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.
Sorry or Please
Kings of Convenience Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I made no friends
There's more time to be done
But I've got a week to spend
I didn't pay much attention
First time around
But now you're hard not to notice
Right here in my town Where the stage of my old life
Meets the cast of the new
Tonight's actors, me and you
Each day is taking us closer
While drawing the curtains to close
This far, or further, I need to know
Your increasingly long embraces
Are they saying sorry or please?
I don't know what's happening, help me
Through the streets, on the corners
There's a scent in the air
I ask you out and I lead you
I know my way around here
There's a bench I remember
And on the way there I find
That the movements you're making,
Are mirrored in mine
And your hand is held open,
Intentionally
Or just what I want to see?
Your increasingly long embraces
Are they saying sorry or please?
I don't know what's happening, help me I don't normally beg for assistance
I rely on my own eyes to see
But right now they make no sense to me
Right now you make no sense to me
The lyrics to Kings of Convenience's song "Sorry or Please" speak of a man who has just been released from prison and finds himself drawn to a woman he has just met. He is conflicted about his feelings for her and whether they are sincere or just a result of his newfound freedom. The first verse describes his experiences in prison and how he didn't pay attention to the woman the first time he saw her but is now drawn to her.
The second verse describes them walking through the streets, and he's leading her to a bench as he remembers it from before. He notices that their movements are perfectly in sync, and he wonders if her open hand is an invitation to him or simply what he wants to see. He's unsure of her intentions, and his increasingly long embraces leave him uncertain whether they are saying sorry or please.
As the song progresses, he becomes increasingly confused about his feelings and the woman. He wonders if he can trust his own senses and realizes that he needs help understanding what is happening between them. He begs for assistance, acknowledging that he doesn't normally do this and that he usually relies on his own eyes to see.
Line by Line Meaning
Five weeks in a prison
I was alone and had no friends for five weeks
I made no friends
I didn't create any relationships or connections with others
There's more time to be done
I have to continue serving my sentence, but it's almost over
But I've got a week to spend
I have some free time before I have to go back to prison
I didn't pay much attention
I didn't really notice you before
First time around
The first time I saw you
But now you're hard not to notice
Now you're impossible to ignore
Right here in my town
You're in the same place as me
Where the stage of my old life
The place where my old life played out
Meets the cast of the new
Where my new life is starting with new people
Tonight's actors, me and you
You and I are the main characters in tonight's events
Each day is taking us closer
We're getting closer to something
While drawing the curtains to close
As time passes and events unfold
This far, or further, I need to know
I need to know where our relationship is headed
Your increasingly long embraces
Your hugs are getting longer
Are they saying sorry or please?
I can't tell if your hugs are an apology or a plea for something
I don't know what's happening, help me
I'm confused and need your help to understand
Through the streets, on the corners
As we walk around town
There's a scent in the air
There's a fragrance in the atmosphere
I ask you out and I lead you
I invite you on a date and take charge
I know my way around here
I'm familiar with this place
There's a bench I remember
I remember a specific bench
And on the way there I find
As we walk to the bench
That the movements you're making
The way you're moving
Are mirrored in mine
I'm matching your movements
And your hand is held open
You're offering your hand to me
Intentionally
With purpose
Or just what I want to see?
Or is it what I hope to see?
I don't normally beg for assistance
I usually handle things on my own
I rely on my own eyes to see
I trust my own ability to observe and understand
But right now they make no sense to me
But right now, I'm having trouble interpreting what I see
Right now you make no sense to me
Right now, I don't understand you
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: EIRIK GLAMBEK BOE, ERLEND OTRE OEYE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind