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.
Surprise Ice
Kings of Convenience Lyrics
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Forcelessly pulls you to your chair
Hides you away from these half days
Sunless at the end of the year
The air is like a knife cutting through you
A room in the house is always warm
Stretched out on the bathroom floor, thinking
Of fair days your future may hold
[Chorus:]
Love comes like surprise ice on the water
Love comes like surprise ice at dawn
Love comes like surprise ice on the water
Love comes at dawn
Deprived of the light and of colours
The world ends at your window tree
Darkness creates these illusions
But pale days can teach you to see
Rain falls, but no life is given
Weeks pass, no progress is made
Past sometimes takes you with soft hands
And all that surrounds you will fade
[Chorus]
Love comes like surprise ice on the water
Love comes like surprise ice at dawn
Love comes like surprise ice on the water
Love comes at dawn
The lyrics in Kings of Convenience's song Surprise Ice portrays a sense of melancholy and introspection. The opening line "When past sometimes takes you with soft hands" suggests that the singer is reflecting on the past and how it influences their present state. The imagery of being pulled to their chair and hiding away from the world creates a feeling of being stagnant and kept away from the outside. The line "Sunless at the end of the year" suggests that this feeling may be exacerbated by the changing of seasons and the darkness that comes with it.
The second verse paints a picture of a world devoid of brightness and life. The line "The world ends at your window tree" suggests that the singer's perspective is clouded by their situation, and the darkness they see outside is a reflection of their current emotional state. However, despite the darkness, the singer suggests that they can learn from it with the line "But pale days can teach you to see."
The chorus provides a glimmer of hope by drawing a comparison between love and surprise ice on the water. The images of ice on water and sunrise evoke a feeling of beauty and unpredictability. It suggests that even though the struggles the singer is going through seem to be black and white, there is still the possibility that something beautiful and unexpected can come out of it.
Overall, Surprise Ice is a song about the struggle of navigating hard times with the hope that something beautiful can come out of it. The melancholic tone of the song gives a feeling of introspection and emotional heaviness, but the chorus provides a glimmer of hope for the future.
Line by Line Meaning
When past sometimes takes you with soft hands
Sometimes, memories from the past come to you subtly and gently
Forcelessly pulls you to your chair
They effortlessly draw you into a state of introspection
Hides you away from these half days
These memories distract you from the mundanity of everyday life
Sunless at the end of the year
This introspection can occur during the somber days at the end of the year
The air is like a knife cutting through you
The weather is biting and painful to endure
A room in the house is always warm
Despite the harsh weather, there is always solace in the warmth of home
Stretched out on the bathroom floor, thinking
The singer is lost in thought, lying down on the hard tiled floor of the bathroom
Of fair days your future may hold
They ponder about the brighter future that may lie ahead
Love comes like surprise ice on the water
Love can be unexpected, like ice suddenly forming on water
Love comes like surprise ice at dawn
Love can happen suddenly, just as the sun rises unexpectedly at dawn
Deprived of the light and of colours
Without the vibrancy of light and color, the world can seem dull
The world ends at your window tree
One's perception of the world can be limited by what they see outside their window
Darkness creates these illusions
The darkness can make one's mind create illusions and false perceptions
But pale days can teach you to see
Despite this, somber days can teach one to see what is truly important
Rain falls, but no life is given
Despite the rain, there is no growth or change
Weeks pass, no progress is made
Time passes but nothing seems to improve
And all that surrounds you will fade
Despite everything, everything fades away eventually
Love comes at dawn
But love can also come unexpectedly, just as the sun rises at dawn
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: EIRIK GLAMBEK BOE, ERLEND OTRE OEYE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind