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.
Spells
Jenny Hval Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A comforting reminder that not even you belong to
Seaweed undresses in the air and they get tangled in your hair
But you'll always stand the victors exercising everything by tapping into nothing
There's another field
Your distances are vast
Hey, you, I know who you are
You will not be awake for long
You won't have to wait for long
You will not be awake for long
We'll meet in the smallest great unknown
We will not be awake for long
We will not be awake for long
We'll meet in the smallest great unknown
You, I know that feeling (baby, baby)
I'm waiting for you and the silences between things
I'm not saying hatred, dancing is futile, it can not hold you like I can
I wanna hold you, wanna hold you
You will not be awake for long
You won't have to wait for long
You will not be awake for long
And we'll, we'll meet, we'll meet in the smallest great unknown
Wait for me, wait for me
We will not be awake for long
You won't be awake
We will not be awake for long
We'll meet in the smallest great unknown
You are lost in the world of thoughts
You are lost exercising everything by tapping into nothing
The lyrics of "Spells" by Jenny Hval are enigmatic and open to interpretation. The first verse describes the image of a disco ball, which represents the person’s identity or self-image that hovers above them. This identity is a comforting reminder that even though they do not belong to anyone, they belong to themselves. The second line of the song, "Seaweed undresses in the air and they get tangled in your hair,” refers to an ocean-themed dream where one finds themselves drifting away. Despite this, they always stand as a victor because they exercise control by tapping into nothingness. The third line, "But you'll always stand the victors exercising everything by tapping into nothing," implies that the person has control over their thoughts, which can be overwhelming.
The song then transitions to the chorus where the phrase “You will not be awake for long” is repeated three times. This might be a reference to death or the fleeting nature of dreams which could dissolve at any moment. The line “We'll meet in the smallest great unknown” provides a sense of hope that something beyond the person's understanding is waiting for them. The verses that follow reinforce these themes.
The final verse takes the conversation to the other person in the relationship where the singer says, “I'm waiting for you and the silences between things." The singer wants the second person to open up and share their thoughts for them to grow closer. They reiterate that even though the dance may be futile, the singer can hold the person in a way that dance could not. The song concludes with the chorus, with the same repeated phrase and a hint of hope that they will meet in a place beyond the physical realm.
Line by Line Meaning
You are your own disco ball hovering above you like
You are your own source of light and shine, floating above you like a disco ball.
A comforting reminder that not even you belong to
It's a reassuring thought that not even you have full control over yourself.
Seaweed undresses in the air and they get tangled in your hair
You are so immersed in your surroundings that you become a part of it, just like seaweed in the water.
But you'll always stand the victors exercising everything by tapping into nothing
Despite feeling lost and tangled, you stand triumphant by being able to control everything through nothingness.
There's another field
There's a new, unexplored dimension within yourself.
Your distances are vast
You are distanced from yourself and need to cross a vast expanse to reconnect.
Hey, you, I know who you are
I can identify with you and your struggles.
Open up to me so I can close them out
Share your struggles with me so I can help relieve you from them.
You will not be awake for long
Time is limited and you will not be conscious for long.
You won't have to wait for long
You won't have to wait long for our paths to cross.
We'll meet in the smallest great unknown
We will come together in a small yet significant way.
You, I know that feeling (baby, baby)
I understand what you're going through, baby.
I'm waiting for you and the silences between things
I'll be there for you and the moments of silence and emptiness.
I'm not saying hatred, dancing is futile, it can not hold you like I can
I don't advocate hatred, as dancing is pointless in bringing true comfort; only I can offer that.
I wanna hold you, wanna hold you
I want to be able to offer physical comfort and support.
Wait for me, wait for me
Just wait for me, I'm coming.
You are lost in the world of thoughts
You are consumed by your own thoughts and emotions.
You are lost exercising everything by tapping into nothing
You are lost, yet you find control in channeling your thoughts and emotions into nothingness.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Jenny Hval
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@gabrieleseerre2321
Lyrics
You are your own disco ball hovering above you like
A comforting reminder that not even you belong to
Seaweed undresses in the air and they get tangled in your hair
But you'll always stand the victors exercising everything by tapping into nothing
There's another field
Your distances are vast
Hey, you, I know who you are
Open up to me so I can close them out
You will not be awake for long
You won't have to wait for long
You will not be awake for long
We'll meet in the smallest great unknown
We will not be awake for long
We will not be awake for long
We'll meet in the smallest great unknown
You, I know that feeling (baby, baby)
I'm waiting for you and the silences between things
I'm not saying hatred, dancing is futile, it can not hold you like I can
I wanna hold you, wanna hold you
You will not be awake for long
You won't have to wait for long
You will not be awake for long
And we'll, we'll meet, we'll meet in the smallest great unknown
Wait for me, wait for me
We will not be awake for long
You won't be awake
We will not be awake for long
We'll meet in the smallest great unknown
You are lost in the world of thoughts
You are lost exercising everything by tapping into nothing
@puresoundreviews8562
These lyrics are wrong...here:
You are your own disco ball hovering above you like
A comforting reminder that not even you belong to you
So you put your jazz hands in the air
And they get tangled in your hair
But you're lost in the rhythms
Exercising everything by tapping into nothing
Wait I know that feeling (note: I'm not positive about this line)
Your distances are vast
Hey, you, I know who you are
Open up to me so I can pull them out
You will not be awake for long
You won't have to wait for long
You will not be awake for long
We'll meet in the smallest great unknown
We will not be awake for long
We will not be awake for long
We'll meet in the smallest great unknown
You, I know that feeling (Baby, baby)
I'm waiting for you and the silences between things
I'm not saying, "Hey, jazz hands, dancing is futile
It can not hold you like I can."
I wanna hold you, wanna hold you
You will not be awake for long
You won't have to wait for long
You will not be awake for long
And we'll, we'll meet, we'll meet in the smallest great unknown
Wait for me, wait for me
We will not be awake for long
You won't be awake
We will not be awake for long
We'll meet in the smallest great unknown
You are lost in the world of thoughts
You are lost exercising everything by tapping into nothing
@AlexTrest
Jenny Hval is a seer. I never thought an artist would affect my way of thinking and seeing things so dramatically. She's not just an artist: she's a philosopher. It's been a long journey for me since I discovered her; every bite of her artistry led me to a self comprehension that nobody else was ever able to practice on me. I walk the streets and visit public places and I can hear her voice in my mind speaking and telling me stories of details I used always to ignore. I am going to buy her book 'Paradise Rot' and hope to get her mind even better. I'd love to have a part of her in myself: it's fascinating.
@franciscoledesma354
kudos
@Vespertits
chile...
@leonardoheringer1815
eu tb amiga
@wyndgrove9452
This is just what 2018 needs: More Jenny Hval. What a wonderful, beautiful, song.
@123okpaul456
Love the brass, love the vocal harmonies, love the gentle mood... Nordic pop music at its finest.
@Longi1974
Awesome song, absolutely incredible chorus!
@joseiolav
this song is a hidden gem
@gabrieleseerre2321
Lyrics
You are your own disco ball hovering above you like
A comforting reminder that not even you belong to
Seaweed undresses in the air and they get tangled in your hair
But you'll always stand the victors exercising everything by tapping into nothing
There's another field
Your distances are vast
Hey, you, I know who you are
Open up to me so I can close them out
You will not be awake for long
You won't have to wait for long
You will not be awake for long
We'll meet in the smallest great unknown
We will not be awake for long
We will not be awake for long
We'll meet in the smallest great unknown
You, I know that feeling (baby, baby)
I'm waiting for you and the silences between things
I'm not saying hatred, dancing is futile, it can not hold you like I can
I wanna hold you, wanna hold you
You will not be awake for long
You won't have to wait for long
You will not be awake for long
And we'll, we'll meet, we'll meet in the smallest great unknown
Wait for me, wait for me
We will not be awake for long
You won't be awake
We will not be awake for long
We'll meet in the smallest great unknown
You are lost in the world of thoughts
You are lost exercising everything by tapping into nothing
@puresoundreviews8562
These lyrics are wrong...here:
You are your own disco ball hovering above you like
A comforting reminder that not even you belong to you
So you put your jazz hands in the air
And they get tangled in your hair
But you're lost in the rhythms
Exercising everything by tapping into nothing
Wait I know that feeling (note: I'm not positive about this line)
Your distances are vast
Hey, you, I know who you are
Open up to me so I can pull them out
You will not be awake for long
You won't have to wait for long
You will not be awake for long
We'll meet in the smallest great unknown
We will not be awake for long
We will not be awake for long
We'll meet in the smallest great unknown
You, I know that feeling (Baby, baby)
I'm waiting for you and the silences between things
I'm not saying, "Hey, jazz hands, dancing is futile
It can not hold you like I can."
I wanna hold you, wanna hold you
You will not be awake for long
You won't have to wait for long
You will not be awake for long
And we'll, we'll meet, we'll meet in the smallest great unknown
Wait for me, wait for me
We will not be awake for long
You won't be awake
We will not be awake for long
We'll meet in the smallest great unknown
You are lost in the world of thoughts
You are lost exercising everything by tapping into nothing