Kings of Convenience are a music duo formed in Bergen, Norway, playing a st… Read Full Bio ↴Kings of Convenience are a music duo formed in Bergen, Norway, playing a style that features acoustic instrumental playing and their two voices. The band consists of Erlend Øye and Eirik Glambek Bøe. They met as children at a geography competition. They are known for their delicate tunes, calming voices, and intricately subtle guitar melodies.

After first earning notice thanks to a series of acclaimed European festival appearances during the summer of 1999, the twosome signed to American label Kindercore to issue their lovely eponymous debut the following spring. Quiet Is the New Loud was issued in early 2001 on Astralwerks. The album used many of the same tracks from the Kindercore release but re-ordered them and replaced a few with newer songs. The remix album Versus followed later in the year and featured remixes by artists as diverse as Ladytron, avid Whitaker and Four Tet. After a three year layoff during which Øye recorded a solo album, 2003's Unrest, and gained some reknown as an electronica DJ while Bøe worked on finishing up his psychology degree, the pair teamed up again for the recording and release of 2004's Riot on an Empty Street.

After a 5 year layoff, the band released Declaration Of Dependence on October 20, 2009 on Astralwerks in the US and Virgin Records in the UK.

Erlend Øye has released some solo material and is also a member of The Whitest Boy Alive.
Eirik Glambek Bøe is also a member of a second band, Kommode. The Whitest Boy Alive and Kommode toured together this year for a short period.

Gold in the Air of Summer
Kings of Convenience Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Without giving anything away
I can say it's by the sea
It's a house that used to be
The home of a friend of mine
Without giving anything away
You'll find ships inside of bottles
And the garden's overgrown
The house is white but the paint is coming off

I didn't know if you wanted to
When I came to pick you up
You didn't even hesitate
And now you and me are on our way
I think I've brought everything we need
Don't look back, don't think of the
Other places you should have been
It's a good thing that you came along with me

Gold in the air of summer
You'll shine like gold in the air of summer

You'll shine like gold in the air of summer
You'll shine like gold in the air of summer

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of the song "Gold in the Air of Summer" by Kings of Convenience speak about a nostalgic experience of visiting a seaside house, which once belonged to a friend of the singer. The house, though now abandoned, is still filled with memories in the form of ships in bottles and overgrown gardens. The singer is joined by a companion, who may have had reservations about the trip, but has decided to join nonetheless. The song speaks of the journey with vivid imagery of the golden summer sun shining bright.

The song is rich in metaphors and symbolism. The abandoned coastal house is a metaphor for the transience of life, and the faded paint is a symbol of time's effect on memories. The ships in bottles represent the desire to encapsulate time, and the overgrown garden is symbolic of the unstoppable force of nature. The chorus "Gold in the Air of Summer" refers to the way memories and experiences can seem to sparkle and shine like gold, especially when revisited in the present.

Overall, "Gold in the Air of Summer" is a song that celebrates cherished memories, nostalgic experiences, and the ineffable beauty of nature. It is an ode to the ephemerality of life and the importance of creating lasting memories.

Line by Line Meaning

Without giving anything away
I will not disclose any specific details

I can say it's by the sea
I can reveal that it is located close to the sea

It's a house that used to be
The building was previously someone's home

The home of a friend of mine
The former resident was an acquaintance of mine

You'll find ships inside of bottles
Within the house, you can observe small boats within glass containers

And the garden's overgrown
The garden area has become neglected and overgrown

The house is white but the paint is coming off
The exterior of the house is white, but the paint has started to peel

I didn't know if you wanted to
I was unsure if you desired to join me

When I came to pick you up
Upon my arrival to retrieve you

You didn't even hesitate
You did not have any reservations or doubts

And now you and me are on our way
Presently, you and I are traveling together