Liv Kristine Espenæs (born February 14, 1976 in Stavanger, Norway), better … Read Full Bio ↴Liv Kristine Espenæs (born February 14, 1976 in Stavanger, Norway), better known as Liv Kristine, is the former vocalist for bands Theatre of Tragedy and Leaves' Eyes. She also releases solo albums with music varying from gothic rock to pop ballads.

Musical from an early age, Liv joined Theatre of Tragedy in 1994 as a backup singer, but was soon sharing singing duties with Raymond István Rohonyi. On July 3, 2003 Liv married [arist]Alexander Krull, the vocalist for the German band Atrocity, and in December she gave birth to their son, Leon Alexander. She split with Theatre of Tragedy and formed a new band, Leaves' Eyes, with the musicians from Atrocity. She has also released solo albums. She's done several music projects with other bands such as Cradle of Filth (Nymphetamine)and Delain (Day for ghosts, See me in shadow). Liv left Leaves' Eyes after their split with Krull.

Her younger sister, Carmen Elise Espenaes, is the vocalist of Midnattsol. Liv also performed with Midnattsol for several years after leaving Leaves' Eyes and before relaunching her solo career.

Fake A Smile
Liv Kristine Lyrics

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Living souls around me
They don't see
Just staring, closed faces
Fake a smile

Shaking hands shake their heads
But they don't speak
Only demanding the right numbers

Of me
Breaking into pieces
I'm breaking into pieces

My world is turning too fast
And I can't get off this spin
I'm moving somewhere I don't want
But all I do is fake a smile

It's so cold around me
I hurry to the next stop
I'm waiting for something
For someone
To steer me back to my life
Steer me back to my life

My world is turning too fast
And I can't get off this spin
I'm moving somewhere I don't want
But all I do is fake a smile

When will I break
When does the ice break
When will I dare to press rewind and start all over

This world is turning too fast
And I can't get off this spin
I'm moving somewhere I don't want
But all I do is fake a smile

This world is turning too fast

I'm moving somewhere
And fake a smile

Overall Meaning

In Liv Kristine's song "Fake A Smile," she portrays a sense of exhaustion and disconnection in the face of living in a world that is constantly spinning too fast. The opening lines immediately depict a sense of disconnection and emptiness with "Living souls around me, they don't see, just staring, closed faces, fake a smile." Here, she is highlighting the fact that people are not engaging with one another, and instead choosing to pretend everything is okay rather than facing reality. The following lines intensify this feeling as she reflects on the pressure put on her to provide "the right numbers," yet she feels like she is breaking into pieces.

The chorus emphasizes her inner turmoil as she describes her world spinning too fast and her inability to get off this spin. The repetition of these lines emphasizes the cyclical nature of her struggles, and her inability to escape her current situation. The bridge highlights her desire for change as she talks about waiting for someone to steer her back to her life, but it's clear that she feels lost and disconnected from herself. The final lines emphasize this disconnect once more as she reflects on the fact that she is just "moving somewhere" and is forced to fake a smile.

Overall, Liv Kristine's "Fake A Smile" speaks to the emotional exhaustion and disconnection that people can experience in our fast-paced world. It highlights the pressure we often feel to present a façade, rather than engaging with those around us or facing our struggles head-on.

Line by Line Meaning

Living souls around me
I am surrounded by people, but they are lifeless and unaware of their surroundings.

They don't see
These people lack awareness of what's happening around them and how it affects others.

Just staring, closed faces
They look at me, but with no emotion or communication.

Fake a smile
I pretend to be happy, even though everyone else's ignorance and indifference is affecting me negatively.

Shaking hands shake their heads
These people are telling me they don't understand, but not offering any real help or communication.

But they don't speak
They refuse to offer genuine advice or communication, but instead simply shake their head in disagreement or dismay.

Only demanding the right numbers
They only care about the results, to the point of losing sight of who I am as a person.

Of me
They only care about my output or what they can get from me.

Breaking into pieces
I'm falling apart, losing grip on myself and feeling overwhelmed.

My world is turning too fast
Things are spiraling out of control and I can't keep up.

And I can't get off this spin
I feel stuck in this cycle of stress and negativity, unable to escape.

I'm moving somewhere I don't want
I feel like my life is heading in a direction I don't want or recognize.

But all I do is fake a smile
Despite this, all I can do is put on a fake smile even though it's tearing me apart inside.

It's so cold around me
I feel isolated and alone, with no warmth or understanding from others.

I hurry to the next stop
I am trying to escape from my current situation and find a new place to be.

I'm waiting for something
I am hoping for something to change, but unsure what it could be or how to make it happen.

For someone
I need help and support, but feel like I'm asking for too much from those around me.

To steer me back to my life
I want someone to guide me back to a happier or better time in my life, when things weren't so out of control.

When will I break
I am reaching my breaking point and don't know how much longer I can hold on.

When does the ice break
I am hoping for a sudden change or breakthrough that will help me feel more in control and less overwhelmed.

When will I dare to press rewind and start all over
I want to go back in time and start over, to avoid this negative and stressful situation I'm currently facing.

This world is turning too fast
The world is changing too fast and it's hard to keep up with everything.

And fake a smile
Despite all of this, I still feel forced to pretend everything is okay when it's not.

Contributed by Juliana T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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