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.

Second to Numb
Kings of Convenience Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

He won't touch you anymore
Staying at his side
Half indifferent, half afraid
It will only make you cry

What is given can't be returned
The cards are in our hands
All that is living can be hurt

And that's the end of innocence

Second round found you beating death
The miracle of life
Once each of you caught your breath
A question simmers inside

How far away from being in
Can there be stated of love?
How to put it is you're bound within
What matter is it made of?

What will we become?
What will we become?

What will we become?
Second to numb

Overall Meaning

The song "Second to Numb" by Kings of Convenience explores the complicated emotions that arise in a failing relationship. The opening lines, "He won't touch you anymore / Staying at his side / Half indifferent, half afraid / It will only make you cry," depict a sense of detachment and helplessness. The singer is caught between wanting to hold on to the relationship despite its growing distance, yet understanding that it is going nowhere and only causing pain.

The second set of verses are more introspective, as the song references a second chance at life after a brush with death. The lines, "Second round found you beating death / The miracle of life / Once each of you caught your breath / A question simmers inside," comment on how near-death experiences can put things in perspective and make someone question what truly matters in life. The song then circles back to the relationship at hand and the uncertainty that surrounds it. The chorus repeats the question, "What will we become?" before ending on the hauntingly resigned phrase, "Second to numb."

Overall, "Second to Numb" explores the intricacies of human emotions and relationships. It acknowledges the pain and complexities that come with breaking up, while also commenting on the fleeting nature of life and the importance of truly living in the moment. The song's gentle, acoustic melodies reinforce its message of vulnerability and introspection.

Line by Line Meaning

He won't touch you anymore
He's refused to touch you anymore

Staying at his side
You're still sticking by his side

Half indifferent, half afraid
You're half indifferent and half scared

It will only make you cry
Continuing like this will only make you cry

What is given can't be returned
Once something is given, it cannot be taken back

The cards are in our hands
We hold all the necessary cards to play the game of life

All that is living can be hurt
Anything that has life has the potential to get hurt

And that's the end of innocence
That's when we lose our innocence

Second round found you beating death
You've been given a second chance at life, overcoming death

The miracle of life
It's a miracle that you're alive

Once each of you caught your breath
Once both of you caught your breath