritual protectors
I follow .secrets
The singer follows secrets or hidden truths
paths of what .right through you
Paths of what is true, cutting through someone else
Drift one town but .all like vegetables.
Drift to one town, but feeling emotionless and numb
I run out to you
I run out to you for protection or comfort
I run out to then
I run out towards something else
I run out the.
I run out from that place or situation
I run out of you
I run away from you or leave you behind
Contributed by Caroline R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.