Nergaard's musical journey began early. At age 16, she stepped on stage joining a jam session at Moldejazz, Norway’s international jazz festival, with a band comprised of musicians from the band of the late jazz bass virtuoso Jaco Pastorius. The country's jazz journalists applauded the young talent. Since that day, she has steadily developed as a composer and become popular for her unique voice and talent for songwriting.
Since her 1990 inaugural jazz album, Tell Me Where You're Going, produced by jazz guitar maestro Pat Metheny, Nergaard has become one among very few Norwegian artists to have had commercial releases in major music markets around the globe - including Brazil, Germany, the U.S., and the United Kingdom - and doing so with great success.
Her later albums, Port of Call (2000), At First Light (2001), and Nightwatch (2003), have all proved resounding commercial successes and received rapturous critical praise. With Nightwatch she also made history: no other jazz artist before her had shot straight into the Norwegian sales charts twice to reach #1 within the first week of release. In 2004 she received a Norwegian music award for Musician of the Year.
With the 2007 release of her critically-acclaimed Darkness Out of Blue, Nergaard finally realized her dream of working with Grammy Award winner and renowned arranger Vince Mendoza, (Elvis Costello, Joni Mitchell, Herbie Hancock), who contributed string arrangements to two songs in the album, Paper Boats and Let Me Be Troubled, with his beautiful sound and touch.
A year or two earlier, Nergaard had already decided to make a change in her music, which meant having to change some of her musicians, who had been touring with her for the past several years. As much as the style and 'voice' they had developed together were important to her, she came to realize that "you come to a point where you know you need to have a new challenge."
On October 4, 2007, it was officially announced in the Netherlands that Darkness Out of Blue had garnered Nergaard the Edison Award, the Dutch equivalent of the Grammy. The prize was presented to her by the Norwegian ambassador to the Netherlands at the Edison Music Awards Gala on November 6 in Eindhoven, during which Nergaard also performed the two songs from the album that Mendoza had arranged, backed by The Metropole Orchestra.
The new and promising musical collaboration between them in Darkness led inevitably to Mendoza's involvement once again in Nergaard's latest studio project, A Thousand True Stories, which was released in Norway on February 9, 2009, and will be available internationally in the autumn. The songs from the album were written the previous year and recorded in August 2008 with The Metropole Orchestra from the Netherlands, and arranged by its conductor Mendoza.
Here's a press kit video of A Thousand True Stories, with all interviews in English.
Watch the making of Nergaard's latest project, A Thousand True Stories:
video clip 1 (9:34) | video clip 2 (9:54)
Official website: http://www.siljenergaard.com
Silje on MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/siljenergaard
Silje on Facebook: click here
Now and Then
Silje Nergaard Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Of pearly teeth and fashion clothes
She sees them in the mirror-tiles
Trying on their latest smiles
Light and warmth from spotlight beams
Convincing them their nightmare is a dream
Now and then when they're at rest
Feeling safe no need to hide
She opens doors and windows wide
And poised upon her painted claws
She stretches out her gaudy wings and soars
Far away
Borne by the wind
She roams the sky
No one to say ... too low ... to high
Or count the lonely miles that she has flown
This world is hers alone
But then again behind the rows
She feels the piercing looks of those
Who watch her every move in case
She happens to forget her place
Who sum her up ... deny her flight
Aim their words and shoot her down on sight
Far away
Borne by the wind
She roams the sky
No one to stay ... too low ... too high
Or count the lonely miles that she has flown
This world is hers alone
(guitar solo)
Far away
Borne by the wind
She roams the sky
No one to stay ... too low ... too high
Or count the lonely miles.....
Far away
Borne by the wind
She roams the sky
No one to say ... too low ... too high
Or count the lonely miles that she has flown
This world is hers alone
Far away, far away
The lyrics to Silje Nergaard's song Now and Then depict the contrasting feelings of being a performer and being alone. The first verse describes the image of performers looking at themselves in the mirror and seeing themselves hiding behind pearly teeth and fashionable clothing. They try on different smiles to convince themselves that their performance is just a dream. However, when they're alone and in a peaceful state of rest, they can open up their doors and windows wide without the need to hide. The second verse highlights the loneliness they feel despite their fame, as they are constantly being watched by those who judge and criticize their every move, which ultimately denies them the freedom to fly. The last verse speaks about a freedom that comes from being alone and far away from the crowd, where one can roam the sky without criticism or restrictions.
Line by Line Meaning
Now and then behind the rows
Occasionally, hiding behind the group, away from the spotlight and focus, she sees the people who wear fancy clothes and have sparkling teeth, in the mirror who try out new smiles.
Of pearly teeth and fashion clothes
Refers to people who value physical looks and fashion - such people are shallow and superficial.
She sees them in the mirror-tiles
She observes these people looking for the perfect smile through pieces of glass, which makes her realize that they do not have genuine smiles, which are rather more of a facade.
Trying on their latest smiles
These people are faking their expressions to fit in with the social norm, and they change their persona-like clothes from time to time to be perceived in a better light.
Light and warmth from spotlight beams
The light that comes from the spotlight, which focuses on these people, raises them to fame and creates an illusion of radiant happiness when they are on stage, hiding their pain and sadness.
Convincing them their nightmare is a dream
The spotlight blinds them so much that their terrible lives are transformed into something that they perceive as magical or something perfect.
Now and then when they're at rest
Sometimes, when they are at peace, without their facade, they are vulnerable and real, making them acceptable to the outside world.
Flocked in sleep in cuckoos' nests
They are sleeping in an area/group of people who are similar to them in behavior and status, when they are weak and confused.
Feeling safe no need to hide
These people feel safe resting among individuals like themselves without fear of being judged.
She opens doors and windows wide
Taking advantage of the other person's weakness, she ventures out and takes risks knowing that her reputation is already in shambles, giving her more freedom at times.
And poised upon her painted claws
Painted claws refer to her being able to move deftly in the new atmosphere, where she is not judged by the people who know her.
She stretches out her gaudy wings and soars
Gaudy wings depict her warped personality that shines through, which is brave and bold, unlike her previous cowardly nature. At this moment, she takes flight to follow her dreams.
Far away
The song foretells her vision, motivating her to live a life worth living that is entirely hers, not influencing her life by others.
Borne by the wind
Her determination, beliefs, and morals are the wind pushing her towards her accomplishments.
She roams the sky
By living her life her way, she has no restrictions or boundaries stopping her, and she can genuinely explore and experience new things.
No one to say ... too low ... too high
She is independent, she can decide for herself and not be affected by someone else's inference or opinions because she has already experienced the restraints put upon her by others and was not happy with that.
Or count the lonely miles that she has flown
She prefers to focus on the path forward rather than to dwell on what's behind. It serves as a metaphor for her being free and spreading her wings without any obstacles or distractions. Her adventure is a solitary, challenging one that tests her to limit and pushing her, although she is content and contented about it.
This world is hers alone
The world, to her, is her imagination where the sky's boundaries don't exist, and she can soar and dream endlessly.
But then again behind the rows
As she starts to lose sight of this reality, she is drawn back to the facade life.
She feels the piercing looks of those
People are always watching and judging her, scrutinizing her actions, making her feel helpless and frustrated.
Who watch her every move in case
They are always fearful that if she succeeds, she might pose a danger to their status - this may lead to their downfall.
She happens to forget her place
She is still not out of the wooden yet, and perception is everything in the eyes of the public. She tends to forget the persona she has created for the people who do not know her and can be vulnerable at times.
Who sum her up ... deny her flight
They label her as someone who isn't successful, someone who falls short of their picture-perfect lifestyle, and they prevent her from growing due to her past flaws and errors.
Aim their words and shoot her down on sight
They used their words as ammunition, lowering her self-confidence and making her wary of herself and abilities, which eventually reflects in her actions.
(guitar solo)
This signifies an extension of the instrumental music expressing the emotions and thoughts that fail to be put into words silently reflecting on the underlying thoughts.
Far away
The song foretells her vision, motivating her to live a life worth living that is entirely hers, not influencing her life by others.
Borne by the wind
Her determination, beliefs, and morals are the wind pushing her towards her accomplishments.
She roams the sky
By living her life her way, she has no restrictions or boundaries stopping her, and she can genuinely explore and experience new things.
No one to stay ... too low ... too high
She is independent, she can decide for herself and not be affected by someone else's inference or opinions because she has already experienced the restraints put upon her by others and was not happy with that.
Or count the lonely miles.....
She prefers to focus on the path forward rather than to dwell on what's behind. It serves as a metaphor for her being free and spreading her wings without any obstacles or distractions. Her adventure is a solitary, challenging one that tests her to limit and pushing her, although she is content and contented about it.
Far away
The song foretells her vision, motivating her to live a life worth living that is entirely hers, not influencing her life by others.
Borne by the wind
Her determination, beliefs, and morals are the wind pushing her towards her accomplishments.
She roams the sky
By living her life her way, she has no restrictions or boundaries stopping her, and she can genuinely explore and experience new things.
No one to say ... too low ... too high
She is independent, she can decide for herself and not be affected by someone else's inference or opinions because she has already experienced the restraints put upon her by others and was not happy with that.
Or count the lonely miles that she has flown
She prefers to focus on the path forward rather than to dwell on what's behind. It serves as a metaphor for her being free and spreading her wings without any obstacles or distractions. Her adventure is a solitary, challenging one that tests her to limit and pushing her, although she is content and contented about it.
This world is hers alone
The world, to her, is her imagination where the sky's boundaries don't exist, and she can soar and dream endlessly.
Contributed by Lucas H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
romy camerun
love the song, great, best sind Judy was falling
Ulrich Voßenkaul
Is it George Benson playing the little solo in the middle of the song?