Born in Bergen, Hordaland, Norway, the young Lerche was heavily influenced by the 80's music emanating from his older siblings' rooms. Compelled by a defining fascination for bands such as a-ha, The Beach Boys, and Prefab Sprout, Lerche began formal guitar instruction at age eight. Not satisfied with the lessons at school, Lerche experimented with original tunes on his own accord, eventually penning his first song, "Locust Girl" at the age of fourteen. While still underage, Lerche held acoustic performances at the club where his sister worked; Lerche was eventually discovered by Norwegian producer Hans-Petter "HP" Gundersen.
While under Gundersen's mentorship, Lerche was exposed to diverse music genres, including psychedelia, 60's pop, and mainstream Brazilian music, broadening his appreciation for eclectic music styles. Around this time Lerche was also introduced to Oslo-based manager Tatiana Penzo, resulting in a recording contract with Virgin Norway. With steadily growing popularity in his home country, he recorded his debut album in 2000. The album's release was postponed until Lerche fulfilled several academic requirements; in the interim, he was named Best New Act at Spellemannprisen (the Norwegian equivalent of the Grammys) and performed locally as a support act for major acts such as Beth Orton.
Officially released in Norway during September of 2001, Lerche's debut album Faces Down was a chart success in Norway. 2002 saw the album's international release, garnering praise from international publications and critics; Rolling Stone placed it in their top 50 albums of 2002. He embarked on subsequent tours in Europe and the United States. Lerche toured with various acts, including a one-in-a-lifetime opportunity to share the stage with his long-time idols, a-ha. A studio/live compilation EP, Don't Be Shallow, was released in 2003. During the same year, he would have the opportunity to tour with another of his musical idols, Elvis Costello, with whom he would tour once more in 2005.
Lerche's second studio album, Two Way Monologue, was released in 2004. The album displayed Lerche's penchant for experimentation with eclectic styles to an even greater extent than his earlier works, its content ranging from upbeat pop songs to mellow, melancholic tunes. In 2006, Lerche released his third studio album, Duper Sessions. A classical jazz album featuring original songs, as well as a cover of the jazz standard "Night and Day", it was recorded by Lerche and the Faces Down, augmented by pianist Erik Halvorsen, at Duper Studios in Bergen, hence its name.
In 2007, Phantom Punch, a rock album with a distinctly more aggressive sound than his earlier works, was released. Lerche and the Faces Down recorded and mixed the album in Los Angeles in April and May 2006, with producer Tony Hoffer. The same year, he composed the musical score for the film Dan in Real Life. Lerche and the Faces Down also made an appearance in the film itself, performing the song "Modern Nature" as a duet with actress Marci Occhino (the actual vocals were performed by Lillian Samdal). Another song of Lerche's, "Dear Laughing Doubters", was featured in the film Dinner for Schmucks; both films starred actor Steve Carell.
In 2009, Sondre Lerche released Heartbeat Radio. 2011 saw the release of his self-titled sixth studio album, Sondre Lerche.
FEVER
Sondre Lerche Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Never know how much I care
When you put your arms around me
I get a fever that's so hard to bear
You give me fever, when you kiss me
Fever when you hold me tight
Fever, in the the morning
Sun lights up the daytime
The moon lights up the night
I light up when you call my name
And you know I'm gonna treat you right
Everybody's got the fever
That is something you all know
Fever isn't such a new thing
Fever started long ago
Romeo loved Juliet
Juliet she felt the same
When he put his arms around her
He said "Julie baby you're my flame"
Thou givest fever, when we kisseth
Fever with thy flaming youth
Fever, I'm afire
Fever yea I burn forsooth
Captain Smith and Pocahontas
Had a very mad affair
When her Daddy tried to kill him
She said "Daddy-O don't you dare"
You give me fever, with his kisses
Fever when he holds me tight
Fever, I'm his Misses
Oh daddy won't you treat him right
Now you've listened to my story
Here's the point I have made
Chicks were born to give you fever
Be it Fahrenheit or Centigrade
They give you fever, when you kiss them
Fever if you live and learn
Fever, till you sizzle
What a lovely way to burn
What a lovely way to burn
What a lovely way to burn
What a lovely way to burn
Sondre Lerche's song "Fever" is a lyrical rendition of a passionate love story. The singer starts by expressing how much he loves and cares for his lover, hinting at the intense emotional connection they share. The moment she puts her arms around him, he feels a fever that is hard for him to handle. In this context, the "fever" is a metaphor for the intense attraction and passion that he feels for her.
The chorus of the song talks about how the fever only intensifies when she kisses and holds him tight. He then goes on to draw a parallel between the fever of his love and the natural phenomenon of the sun and the moon giving light to the day and night. He declares that his lover's presence illuminates his life and he intends to treat her right.
The second verse narrates the love story of Romeo and Juliet, where Romeo tells Juliet that she is his flame. The fever in this case is the passionate love they share, which is enough to keep them together despite their families' disapproval. The third verse tells the story of Captain Smith and Pocahontas, another unconventional love story where Pocahontas defied her father's wishes to save Captain Smith's life. The fever in this case is the mad affair they have, which is both intense and forbidden.
Overall, the song captures the essence of passionate love stories where the lovers have an intense emotional connection and are willing to go to great lengths to be together. The fever is a metaphor for the intensity of their love, which is all-consuming and all-encompassing.
Line by Line Meaning
Never know how much I love you
Expressing that the depth of the singer's love is indescribable
Never know how much I care
The singer is so deeply in love that the care they have is also unfathomable
When you put your arms around me
The comfort of being in the arms of the beloved is irreplaceable
I get a fever that's so hard to bear
The heat of love becomes too much to handle
You give me fever, when you kiss me
A kiss from the beloved personifies love as a fever
Fever when you hold me tight
Being held by someone who is loved brings on a feverish feeling
Fever, in the morning
Love when woken up to, still remains feverishly strong
Fever all through the night
Love even after the end of a day still remains feverishly strong
Sun lights up the daytime
The natural processes of the sun remaining the same
The moon lights up the night
The natural processes of the moon remaining the same
I light up when you call my name
The energy of love adds shine and light to the singer's life
And you know I'm gonna treat you right
The singer is willing and committed to treating the beloved well
Everybody's got the fever
Everyone who is in love experiences the heat of love like a fever
That is something you all know
The feeling of love is universal and known to everyone
Fever isn't such a new thing
The concept of love being like a fever isn't a new idea
Fever started long ago
Love bringing a feverish feeling has always been present in human experience
Romeo loved Juliet
Referencing Shakespeare's play, Romeo and Juliet as an example of love
Juliet she felt the same
Juliet reciprocated Romeo's feelings
When he put his arms around her
A physical gesture showing love and comfort between the two characters
He said "Julie baby you're my flame"
A metaphor of Julie being the fire and passion of Romeo's love
Thou givest fever, when we kisseth
Using Old English phrasing, kissing is again compared to love as a fever
Fever with thy flaming youth
Youthful passion and energy continue to be the root of a feverish feeling of love
Fever, I'm afire
The fire of love burns within the singer and is difficult to quench
Fever yea I burn forsooth
Reiterating that the love felt, is strong and undeniable
Captain Smith and Pocahontas
Referencing the historical figures to show that love has been around for centuries
Had a very mad affair
Describing the intensity of the love between the two figures
When her Daddy tried to kill him
Pocahontas' father tried to stop their love
She said "Daddy-O don't you dare"
Pocahontas stood up to her father and fought for her love
You give me fever, with his kisses
The actions of the beloved continue to give off the heat of love like a fever
Fever when he holds me tight
Staying close to the beloved brings on the fever of love
Fever, I'm his Misses
Addressing the love felt, and being the beloved of someone continuing to stoke the feverish feeling of love
Oh daddy won't you treat him right
An appeal to Pocahontas' father to treat her beloved's love with the respect it deserves
Now you've listened to my story
Addressing the listener, the singer believes they have told a story of love and the fever inspired by it
Here's the point I have made
An assertion that the singer specifically made a point about love in their story
Chicks were born to give you fever
Women are the object of desire in love and continue to be the source of a feverish feeling
Be it Fahrenheit or Centigrade
Temperature doesn't matter, love will always feel feverish
Fever, till you sizzle
Love and the heat of it will continue to be felt until there's no energy left, sizzling away till the end
What a lovely way to burn
The connotation of burning here is not to be read as destructive but rather emphasizing the intense feeling of love
What a lovely way to burn
Repeats the previous line to emphasize the pleasantness of the burning feeling of love
What a lovely way to burn
Repeats the previous two lines again to fully cement the idea of the good feeling of love being described as a lovely way to burn
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, CARLIN AMERICA INC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Eddie Cooley, Otis Blackwell
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind