Coastal Ship
Kari Bremnes Lyrics


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I carried that dream as a girl,
Dreaming by a fjord so deep,
That my destiny called
From the coastal ship far out at sea.

Always at evening,
That's when that ship called out to me,
Saying she heads north
As I ran to the harbour to see.

A feast coming in,
An Arabian night with a taste of salt,
Fond good-byes and Good Lord! There you are!
These boxes with cats, these eggs that must not be broken,
These sailors' cries and rope thrown down
On the dock for tying,
Seeing the world itself arriving.

Made of steel and fairytales.
What a sight!
The Captain's black uniform with stripes gold and bright.




Happiness coming in.
Happiness coming through the dark.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Kari Bremnes's song Coastal Ship entail her childhood dream of one day embarking on a coastal ship for adventures. Growing up, she would sit by the fjord and imagine what it would feel like to be on board a ship so far out at sea. She felt like her destiny lay in waiting for her on the ship. The ship would always call out to her during the evenings, and she would run to the harbor to catch a glimpse of it. The excitement of the ship coming in and unloading its treasures gave her an adrenaline rush. The song's beauty lies in the lyrical interpretation of how the coastal ship represents the vastness of the world itself that is waiting to be explored.


Every time the ship came into the harbor, it was like an Arabian night with a taste of salt, and the atmosphere was always festive. She describes the scene of the ship coming in with cats in boxes, eggs that must not be broken, sailors' cries, and ropes thrown down for tying. She is mesmerized by the arrival of the various treasures from different parts of the world that the ship brings with it. She describes the ship as "made of steel and fairytales" and the Captain's uniform with gold and bright stripes as a sight to behold.


The song's message is that the coastal ship represents the fulfillment of one's dreams, and one must always be ready to embark on an adventure to seek out new experiences. Bremnes's nostalgic recall of her childhood's fascination with the coastal ship is a reminder to all listeners to hold on to their dreams and never give up on the belief that destiny is waiting for them.


Line by Line Meaning

I carried that dream as a girl,
As a young girl, I held onto the dream of one day being able to see the coastal ship off in the distance.


Dreaming by a fjord so deep,
I spent my days dreaming of the fjord, its deep waters and the magical coastal ship that traveled across it.


That my destiny called
It was as if my destiny was intertwined with the journey of the coastal ship.


From the coastal ship far out at sea.
This ship out at sea represented an escape from my ordinary life and the start of a journey into the unknown.


Always at evening,
It seemed like the coastal ship would always make its way to my mind's eye during the evening.


That's when that ship called out to me,
The ship seemed to be calling out to me, urging me to come and see it in person.


Saying she heads north
I would hear the ship say that it was sailing north, beckoning me to follow along.


As I ran to the harbour to see.
This led me to run towards the harbor, curious to catch a glimpse of the ship and those on board.


A feast coming in,
As the ship drew closer, I could sense the excitement and energy in anticipation of the arrival of the cargo and crew.


An Arabian night with a taste of salt,
There was an exotic and flavorful energy to the atmosphere as the ship approached, bringing with it a mix of cultures and traditions.


Fond good-byes and Good Lord! There you are!
Friends and loved ones aboard the ship were greeted with fond good-byes and welcomed with exclamations of joy as they arrived on the dock.


These boxes with cats, these eggs that must not be broken,
The cargo brought with it unique and fragile items that required special care and attention, such as boxes of cats and delicate eggs that had to be handled with great care.


These sailors' cries and rope thrown down
The arrival of the ship brought with it the cries of the sailors and the sight of tossed ropes as they worked to dock the vessel.


On the dock for tying,
The ropes that were thrown down had to be tied onto the dock to secure the ship and make sure it didn't drift away.


Seeing the world itself arriving.
The arrival of the ship felt like the arrival of the world itself, bringing with it a sense of adventure and wonder.


Made of steel and fairytales.
The ship itself was both sturdy and fantastical, a combination of real elements and the stuff of fairytales.


What a sight!
The sight of the ship in all its glory was truly remarkable and awe-inspiring.


The Captain's black uniform with stripes gold and bright.
The uniform of the Captain was striking, with its black color and brilliant, shining gold stripes.


Happiness coming in.
The arrival of the ship was a sign of happiness and joy, something to be celebrated and appreciated.


Happiness coming through the dark.
Even in the darkest times, the arrival of the coastal ship brought with it a glimmer of hope and a sense of happiness.




Contributed by Bentley V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

@TheJonsberg

Legendarisk ❤

@WigbertTraxler

This song is a stunning masterpiece.

@lars1943

nordnorsk og havsalt, og vi seiler i takt med musikken, FLOTT )))))

@hamar152109

FANTASTISK....

@MJODENG

Originalen er nok den aller beste

@realworld234com

enig med deg ;-)

@DrVKParmar

I don't understand a word of Norwegian but I can say the Norwegian version is more beautiful and natural.

@sitinij

In norwegian version in some reason voice sounds better (i think it is because english in not her native language), but awfull accent of swedish/norwegian language ruins song. I think if she would born in america or UK and her native language would be english so song in english would be sound natural.

@mflage

Denne kunne trengt litt mer kjærlighet på tekstsiden, føler jeg. Er bare ett hakk opp fra Google Translate. "there's boxes with kittens, there's eggs that must not be broken" - err.. Men ellers en fantastisk sang, ja, som absolutt gjør seg på originalspråket.

@TM667Llama

eg syntes at norsk er den beste, spesielt på hurtigruten minut for minut