Having played guitar and piano as a young girl, she was moved to write her first song, "Remember The Day", after taking a road trip with a friend across the Alps to Genoa, via Strasbourg. She appeared in Wim Wenders' 1973 film Alice in the Cities, and her music also featured in Umarmungen und andere Sachen (1975), a German Jochen Richter film set in Bavaria about three romantically involved bank robbers. Baier opted not to pursue an acting or singing career, and moved to America where she concentrated on raising a family.
The songs that went on to make up her album Colour Green were home reel-to-reel tape recordings Baier had made in Germany between 1970 and 1973. Some thirty years later her son Robby compiled a CD from these recordings to give to family members as presents. He also gave a copy to Dinosaur Jr's J Mascis, who in turn passed it along to the Orange Twin label. Orange Twin released the album in February 2006. She is expected to release a second studio album. She performs the song "Let Us Know" in Wim Wenders' movie Palermo Shooting (2008).
www.sibyllebaier.com/
Colour Green
Sibylle Baier Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
frequented my late afternoon,
Saw me in New York City,
wearing a sweater colour green.
So one night I sat down on a chair and knitted there.
Hmmm
Years after trying to live a woman's life.
I met a friend who had a red haired wife.
She said to me "woman I like your clothes".
"Come on and let us try both and take tender care.
But when you need help I will be there."
Hmmm
Memories and seasons achieve their affairs.
Sometime in April the sweater I wear...
Sometime in April a letter I wrote...
Dear friend I think of you on the top of Empire State.
Hmmm
Dear friend I'm lonesome.
Dear friend I've been well.
How do you spell your name?
The city has changed me.
I'm no longer the same.
Wrote to me, "woman, I'd like to stay
Liberty statue has got so many stairs
But when you need help, I will be there"
Hmmm
I'd been a girl and one dream
frequented my late afternoon,
Saw me in New York City,
wearing the sweater colour green.
The lyrics to Sibylle Baier's song "Colour Green" is a reflection of introspection, nostalgia, and a longing for a dream. The song starts with the singer reminiscing on a childhood dream of living in New York City wearing a green sweater at a late afternoon. As an adult, the singer tried to live a woman's life but still holds onto the childhood dream, which she eventually fulfills by moving to New York, wearing the same sweater many years later.
The singer's friend, who had a red-haired wife, compliments the singer's clothes and offers a helping hand. As time passes, the singer writes a letter to the friend standing on the top of Empire State Building, reminiscing their friendship and how the city has changed her. The friend writes back, mentioning the Liberty statue and offers help when needed.
Overall, the song deals with themes of growing up, reminiscing on past memories, and holding on to unfulfilled dreams. The nostalgia and melancholy in the lyrics are heightened by the soft and soothing melody of the song, which captures the listener's attention.
Line by Line Meaning
I'd been a girl and one dream frequented my late afternoon,
As a young girl, I used to dream of being in New York City, and this dream persisted through my teenage years.
Saw me in New York City, wearing a sweater colour green.
In my dream, I saw myself walking around New York City, and I was wearing a green sweater.
So one night I sat down on a chair and knitted there. Hmmm
One night, I decided to turn my dream into a reality, so I sat down and knit myself the green sweater that I dreamed of wearing in New York City.
Years after trying to live a woman's life. Hmmm
Years later, as I tried to navigate through the challenges of adulthood, I found myself trying to embrace my femininity and figure out who I really was.
I met a friend who had a red haired wife.
During this time, I met a friend who had a wife with red hair, and we became close.
She said to me "woman I like your clothes".
My friend's wife complimented me on my clothing and encouraged me to explore my personal style.
"Come on and let us try both and take tender care.
She suggested that we try on each other's clothes and take care of each other.
But when you need help I will be there." Hmmm
She reassured me that she would always be there for me when I needed her.
Memories and seasons achieve their affairs.
Over time, memories and the passing of seasons shape our lives and experiences.
Sometime in April the sweater I wear...
One April, I found myself wearing the green sweater that I knit all those years ago.
Sometime in April a letter I wrote...
During that same April, I wrote a letter to my friend.
Dear friend I think of you on the top of Empire State. Hmmm
In my letter, I told my friend that I often thought of her while standing at the top of the Empire State building in New York City.
Dear friend I'm lonesome.
I also confided in my friend that I was feeling lonely.
Dear friend I've been well.
Despite my loneliness, I assured my friend that I was doing well.
How do you spell your name?
In my letter, I also asked my friend how to spell her name.
The city has changed me.
Living in New York City had changed me in profound ways.
I'm no longer the same.
I was no longer the same person I was when I first knit the green sweater and dreamed of living in the big city.
Wrote to me, "woman, I'd like to stay Liberty statue has got so many stairs But when you need help, I will be there" Hmmm
My friend wrote back to me, telling me that she would like to stay in touch and that even though climbing the stairs of the statue of liberty was tiring, she would always be there to help me.
Contributed by Tyler M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.