Kari Bremnes is a Norwegian singer and songwriter. Her music ranges pop and… Read Full Bio ↴Kari Bremnes is a Norwegian singer and songwriter. Her music ranges pop and jazz. She comes from a well-known Norwegian musican family; her brothers are Lars and Ola Bremnes. The three siblings have made a couple of records together and the album Soløye is the most famous of these.

You'd Have To Be Here
Kari Bremnes Lyrics

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I still haven't gone to do up my hair
You'd have to be here
I like when I hear you talking
And I like when you just let it go
You'd have to be here
I'm watching an old man crossing the street below me now
Strange, but he hardly seems like a man anymore
I know it's the way of the world that the shimmer we hold somehow

Changes so slowly to sand on the shore

The sun has begun to break through the clouds
You'd have to be here
I like when I see you sleeping
And I like when you just let it go
You'd have to be here
I'm seeing a garden, a place I keep longing to show to you
It's northerly facing and close to an open fjord
The wind that was moving the rhubarb moved through my childhood, too
Calling so slowly from summers before

And everything changes and nothing can last
I'm sure you've been here
Sometimes I can't help but worry
And sometimes I can just let it go
I'm sure you've been here
The days may have names you can call, but they never come back to you
The days are like children, they change into years as they grow

They can't find their way and there's no one to show where they're going to
They play with us here for a while and so swiftly - they go

Overall Meaning

In the opening lines of the song 'You'd Have to Be Here' by Kari Bremnes, the singer notes that she has not yet done up her hair. Immediately, it is clear that she is waiting for someone, yearning for their presence. She repeats, "you'd have to be here," expressing that she wants to be with her loved one, and that his/her presence has the power to make her feel more complete. Through her words, it is evident that she places great emphasis on hearing and watching her loved one as he talks, sleeps, or simply lets go. She takes pleasure in the little things – his very being is enough to bring her joy. In the verse "I'm watching an old man crossing the street below me now," she observes a man who once was. A man who, at some point in life, possessed that shimmer, but as the years went by, faded away like sand on the shore. By stating this, the singer recognizes the fleeting nature of life and how easily memories can fade.

The sun breaks through the clouds, providing hope and light to the singer, but the lyrics also bring a tinge of sadness, revealing a garden longing to be shown to her loved one. The lyrics speak of rhubarb that "moved through my childhood too," the wind, a metaphor of time, that calls slowly from summers before. Bremnes uses these elements of nature to show how everything changes, but memories are forever, eternalizing what once was. She sings, "and everything changes, and nothing can last." Sometimes she worries, and other times she lets go, but the days continue to move forward, slipping away from her like playing children.

In summary, this song is a poignant, sad piece about the fleeting nature of life, memories, and love. The lyrics express how everything changes, how memories can fade away, and how the presence of loved ones can bring joy and light to life. The sun and wind function as metaphors to show how change is inevitable, but love and memories remain a constant source of comfort.

Line by Line Meaning

I still haven't gone to do up my hair
I haven't bothered to fix my appearance because it only matters when you're here with me.

You'd have to be here
You are the only one who can make me feel truly happy and content.

I like when I hear you talking
I love to hear your voice because it has a calming effect on me.

And I like when you just let it go
I appreciate when you don't let things bother you and can remain calm and collected.

I'm watching an old man crossing the street below me now
I'm observing the man and realizing how quickly time passes and how we all grow old.

Strange, but he hardly seems like a man anymore
It's strange how age changes our physical appearance and how we seem to transform into something unrecognizable.

I know it's the way of the world that the shimmer we hold somehow
I understand that the beauty and excitement of life fades away over time, like a wave returning to the shore.

Changes so slowly to sand on the shore
These changes happen so gradually that we hardly notice them, but it eventually becomes our reality.

The sun has begun to break through the clouds
The sun is a symbol of hope, and its presence can brighten up even the gloomiest of days.

I'm seeing a garden, a place I keep longing to show to you
There's a place that I want to share with you, and it's something that I've been longing to do for a long time.

It's northerly facing and close to an open fjord
This place overlooks the fjord and faces north, which gives it an even more breathtaking view.

The wind that was moving the rhubarb moved through my childhood, too
The wind is a reminder that time is constantly moving forward and that our childhood memories will never come back.

Calling so slowly from summers before
The memories of summers gone by are slowly fading away, but they still call out to us and make us feel nostalgic.

And everything changes and nothing can last
It's a universal truth that everything in life is temporary and nothing can stay the same forever.

I'm sure you've been here
I'm confident that you've experienced these same feelings of impermanence.

Sometimes I can't help but worry
Occasionally, I find myself worrying about the future and what it might bring.

And sometimes I can just let it go
But other times, I am able to let go of those worries and just enjoy the present moment.

The days may have names you can call, but they never come back to you
Each day has its own name, but we can never get that day back once it's over.

The days are like children, they change into years as they grow
Days are fleeting, but they accumulate over time and eventually transform into years that we can look back on and reminisce.

They can't find their way and there's no one to show where they're going to
Just like children, days are lost and confused, and there is no clear guide to where they are headed.

They play with us here for a while and so swiftly - they go
Days are like a game that we play, and then they quickly come to an end, leaving us to start anew the next day.

Contributed by Oliver A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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