He acted in a number of roles in British TV and film, including the part of Adam in the TV mini-series Jesus of Nazareth and the part of Carter in Nemesis.
He acted as the Narrator in the original London production of the Rocky Horror Show, but he is more famous for portraying the part of Dr. Everett Von Scott in the Rocky Horror Picture Show.
He died in London, England of a stroke at the age of 74.
Norwegian Wood
Jonathan Adams Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Or should I say she once had me
She showed me her room
Isn't it good Norwegian wood?
She asked me to stay
And she told me to sit anywhere
So I looked around
I sat on a rug biding my time
Drinking her wine
We talked until two and then she said
"It's time for bed"
She told me she worked
In the morning and started to laugh
I told her I didn't
And crawled off to sleep in the bath
And when I awoke I was alone
This bird had flown
So I lit a fire
Isn't it good Norwegian wood?
The lyrics of Jonathan Adams’s song “Norwegian Wood” tell the story of a night with a woman in her apartment. The singer, who had a girl or was with one, is guided to her bedroom and her living space, and he is impressed by her simple but beautiful decor. The girl is hospitable and welcomes the singer, asking him to sit wherever he pleases, but he notices there isn't a chair. Afterwards the two talk and drink wine until the early hour of 2am, and then the woman decides that it is time for bed. The singer also decides to sleep in the bath since he doesn’t want to do anything further. However, when he wakes up, he finds himself alone since the girl had left. The singer decides to light a fire, possibly to warm up, and admires the wooden structure of the apartment as he reflects on the night.
The song is open to interpretation, but it can be seen as a commentary on communication breakdown and misunderstandings between genders. The lack of chairs could be interpreted as a metaphor for a lack of stability or grounding in the relationship, while the decision to sleep by the fireplace could suggest that the singer is feeling a sense of loneliness and abandonment. The melancholic tone in the song is emphasized by the use of the wood, symbolizing solidness, but also the potential for burning or breaking down.
Line by Line Meaning
I once had a girl
I used to be in a relationship with a girl
Or should I say she once had me
Or rather, she was in control of the relationship
She showed me her room
She took me to her bedroom
Isn't it good Norwegian wood?
She had a nice bed made of Norwegian wood
She asked me to stay
She invited me to spend the night
And she told me to sit anywhere
She asked me to sit wherever I wanted
So I looked around
I took a look at the room
And I noticed there wasn't a chair
And I realized there was no chair for me to sit on
I sat on a rug biding my time
So I sat on a rug, waiting for something to happen
Drinking her wine
I drank some of her wine
We talked until two and then she said
We had a conversation until two in the morning, and then she said
"It's time for bed"
"It's time for us to go to sleep"
She told me she worked
She mentioned that she had to work in the morning
In the morning and started to laugh
She laughed at something she said about her work in the morning
I told her I didn't
I told her that I didn't have to work in the morning
And crawled off to sleep in the bath
And so I went to sleep in the bathroom
And when I awoke I was alone
When I woke up, she had already left
This bird had flown
She had left like a bird had flown away
So I lit a fire
So I started a fire
Isn't it good Norwegian wood?
The wood I burned was the same kind as her bed, made of good Norwegian wood
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, THE ROYALTY NETWORK INC., O/B/O CAPASSO
Written by: GARY R. STROUTSOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind