With her opera singer for a mother, theater organist father and Björk’s Homogenic on constant rotation, Oh Land was enraptured by the combination of experimental and classical arts. “My goal is to sound like I’m from 2050, but still feel really classic, like the music is an old friend,” said Oh Land. She spent her days pirouetting as a ballet dancer at the Danish Royal Ballet Academy when an injury forced her to reinvent herself and discover her true talent and passion as a musician. Oh Land was discovered by Kasper Bjørke who soon released her first album, Fauna, which garnered critical acclaim in her homeland of Denmark. Her soundscapes are lavish, crunchy, symphonic, brute and captivated with rhythms that fly apart. She translates the sounds live via her contraption - a homemade one-woman-band music box topped with balloon video projections (seeing is believing). Her music is for movement and new songs such as the thumping Sun of a Gun and euphoric White Nights have proven to make even the most portentous get up and dance. Having been discovered by Epic Records at 2009’s SXSW, she is currently putting the finishing touches on her US debut album and an EP to be released this fall.
www.ohlandmusic.com
Next Summer
Oh Land Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Until time has changed us, fast forward the clock
Now I’m just a resident, I used to be the host
The one that would make you feel at home
I’ll imagine a perfect landing
I’m not pushing hard, nor hanging
Just silently falling into place
You - where gravity simply takes me
Next summer
We’ll meet again
And start all over where we last left it
Next summer I’ll make you forget
How painful it feels to be left empty
I let it go, let it go now
Next summer I’ll chase you down
So run away, run away now
Next summer I’ll chase you down
Reach out of my shoes and out of my head
You’re losing your grip, I’m still lying in bed
A number is written in blue ink on your hand
The red in your eyes is more prominent
Conversation will take us around in the park
Repeating the words in a dead lock
It starts to get cold outside and it starts to get dark
It starts to clear up now
The lyrics to Oh Land's song Next Summer describe the mixed emotions and desires of the singer. They long to escape their current state and are eager to fast forward time until they can start anew. They are tired of being a resident, wanting to return to the role of the host, bringing comfort and warmth to others. The singer daydreams of a perfect and effortless landing where they fall into place, allowing gravity to guide them towards someone, presumably a past love interest.
The chorus of the song promises a reunion in the following summer, where they can start anew and erase the pain of emptiness caused by their separation. The singer begs for the opportunity to chase after this person, regardless of how far they run away. In the second verse, the singer acknowledges the physical and emotional distance between them and the person they love. While they remain lost in thought and in bed, their partner seems to be moving on, with clues like a blue-inked number on their hand and the redness in their eyes. The two engage in circular conversations in the park as the day turns into night, and then finally clarity sets in.
Overall, the lyrics capture the universal feeling of wanting to escape from the mundane and into the future, when a new opportunity for love or success can arise. The song speaks to the power of memories and the hope for a better tomorrow.
Line by Line Meaning
Put me to sleep now and don’t wake me up
I want to forget everything and make my present feeling go away
Until time has changed us, fast forward the clock
I want to escape from the reality and wait for the time to make things better
Now I’m just a resident, I used to be the host
I used to be confident and have control, but now I'm just lost and looking for comfort
The one that would make you feel at home
I was the person you could rely on, but now I feel abandoned and alone
I’ll imagine a perfect landing
I hope for things to turn out well, without any difficulties or shortcomings
I’m not pushing hard, nor hanging
I'm not trying too hard or being too needy
Just silently falling into place
Things are happening on their own, without any effort or influence from me
You - where gravity simply takes me
You're a force of nature that I can't resist or escape from, and I accept that
Next summer
A future point in time where I hope things will be better
We’ll meet again
I want to see you again and have the chance to reconcile
And start all over where we last left it
We'll forget about the past and start fresh, without any baggage or regrets
Next summer I’ll make you forget
I want to impress you and make you forget about any negative experiences we had before
How painful it feels to be left empty
I don't want to feel alone and empty anymore, and I want to fill that void with something meaningful
I let it go, let it go now
I'm willing to forgive and forget about the past, and move on with a clean slate
Next summer I’ll chase you down
I'm determined to pursue you and prove myself, no matter what it takes
So run away, run away now
If you try to avoid me, I'll still try to reach you and show you how I feel
Reach out of my shoes and out of my head
I want to escape from my own thoughts and feelings, and focus on yours
You’re losing your grip, I’m still lying in bed
You're struggling to stay afloat, while I'm still feeling lost and immobile
A number is written in blue ink on your hand
You have some reminder or commitment that you're holding onto, even if it's just a small thing
The red in your eyes is more prominent
You seem more emotional and vulnerable than before, and your eyes reveal that
Conversation will take us around in the park
Talking and spending time together will help us reconnect and find common ground
Repeating the words in a dead lock
We might have some disagreements or misunderstandings that we need to resolve
It starts to get cold outside and it starts to get dark
Things might get tough or unpleasant, but we have to keep going and face them
It starts to clear up now
Things are getting better and more hopeful, and we can see the light at the end of the tunnel
Contributed by Alice Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.