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.
To Leave You
Siv Jakobsen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Where I've been hiding
Where I've been safe, sound
But now you've dug yourself a hollow in my garden
So you can swim in darkness
And I've placed myself beside it
To hold your hand if you come out
if you come out
Is it you or your reflection in my mind?
But I know now, what I am hoping for
Building cages ‘round my chest to leave you out
To leave you
To leave
I must build myself a new house
With a fence and alarms
Round the edge so you can't come
I'll have torches in the ceilings
So I can swim in visions
Of you with your inside out
Naked and screaming and fighting me
Frightening me
I don't know for who I'm longing
Is it you or your reflection in my mind?
But I know now, what I am hoping for
Building cages round my chest to leave you out
To leave you
To leave
I don't know for who I'm longing
Is it you or your reflection in my mind?
But I know now, what I am hoping for
I'm building cages round my chest to leave you out
To leave you
To leave
Siv Jakobsen's "To Leave You" speaks of the internal struggle the singer is facing when it comes to her feelings towards someone. The opening line, "I have built myself a fortress where I've been hiding", alludes to the protective walls that she has constructed around herself to guard her heart. She values safety and security and has been content within the walls of her fortress. However, her demeanor changes with the entrance of a particular person in her life. Through lyrics such as "But now you've dug yourself a hollow in my garden so you can swim in darkness", she admits that this person has made themselves at home in her heart and is now occupying the empty space within her. She wants to help this person in their journey to come out of the darkness and promises to be there for them.
As the song progresses, the singer struggles to identify who they truly love, as the lines "I don't know for who I'm longing, Is it you or your reflection in my mind?" suggest. She might just be in love with the idea of this person and not them exactly. Nonetheless, she acknowledges that she needs to let go of this person and start anew. She mentions building cages around her chest to keep this person out, as they have been-continuing to occupy too much space in her life. The final line, "To leave you, to leave" is a powerful declaration of her decision to move on and let go of this person once and for all.
Line by Line Meaning
I have built myself a fortress
I have constructed a protective barrier around myself
Where I've been hiding
I've been concealing myself within this fortress
Where I've been safe, sound
It has provided a sense of security and comfort
But now you've dug yourself a hollow in my garden
However, you have found a way to infiltrate it and make yourself at home
So you can swim in darkness
You are indulging in your own darkness within the space I created
And I've placed myself beside it
And now, I find myself drawn to your darkness and willing to comfort you
To hold your hand if you come out
I will be there for you if you decide to face your demons
if you come out
But it's up to you to make that choice
I don't know for who I'm longing
I'm uncertain if I desire you or merely the version of you I've created in my mind
Is it you or your reflection in my mind?
Are you the object of my affection or a projection of my own desires?
But I know now, what I am hoping for
Regardless, I now know what I want
Building cages ‘round my chest to leave you out
I will build barriers to keep you out of my heart
To leave you
So that I can move on without you
To leave
To let go
I must build myself a new house
I must start anew
With a fence and alarms
And take measures to protect myself from outside forces
Round the edge so you can't come
To prevent you from infiltrating my life again
I'll have torches in the ceilings
So that I can see the truth clearly
So I can swim in visions
And face the reality of what we are and what we could've been
Of you with your inside out
Seeing the vulnerable and raw version of yourself
Naked and screaming and fighting me
And how that version of yourself might not be compatible with who I am
Frightening me
And how that realization might frighten me
I don't know for who I'm longing
I'm still unsure of my own feelings
But I know now, what I am hoping for
But I do know what I want in the end
To leave you
To move on without you
To leave
To let go
I'm building cages round my chest to leave you out
I'm still creating the barriers necessary to protect my heart
To leave you
But I will ultimately leave you behind
To leave
And start anew
Contributed by Julian P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@reubenwest5605
She sings from the soul it is so beautiful oh most high❤🙏🌹🌹🌹
@isabelleguevara9372
An actual angel 🥲
@mrbit5746
Just listened to this song on repeat all day it’s just Beautiful, feel like you should be known by more! 😊
@karimdelamora7054
best wishes from Mexico.
@CaoilfhionnRose
so beautiful
@mdiamandis1187
saw you last tuesday in Rotterdam, you were so nice! Love your voice, keep going :)
@yigitzeren714
hope to see you someday in istanbul, i love you and your beautiful voice.
@Cannon74com
My dear friend Siv... 🎶
@evygil
beautiful!
@bookwrm
I love this so much♥️