Sondre Lerche Vaular (born 5 September 1982) is a Norwegian singer-songwrit… Read Full Bio ↴Sondre Lerche Vaular (born 5 September 1982) is a Norwegian singer-songwriter and guitarist. His professional career began in 2000 and over the course of the following years, Lerche and his band, the Faces Down, became beloved critical and commercial successes in their homeland. Later, Lerche would attract international praise and recognition, becoming one of the most internationally renowned and popular Norwegian artists. Lerche is known for the various eclectic styles invoked by his music, which often changes radically from album to album.

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.

Things You Call Fate
Sondre Lerche Lyrics

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I find it hard, hard to let go
And you are entitled to know
You have brought nothing else but bliss, a great deal of frustration, a voluntary occupation
Driving me insane and off the wall
And we were free to choose each other
But now it seems like something other
So have you placed me where I stand?
We turned caring like a mother, afraid to lose each other

It got us this far
Now problems are:
I have no bags to pack, no suitcase waiting in the hall
You have no make-up, no stockings in my drawer
Oh, how did we forget? How could we forget?
It's easy to learn if you never regret
When you live in paranoia and you know she's got you, oh yeah
You can't leave until you know the truth
So for months you're going nowhere
Until you seize the day and place yourself behind the steering wheel
Or you could end like you don't want to, the opposite of what you planned to:
You can watch the ships when they're abroad
Become a joke when people see you, cause it's enough to please you
You got this far, step put of the car
I have no bags to pack, no suitcase waiting in the hall
You have no make-up, no stockings in my drawer
Oh, how did we forget? How could we forget?
It's easy to learn if you never regret
We'll never learn in the future, this is it, seemingly I am sure
I know we haven't been together now
It wasn't meant to be this way so we'll give it days and days and we'll try to make it easy now
Once I believed we could approach this, now I have faith placed in the things you call fate

In the things you call fate
In the things you call fate

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Sondre Lerche's song "Things You Call Fate" reflect on a relationship that has reached a point of uncertainty, where it's difficult to let go but also difficult to continue. The opening line "I find it hard, hard to let go" conveys the struggle to move on from what was once a good relationship. The second line "And you are entitled to know" shows that the singer is aware that their partner deserves an explanation and closure.

The third line "You have brought nothing else but bliss, a great deal of frustration, a voluntary occupation" suggests that the relationship has had its highs and lows, but ultimately it has been a choice to stay in it. The line "Driving me insane and off the wall" implies that the singer is struggling to handle the uncertainty and doubts in the relationship. The chorus repeats the lines "I have no bags to pack, no suitcase waiting in the hall / You have no make-up, no stockings in my drawer / Oh, how did we forget? How could we forget? / It's easy to learn if you never regret" which highlights that, despite the difficulties, there is still a sense of comfort and familiarity between the two.

Towards the end, the lyrics shift to a sense of acceptance and faith in fate, with the line "Once I believed we could approach this, now I have faith placed in the things you call fate" showing that the singer has come to terms with the potential end of the relationship, and is placing trust in the future and what it may bring.

Line by Line Meaning

I find it hard, hard to let go
I'm struggling to move on

And you are entitled to know
You deserve an explanation

You have brought nothing else but bliss, a great deal of frustration, a voluntary occupation
Our relationship has been a mix of good and bad

Driving me insane and off the wall
It's making me crazy

And we were free to choose each other
We were in control of our relationship

But now it seems like something other
But now things have changed

So have you placed me where I stand?
Do you know where we stand in our relationship?

We turned caring like a mother, afraid to lose each other
We've become overprotective of each other

It got us this far
Our relationship has come this far

Now problems are:
But now there are problems

I have no bags to pack, no suitcase waiting in the hall
I have no intention of leaving

You have no make-up, no stockings in my drawer
You have no intention of staying

Oh, how did we forget? How could we forget?
How did we overlook this issue?

It's easy to learn if you never regret
You only learn if you make mistakes

When you live in paranoia and you know she's got you, oh yeah
When you're constantly worried and dependent on someone

You can't leave until you know the truth
You can't move on until you have closure

So for months you're going nowhere
You're stuck in the same place for months

Until you seize the day and place yourself behind the steering wheel
Until you take control of your life

Or you could end like you don't want to, the opposite of what you planned to:
Or things could turn out differently than you hoped

You can watch the ships when they're abroad
You can watch life passing you by

Become a joke when people see you, cause it's enough to please you
People may laugh at you, but you're content with your situation

You got this far, step out of the car
We've come a long way, but it's time to move on

We'll never learn in the future, this is it, seemingly I am sure
We may not learn from our mistakes in the future

I know we haven't been together now
I know we're not together currently

It wasn't meant to be this way so we'll give it days and days and we'll try to make it easy now
Our relationship wasn't supposed to end this way, so let's take some time to make things easier

Once I believed we could approach this, now I have faith placed in the things you call fate
I used to think we could work things out, now I have faith in destiny

In the things you call fate
In what destiny has in store for us

Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: SONDRE LERCHE VAULAR

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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