Soul Man
Nits Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

See this tall man walking the streets of Helsinki
He's called Seppo, he's a friend of mine from Finland
He tells me: "Henk, she left me again
And I went back to my old apartment close to the graveyard"

Nobody loves you and nobody cares
You're like this leaf that's falling down
And nobody likes you and nobody cares
You're like this leaf that's falling down on the ground

Soul man, soul man
I hope I can
Soul man, soul man
I hope I can
Be your friend
Be your friend again

Now he's all alone in the radio studio at night
He's a disk jockey working for Radio Mafia Helsinki
Sometimes women call him in the night

Nobody likes you, nobody cares
You're like this leaf that's falling down
And nobody loves you and nobody sees that
You're like this leaf that's falling down on the ground

Soul man, soul man
I hope I can
Soul man, soul man
I hope I can
Be your friend
Be your friend again

One night we went walking
From the Torni Hotel to the Kosmos Restaurant
And we were not allowed inside
We were wearing the wrong shoes
That's Helsinki Blues
So we went along
Along the Vanha to the station

Soul man, soul man
I hope I can
Soul man, soul man
I hope I can
Be your friend
Be your friend again





And we were watching the trains
To Saint Peter disappearing in the night

Overall Meaning

The song "Soul Man" by Nits is a melancholic tribute to a friend of the singer's, Seppo, who was going through a tough time after being left by his partner. The song describes Seppo as a tall man walking the streets of Helsinki, who has gone back to his old apartment near the graveyard. The lyrics emphasize Seppo's loneliness and feelings of abandonment, with lines like "Nobody loves you and nobody cares," and "You're like this leaf that's falling down on the ground." Although the singer expresses sympathy for Seppo's situation, he also admits to feeling helpless in the face of Seppo's despair.


The song takes a nostalgic turn in the final verse, where the singer recalls a night out with Seppo that ended with them watching trains disappear into the night. The lyrics are simple and direct, but they convey a deep sense of longing and loss. The repeated refrain of "Soul man, soul man, I hope I can be your friend again" reinforces the idea that the singer cherishes his friendship with Seppo and wants to offer him comfort and support.


Overall, "Soul Man" is a poignant reflection on the transient nature of human connections and the importance of empathy and solidarity in difficult times. The song's gentle melody and understated instrumentation add to its emotional resonance, making it a standout track on Nits' 1998 album "Alankomaat."


Line by Line Meaning

See this tall man walking the streets of Helsinki
The singer sees Seppo, his Finnish friend, walking in Helsinki.


He's called Seppo, he's a friend of mine from Finland
Seppo is the singer's friend who's from Finland.


He tells me: "Henk, she left me again And I went back to my old apartment close to the graveyard"
Seppo tells the singer that his girlfriend Henk left him again, and he went back to his old apartment near the graveyard.


Nobody loves you and nobody cares You're like this leaf that's falling down And nobody likes you and nobody cares You're like this leaf that's falling down on the ground
Seppo feels unloved and uncared for like a falling leaf that nobody notices or cares about.


Soul man, soul man I hope I can Soul man, soul man I hope I can Be your friend Be your friend again
Seppo hopes that the artist can be his friend again, and he longs for human connection and understanding.


Now he's all alone in the radio studio at night He's a disk jockey working for Radio Mafia Helsinki Sometimes women call him in the night
Seppo works as a disk jockey for Radio Mafia Helsinki and often receives calls from women at night, but he's alone in the studio.


Nobody likes you, nobody cares You're like this leaf that's falling down And nobody loves you and nobody sees that You're like this leaf that's falling down on the ground
Seppo still feels unloved and uncared for, as if he's an unnoticed falling leaf.


Soul man, soul man I hope I can Soul man, soul man I hope I can Be your friend Be your friend again
Seppo desires the artist to be his friend again and to find that connection he seeks.


One night we went walking From the Torni Hotel to the Kosmos Restaurant And we were not allowed inside We were wearing the wrong shoes That's Helsinki Blues So we went along Along the Vanha to the station
The artist and Seppo were not allowed inside a restaurant they walked to, as they were not adequately dressed. So they decided to walk along Vanha street towards the station.


Soul man, soul man I hope I can Soul man, soul man I hope I can Be your friend Be your friend again
The song repeats the chorus, expressing Seppo's desire for the artist's friendship again.


And we were watching the trains To Saint Peter disappearing in the night
The singer and Seppo watched the trains leaving for Saint Peter, which gradually disappeared into the night, emphasizing the fleeting and transient nature of life.




Contributed by Jack N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Comments from YouTube:

Filipe Mendonça

Hi! Thank you, Nitsfan, for sharing these vídeos with us! Since my 17`s, Nits music is a part of my life. I``ve got all the records and, believe-me, last year i went to Amesterdam and i`ve searched for the Nits fan club, but, with no sucess. From Portugal, Filipe Feel Hip

Claudia Notter

Nitsfan, thank you very much for all these videos!!!

arto ruotsalainen

just great.thank you for bringing memories.see you soon.

Dia Bravenboer

only 3 letters; wow!

nitsfan

you're welcome. see you soon???? sorry I was 2 times in Finland, but I don't have plans to go to Finland, are you coming to alankomat? ;-) Gr. Jasper

More Versions