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.

Passenger
Kings of Convenience Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I didn't know you were there
Until you said "hello"
You had been watching me
For I don't know how long
I hit my head against the lamp
As by surprise I stood up
"Don't be afraid" you said
"It's only me, the door wasn't locked"

The voice I'd heard in the hall
Was hard to recognise
But now we know he's onboard
Wearing our disguise
If only you and I could trust
Each other through this

Then together we could
Work out who the enemy is

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Kings of Convenience's song "Passenger" describe a chance encounter between two people who apparently have been secretly watching each other until one of them, the singer, hits his head against a lamp and the other reveals himself. Although the initial moment is awkward and filled with fear, the stranger quickly reassures the singer that he is harmless and trustworthy. The chorus of the song suggests that both the singer and the stranger are in some kind of difficult situation ("If only you and I could trust / each other through this"), and that they need to work together to identify and confront an external threat ("work out who the enemy is"). The verses are full of images of observation, deception, and infiltration, as if the two characters are part of a spy thriller or a paranoid fantasy.

The lyrics of "Passenger" can be interpreted in various ways, depending on the listener's perspective and experience. Some might see it as a tale of two strangers who start a romantic relationship by being honest and vulnerable with each other. Others might interpret it as a metaphor for the challenges of communication and cooperation in a world where everyone seems to hide behind a mask or a facade. The song's minimalist instrumentation, consisting mostly of acoustic guitars and vocal harmonies, reinforces the intimacy and introspection of the lyrics, as well as the sense of fragility and uncertainty that permeates the story.

Line by Line Meaning

I didn't know you were there
I was unaware of your presence

until you said 'hello.'
I noticed you only after you greeted me

You had been watching me
You had been observing me before making yourself known

for I don't know how long.
I am unsure of the duration of your observation

I hit my head against the lamp,
I accidentally bumped into the lamp while reacting to your unexpected presence

as by surprise I stood up.
Your sudden appearance startled me into standing up

"Don't be afraid," you said,
You reassured me with the words' "Don't be afraid"

"it's only me- The door wasn't locked."
You explained that the door was open and it was only you, so there was no need to be alarmed

The voice I'd heard in the hall
The voice I heard from the corridor

was hard to recognise.
It was difficult to identify the voice

But now we know he's onboard,
But we now know he is nearby