Asterism & Obelisk
Mattias Alkberg Lyrics


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Det blev som vanligt natt igen
och jag stod och glodde på himmelen.
Med den skillnaden att det slog mig, äntligen,
du var mer intresserad av ljudbilden
än av gitarrspelet.

Någonting drar förbi där uppe
och jag önskar jag var med.
Blicken följer Karlavagnen
som om den skulle ramla ner.

För jag vill fly och jag vill ge mig hän
och, fastän fåfängt, hänga ut mig själv.
Medan du vill begripa, in i minsta atom,
vad det ska bli av oss och var vi kommer ifrån.

Någonting drar förbi där uppe
och jag önskar jag var med.
Blicken följer Karlavagnen
som om den skulle ramla ner.

Någonting drar förbi där uppe
och vi önskar vi var med.




Båda älskar Karlavagnen,
vi önskar den ville ramla ner.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of the song Asterism & Obelisk by Mattias Alkberg speak to the frustration that can come with being in a relationship where one person is more focused on the abstract and philosophical aspects of life, while the other is more interested in the sensory experience. The singer, as an individual in the latter category, finds himself staring up at the night sky and marveling at the beauty of the stars, while his partner is more concerned with the actual soundscape of the cosmos. The frustration comes from feeling like they are not connecting on the same level, and the singer even goes so far as to wish that he could fully succumb to his desire to escape from reality and metaphorically "hang himself out to dry." Meanwhile, his partner is preoccupied with understanding the nature of their existence and origin.


The chorus of the song is particularly poignant, as it speaks to the shared love of the couple for the constellation Ursa Major, also known as the Big Dipper or Karlavagnen in Swedish. The two wish that they could somehow be a part of what they see as the beauty and majesty of the night sky, and they long for the stars to come crashing down to earth. This desire for something transcendental and serene in their lives reveals a certain dissatisfaction with the material aspects of their existence, and suggests a perhaps unfulfilled search for meaning.


Line by Line Meaning

Det blev som vanligt natt igen
As is usual, it became night once again


och jag stod och glodde på himmelen.
And I stood and gazed at the sky


Med den skillnaden att det slog mig, äntligen,
With the difference that it struck me, finally,


du var mer intresserad av ljudbilden
You were more interested in the sound image


än av gitarrspelet.
than in the guitar playing.


Någonting drar förbi där uppe
Something is passing by up there


och jag önskar jag var med.
and I wish I were a part of it.


Blicken följer Karlavagnen
My gaze follows the Plough


som om den skulle ramla ner.
as if it were about to fall.


För jag vill fly och jag vill ge mig hän
Because I want to escape and give myself up


och, fastän fåfängt, hänga ut mig själv.
and, though it may be vain, expose myself.


Medan du vill begripa, in i minsta atom,
While you want to understand, down to the smallest atom,


vad det ska bli av oss och var vi kommer ifrån.
what will become of us and where we come from.


Någonting drar förbi där uppe
Something is passing by up there


och jag önskar jag var med.
and I wish I were a part of it.


Blicken följer Karlavagnen
My gaze follows the Plough


som om den skulle ramla ner.
as if it were about to fall.


Någonting drar förbi där uppe
Something is passing by up there


och vi önskar vi var med.
and we wish we were a part of it.


Båda älskar Karlavagnen,
Both of us love the Plough


vi önskar den ville ramla ner.
we wish it would fall down.




Contributed by Elena T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

@Abrovinken

Totalt awesome!

@Errathetube

Mattis!! Du har ju blivit min mammas favorit:-) Kramar från Carola.

@sravisrope

Den är så jävla skön :)

@Errathetube

Du är jättebra:-))

@jemaima86

klockrent

@CPSWEDEN

Jag tror vi är släkt Mattias!

@nomiz97

Hur mår leo och björn

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