1) Karelia wa… Read Full Bio ↴There is more than one artist with this name, including:
1) Karelia was a 1970s Finnish psych-folk group.
2) Karelia is a French dark symphonic power metal band created in 2000.
Note: for the 90s Scottish rock band, see The Karelia.
1) Karelia was a 1970s Finnish psych-folk group headed by Paroni Paakkunainen and jazz guru Edward Vesala with Esa Kotilainen and Matti Kontio. The band released two albums, Suomi Pop and Suomi Pop 2 , as well as singles "With the Lord on the Field" / "Taitaja from Karelia" and "Tiski-Jukka (Vyborg's Vihtor's Son)" / "Old Gold" (the singles were released under the name Iivana Nyhtänköljä and Karelia)
Paakkunainen re-established Karelia at the turn of the 1980s. In addition to Paakkunainen, Esa Kotilainen (keyboards), Eerik Siikasaari (double bass, electric bass) and Matti Kontio (guitar, kantele, strings) and, since 1982, Judo Wasama (drums, percussion) have played in this completely renewed line-up . The band's last album, recorded in 1992 and released in 2005, also features Mongo Aaltonen (percussion).
2) Karelia is a French dark symphonic power metal band from Alsace created in 2000 by Lionel Vest (sound mastering) and Matthieu Kleiber (singer). They've released several albums including Usual Tragedy (2003), Raise (2005), and Restless (2008).
Karelia's music is generally referred to as symphonic metal. Next to driving drum parts, progressive rhythms and hard-as-nails guitar riffs, there are anthemic choir parts, hovering string arrangements and numerous cross references to the time of the great classical composers.
The compositions are multi-layered, multi-dimensional, away from clichés or genre-typical settings, yet accessible and catchy at the same time.
Early 2004 saw the arrival of their debut, Usual Tragedy. Raise, the second album by the quintet, demonstrated how melodies, sounds and lyrical standards can be brought into line. "Compared to our first album, we've changed some minor stylistic aspects", says Matthieu Kleiber, vocalist, founder and main composer. "The vocals in particular are more unambiguous and easier to pin down this time around. We've concentrated more on mid-tempo numbers, consciously making the album less monotonous by including only a few fast double bass numbers."
Karelia have proved themselves as intelligent and sensitive contemporary musicians with their lyrics. Their talent for observation is sharp and critical, their historic understanding pronounced. The title track is an intense exploration of the turmoil of World War II. "That war still is inexplicable to me," says Kleiber. "We live only a few kilometres away from the German border. Germany and France are good friends. It's impossible to imagine that only sixty years ago there was a bloody war raging between these two countries." A cold shiver runs down the listener's spine when excerpts from a Hitler speech reverberate on 'Raise'. Karelia have turned music into a breathtaking excursion into the past.
Karelia also focus on the madness of countries involved in wars – 'Cross & Crescent' doesn't kick off with oriental sounds for no reason, it's a symbol for the culture clash the way it presents itself in the Middle East at the moment. Kleiber: "The worst thing for me is the uncertainty which information to trust. Isn't everything we get to hear in Europe propaganda?"
'High Hopes', the Pink Floyd classic off the The Division Bell album comes along in a tougher, more metallic outfit, courtesy of Karelia, while it continues to spread a similar intensity as the original. For Matthieu Kleiber, it's a question of honour to interpret the original, but not to disfigure it. "We're all big Pink Floyd fans," he confesses. "That's what we would like to document with 'High Hopes'. Of course, it could have been any other song. 'Comfortably Numb' was also on my wish list."
Karelia was founded by Matthieu Kleiber and keyboarder Lionel Vest, who has gone on to concentrate on other classical projects but is always delighted to help out with orchestral arrangements at the studio. Following the release of their self-produced demo and shows with acts like Kamelot, At Vance, Vanden Plas and Dyslesia, Karelia signed with Drakkar and released their debut, Usual Tragedy, in spring 2004. Next to Kleiber, the current line-up consists of Bertrand Maillot (keyboards), Erwan Morice (guitar), Loïc Jenn (drums) and Gilles Thiebaut (bass).
Lift Me Up
Karelia Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Take us so far (take us so far)
Broken down cars (broken down cars)
Like strung-out old stars (like strung-out old stars)
Plain talking (plain talking)
Served us so well (served us so well)
Travelled through hell (travelled trough hell)
Lift me up, lift me up
Higher now ama
Lift me up, lift me up
Higher now ama
Plain talking (plain talking)
Making us bold (making us bold)
So strong out and cold (so strong out and cold)
Feeling so old (feeling so old)
Plain talking (plain talking)
Has ruined us now (has ruined us now)
You never know how (you never know how)
Sweeter than thou (sweeter than thou)
Lift me up, lift me up
Higher now ama
Lift me up, lift me up
Higher now ama
(4x)
Lift me up, lift me up
Ohla la la la
Lift me up, lift me up
Ohla la la la
(4x)
The lyrics to Karelia's song Lift Me Up explore the idea of plain talking, as both a positive force and a negative one. In the first verse, the band emphasizes how plain or simple language can be powerful, taking them "so far." They evoke the image of "broken down cars" and "strung-out old stars," suggesting that language can be a way to uplift even the most beaten-down of us. Despite this, the second verse complicates the idea, suggesting that plain talking can also be damaging, having "ruined us now." Karelia explores the idea that plain talking can be both a source of strength and a cause of destruction. By repeating the phrase "lift me up" through the chorus, the band calls out for a sense of hope and uplift, ultimately questioning the power and limitations of language itself.
This theme is captured both by the band's lyrics and by the emotional tone of the song itself, which is both stirring and melancholy. Karelia layers together elements of rock and electronica to create a sound that is both soaring and haunting. The music reflects the uncertainty that the band explores in its lyrics: plain talking may either lift us up or bring us down, but either way, it is an essential part of the human experience.
Line by Line Meaning
Plain talking (plain talking)
Direct communication has been helpful so far
Take us so far (take us so far)
It has its limits in terms of effectiveness
Broken down cars (broken down cars)
Metaphorical comparison to old and worn-out objects
Like strung-out old stars (like strung-out old stars)
Further comparison to stars to depict weariness
Plain talking (plain talking)
Direct communication has been helpful so far
Served us so well (served us so well)
It has been useful in past situations
Travelled through hell (travelled trough hell)
Used in difficult situations in the past
We know how it felt (we know how it felt)
Firsthand experience of the effectiveness of plain talking
Lift me up, lift me up
Asking for help and support
Higher now ama
Wanting to overcome struggles and rise above them
Plain talking (plain talking)
Direct communication has been helpful so far
Making us bold (making us bold)
Encouraging us to be brave and confident
So strong out and cold (so strong out and cold)
Feeling emotionally drained and distant
Feeling so old (feeling so old)
Feeling worn-out and tired
Has ruined us now (has ruined us now)
Plain talking has caused negative effects
You never know how (you never know how)
The potential negative side-effects were not previously known
Sweeter than thou (sweeter than thou)
Looking for alternatives to plain talking that may be more effective
Lift me up, lift me up
Asking for help and support
Higher now ama
Wanting to overcome struggles and rise above them
Lift me up, lift me up
Asking for help and support
Ohla la la la
Additional emphasis on the desire to rise above
Lift me up, lift me up
Asking for help and support
Ohla la la la
Additional emphasis on the desire to rise above
Contributed by Hannah K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
R
on From My Window
ich habe es nicht verstanden, wer wer ist usw aber egal