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.

Stay Out of Trouble
Kings of Convenience Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

1-2 1-2
I walked around for hours
Two ten-pence pieces in my hand
I was alone and freezing
Still trying hard to understand you

I left the others knowing
I had to work this by myself

But now the feeling's growing
I would be better off with their help

So baby
What we've got
Has lately
Not been enough
Not been enough

I wish I had your scarf still
That once embraced and kept me warm
I wish you could be with me
In these last days when I am still
Hopelessly poor

Stay out of trouble, stay in touch
Try not to think about me too much

Stay out of trouble, stay in touch
Try not to think about me too much

Overall Meaning

The opening lines of Kings of Convenience's "Stay Out of Trouble" paint a lonely picture of a wandering soul. The singer is penniless, alone and freezing, and trying to understand a turbulent situation. They confess that they left a group of people behind because they needed to figure things out for themselves but that they now realize they would be better off seeking their help. The second verse adds to the feelings of sadness and longing. The singer wishes they still had their former lover's scarf because it once provided them with comfort and warmth. They also wish their lover could be with them in their current state of hopelessness. The chorus is a repeated plea for their lover to "stay out of trouble" and "stay in touch" but also to "try not to think about me too much."

Overall, the song is a melancholy ode to lost love and the struggle to move on emotionally. The singer is in a difficult place, both financially and emotionally, and they are grasping for any sort of comfort or help. However, they also seem to recognize that their former lover may be better off without them and are trying to communicate a desire for space while also expressing their own feelings of longing.

Line by Line Meaning

I walked around for hours
I spent a lot of time aimlessly walking around

Two ten-pence pieces in my hand
I only had a small amount of money on me

I was alone and freezing
I was cold and had no one to keep me company

Still trying hard to understand you
I was struggling to comprehend my relationship with you

I left the others knowing
I walked away from friends or loved ones

I had to work this by myself
I believed I needed to handle the situation alone

But now the feeling's growing
I've come to realize I may need others' assistance

I would be better off with their help
I believe I could benefit from their support and aid

So baby
An affectionate term used to address the person I am speaking to

What we've got
Our current situation/relationship

Has lately
Recently, as of late