Brundtland and Berge were schoolmates in their hometown Tromsø, experimenting with electronic instruments in the early 90s and being a part of their city's techno scene. As they grew up in northern Norway, they listened to local artists like Bel Canto and Biosphere. The band has also expressed their interest in the music of Kraftwerk, Brian Eno, Giorgio Moroder, Art of Noise, Vangelis, Erik Satie, and Francis Lai. They were members of various electro acts in their youth, such as Alanïa, Drum Island and Aedena Cycle. After recording as part of Aedena Cycle, Berge and Brundtland left the group to form their own band, Röyksopp.
In 8 October 2001, Röyksopp released their debut album Melody A.M. on Wall of Sound label. This critically acclaimed downtempo album reached #1 in Norway charts, #9 in UK Albums Chart, #18 in US Top Electronic Albums. Melody A.M. spawned five singles: "So Easy" (released in 1999, re-released in 2002), "Eple" (released in July 2001, re-released in 24 February 2003; #16 UK), "Poor Leno", featuring Erlend Øye (released in 3 December 2001, re-released on 18 November 2002; #38 UK), "Remind Me", featuring Erlend Øye (5 August 2002; #21 UK), and "Sparks", featuring Anneli Drecker (2003; #41 UK).
The band became famous for their original music videos (the infographic-styled video by French company H5 for the track "Remind Me", won the 2002 MTV Europe Music Award for best music video). The single "Eple" (meaning "apple") was used by Apple Inc. as the music for the startup video for Mac OS X 10.3.
In 4 July 2005, the band issued their sophomore album The Understanding on Wall of Sound. The album was preceded by the hit single "Only This Moment", featuring Kate Havnevik (27 June 2005; #33 UK). Another four singles followed: "49 Percent" (26 September 2005; #55 UK), "Curves" (non-album single; 3 October 2005), "What Else Is There?", featuring Karin Dreijer of The Knife (5 December 2005; #4 Norway, #32 UK) and "Beautiful Day Without You" (26 June 2006).
Röyksopp's Night Out EP was released in 27 February 2006 and it contains live recordings from a concert in Norway, Rockefeller (Oslo) in November 2005. The album contains a new dance version of their single "Sparks" and a reinterpretation of the song "Go With the Flow”, originally by Queens of the Stone Age. In 5 March 2007, the group issued Back to Mine: Röyksopp, a compilation album from the Back to Mine series, compiled and mixed by the band.
On 23 March 2009, Röyksopp released their third album Junior on Wall of Sound. Röyksopp have invited several guest artists, like Robyn, Anneli Drecker, Karin Dreijer, Lykke Li, to perform on various songs from Junior. The first single "Happy Up Here" was released on 19 January 2009 (digital)/16 March 2009 (vinyl) and peaked on #3 in Norway and on #44 in UK. Another two singles supported the album' sales: "The Girl And The Robot", featuring Robyn (15 June 2009; #2 Norway) and "This Must Be It", featuring Karin Dreijer (2 November 2009).
Since 2010, the band started posting on their official site new exclusive songs available for free download (usually a song every month), known as Röyksopp.com Track Of The Month.
In 13 September 2010, Röyksopp released the fourth album Senior, the atmospheric counterpart of Junior. The first single from the album, "The Drug", was released on 9 August 2010.
Official site: http://www.royksopp.com
You Know I Have To Go
Röyksopp Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There's nothing more to say
'Cause you're better off alone,
It's got to be this way
You know I have to go
There's nothing more to say
Surely you will know,
I've learnt how to stay gracious in defeat,
'Cause I've never been victorious
And now you offer me to feel complete,
You've given me your trust
'Cause I wanna give the honesty you need,
Nothing false or dubious
I want us to be all that we can be,
I want this for the two of us
You know I have to go
There's nothing more to say
Surely you will know,
In the light of day
Wish I had the courage to explain,
To let myself be heard
I wish there was a way to break the chain,
But I struggle with the words
Say you wanna take me to your bed,
But it's hard to know
Maybe it's beacuse we're off our heads,
Or maybe this is love?
The lyrics of Röyksopp's song, You Know I Have To Go, convey the sentiment of a person who is trying to express the inevitability of their departure despite their feelings towards their loved one. The song opens with the acknowledgment that the singer must leave, and there's nothing more to say, as they believe their loved one is better off without them. The repetition of the line, "You know I have to go, there's nothing more to say," emphasizes the singer's resolve to leave despite the emotional turmoil that the decision might entail.
Further, the singer expresses gratitude for their loved one's trust and the offer of completeness. The lyrics denote that the singer wants to be honest and transparent in their relationship, a symbol of their desire to make things work. However, the singer struggles with expressing themselves and explaining their departure. The last verse, "Say you wanna take me to your bed, but it's hard to know, Maybe it's because we're off our heads, or maybe this is love," suggests that the singer is uncertain about their feelings and the possibility of a future together.
In conclusion, Röyksopp's You Know I Have To Go, explores the complexity of human relationships and the difficulty of conveying interpersonal emotions. The song's lyrical content portrays a tender and melancholic mood, leaving the audience feeling empathetic to the singer's plight.
Line by Line Meaning
You know I have to go
I am aware you understand that it's time for me to leave
There's nothing more to say
I have nothing else to add to this discussion
'Cause you're better off alone,
It is best for you if we separate
It's got to be this way
This is the only way for both of us to move on
Surely you will know,
At some point, you will understand
In the light of day
When everything is in plain sight and not obscured
I've learnt how to stay gracious in defeat,
Despite losing, I have learned to remain dignified and kind
'Cause I've never been victorious
I have never won at anything significant
You've given me your trust
You have given me the benefit of the doubt
I wanna give the honesty you need,
I want to provide you with the transparency you deserve
Nothing false or dubious
I do not want to deceive you in any way
I want us to be all that we can be,
I want both of us to achieve our full potential as individuals
I want this for the two of us
I want the best for both of us as a couple
Wish I had the courage to explain,
I regret not being brave enough to elucidate
To let myself be heard
To enable myself to express my thoughts and emotions
I wish there was a way to break the chain,
I desire a means to end the cycle of our situation
But I struggle with the words
I am finding it difficult to articulate how I feel
Say you wanna take me to your bed,
You have indicated that you want to be physically intimate with me
But it's hard to know
I am uncertain and hesitant
Maybe it's because we're off our heads,
Perhaps we are under the influence of drugs or alcohol
Or maybe this is love?
This situation could indicate that we are in love with each other
Contributed by Elliot J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@carolynmitchell3780
[Chorus 1]
You know I have to go
There's nothing more to say
Cause you're better off alone
It's got to be this way
[Chorus 2]
You know I've got to go
There's nothing more to say
Surely you will know
In the light of day
[Verse 1]
I've learnt how to stay gracious in defeat
Cause I've never been victorious
And now you offer me to feel complete
You've given me your trust
Cause I wanna give the honesty you need
Nothing false or dubious
I want us to be all that we can be
I want this for the two of us
[Chorus 2]
You know I've got to go
There's nothing more to say
Surely you will know
In the light of day
[Verse 2]
Wish I had the courage to explain
To let myself be heard
I wish there was a way to break the chain
But I struggle with the words
Say you wanna take me to your bed
But it's hard to know
Maybe it's because we're off our heads
Or maybe this is love
@pingpong5282
You know I have to go
There's nothing more to say
'Cause you're better off alone
It's got to be this way
You know I've got to go
There's nothing more to say
Surely you will know
In the light of day
I've learnt how to stay gracious in defeat
'Cause I've never been victorious
And now you offer me to feel complete
You've given me your trust
'Cause I wanna give the honesty you need
Nothing false or dubious
I want us to be all that we can be
I want this for the two of us
You know I have to go
There's nothing more to say
Surely you will know
In the light of day
Wish I had the courage to explain
To let myself be heard
I wish there was a way to break the chain
But I struggle with the words
Say you wanna take me to your bed
But it's hard to know
Maybe it's because we're off our heads
Or maybe this is love...
@Cherifica
Never have I heard a more hauntingly beautiful, yet physically painful ballad. This song brings sobs from my diaphragm… recalling the most influential, the most painfully unrequited love I have ever known. It brings it all back, but I love it because I feel alive once again. Thank you Röyksopp!!!
@adeptusmechanicus7572
This song always tears me up, but in a good way. The emotions in this song are pure and honest.
@jamesbeesley8942
It’s Royksopp all over 😍
@johncullinane6931
I am so in touch with your words.
Just so intense, sad.
Just listening to the words and the real feeling expressed in them.
Still listening to it non stop
@zosia_mala
yes, me too :)
@renataczemiel1450
Super❤
@matteogai8557
Most introspective song ever. 💙
@devdaddy4854
Omg, what a masterpiece, but make me to remember all romantic moments in my life :)
@mitrairanii9398
The last part is the most important and most amazing thing ever: or maybe this is love ❤️. This is coming from a man who’s heart has been broken too many times. He is afraid of falling in love.
@Afiso-zu4jk
i love the song