Her third studio album, ‘Gardening’ (2023), is a stripped-down set of songs, delving into difficult themes like bleakness, doubt and fear, sung in a voice that is hauntingly ethereal. A sense of calmness that runs through it. ‘Romain’s Place’, for example, is a ballad about what seems to be domestic abuse: “Through it all there was a lot that kept me from leaving/ like your fists around my wrists…”. But there are also upbeat moments, like ‘Sun, Moon, Stars’, that sees Jakobsen joined by Ane Brun on vocals and a beautiful string outro: “You are the reason that I am alive”, suggesting there’s a light in the end of every tunnel. In fact, Jakobsen has said the same in ‘Dark’, from her debut EP, ‘The Lingering’.
Siv Jakobsen is based in Oslo, and trained in Boston’s Berklee College, where she found her folk pop identity. Soon, her life experiences became the themes of her work. Siv knows well that the best way to face a problem is to stare it in the eyes and acknowledge it. That’s where the healing begins. And that’s what she’s been doing, slowly-yet-steadily, from her first release in 2015 to 2020’s ‘A Temporary Soothing’, and now with ‘Gardening’, while also touring extensively. Siv’s lyrics, vocals, pauses, breaths, fingerpicked acoustic guitar sound, and arrangements all come together to calm her bruises. With each of her albums, she opens up to us even more, evoking emotion with precision to amazing effect.
Bullet
Siv Jakobsen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You're like a bullet in my chest
Your aim is perfect
Every time I lay myself down for you
I paint a circle on my chest
To make it easier for you to aim just right
ch: And I lie down and wait
I lie down and wait
v. 2 I draw our memory in the snow
Willing it to freeze
for the frost to bite your tongue
But you're a howler, you're a wolf
And in the dead night
I swear I hear you calling for me
ch: And I lie down and wait
I lie down and wait
I lie down and wait
Like bait laid out in the woods
I'm bait laid out in the woods
-oblvd
Siv Jakobsen's song "Bullet" seems to be about a toxic relationship that the singer is unable to break free from. The "bullet" is a metaphor for the object of her affection, who is both dangerous and irresistible. The singer acknowledges that the other person has perfect aim, meaning that they are able to hurt her without fail. Every time she lays herself down for them, it's like painting a target on her chest for them to aim at. She feels like she is offering herself up as bait in a dangerous game.
In the second verse, the singer tries to retaliate by drawing their memory in the snow and willing it to freeze, hoping that the frost will bite their tongue. However, she realizes that the other person is a howler, a wolf that is always calling out to her in the night. She is unable to resist their pull and continues to lie down and wait for them, even though it feels like she is just bait in the woods.
Overall, the song conveys a sense of powerlessness in the face of a dangerous and addictive relationship. The singer knows that they should walk away, but they are unable to resist the pull of the other person.
Line by Line Meaning
You're like a bullet in my chest
Your presence feels like a sharp pain in my heart
Your aim is perfect
You always know exactly how to hurt me
Every time I lay myself down for you
Every time I give myself to you
I paint a circle on my chest
I mark the spot where it hurts the most
To make it easier for you to aim just right
To make it easier for you to hurt me
And I lie down and wait
I surrender to your power over me
Like bait laid out in the woods
Like a defenseless animal waiting to be hunted
I draw our memory in the snow
I try to preserve the memory of us
Willing it to freeze
Hoping to make it last forever
For the frost to bite your tongue
For you to feel the same pain I do
But you're a howler, you're a wolf
You're wild and untamed
And in the dead night
In the darkest moments when I'm alone
I swear I hear you calling for me
I can't escape the hold you have on me
I'm bait laid out in the woods
I'm vulnerable and exposed
Contributed by Charlie M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Daniel Carter
In love with Siv's voice. Wow.
Vera
Your music is wonderful! Heard it for the first time some weeks ago on a Luxembourgish radio station. Now I am listening to it almost every day :) Thank you!
Ezgi Kayış
in love with your music for years... love from istanbul, again :) <3
Kel W
WHY THE FOOK ARE YOU NOT ON TOP OF CHARTS 😍😍 MIND YOU. PEOPLE LIKE YOU DESERVE BETTER THAN THE CHARTS I'M IN LOVE 😍😍
Nina Balvinskaya
I love your music so much ❤️
Miguel Escalante
I love your songs.
Patrico Sultana
You are amazing 😍😍😍
tofi
топ очень классно
Mille Murstad-By
bra siv <<33
Bruna Cataldi
My princess dream, marry this woman.
I feel completely in love