Sondre Lerche was weaned on the 80's pop that emanated 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, eventually penning his first song, “Locust Girl" at fourteen. Lerche performed acoustic gigs at the club where his sister worked while he was still under age, and was ‘discovered' by Norwegian producer H.P. Gundersen. 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 also met up with Oslo-based manager Tatiana Penzo, leading up to a deal with Virgin Norway. His popularity in his home country increased steadily, and in 2000 he recorded his debut album, Faces Down.
Faces Down was a hit in Norway and received critical praise in Europe and The United States — Rolling Stone Magazine placed it in their top 50 albums of 2002. He toured in America and Europe. The songs from Faces Down had been completed before winter 2000 but postponed for release until Lerche fulfilled several academic requirements. In the interim, he was named Best New Act at the Norwegian Grammys (Spellemannprisen) and performed locally in support of major acts such as Beth Orton.
Call It Love
Sondre Lerche and The Faces Down Quartet Lyrics
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And there is love
There are reports of a heart-robbing beauty whose victim I know
I can't hesitate or wait
'Cause I don't speak that language
I don't know that tone
I can't translate from right to wrong
I can just call it love
I call it love
There is romance
And there is love
That seems to be the only system that they know of
But why be satisfied with only love
When there are games you should know of
Such as romance and turtledoves
Who wonder if it's love
I wanna call it love
Can we dance instead of walking?
We wanna break in to love's industry
Lie down where it's machinery slows down
When we've danced our socks off and it's late
We'll lie down to anticipate forever
When we romance
I feel a part
Of the loveliest human creature that I know by far
Who stays away from other boys
'Cause she knows where she's life or death or love
Where she is thought so highly of
Where someone calls her love
I wanna call it love
When we dance
Darling explosions!
We are chemistry without chemicals
A constant chain outside us both
Remember!
I've never felt so right before
And chances are it could be so
Can we dance instead of walking?
We wanna break into love's industry
Lie down where it's machinery slows down
When we've danced our socks off and it's late
We'll lie down to anticipate forever
There is romance that changes its course
Or just sad statistics I answer with anti-remorse
When I am satisfied don't tell me so
Just let me go on and on and on
And as I wake up by your side
I'll know that it is love
Or at least I call it love
The lyrics of "Call it Love" by Sondre Lerche and The Faces Down Quartet explore the distinctions between romance and love, and how one can often confuse one for the other. The first verse talks about the difficulty in translating the language of love and the challenge of deciphering the difference between right and wrong when it comes to matters of the heart. The chorus repeats the phrase "I can just call it love," emphasizing the idea that sometimes love is just a feeling, and we may not have the words to describe or explain it.
The second verse challenges the notion that love is the only acceptable form of connection between people. The singer suggests that there are other games to be played, such as romance, that can be just as fulfilling. The last part of the verse mentions "turtledoves," a reference to the age-old symbol of love and devotion. The bridge of the song sees the singer asking to dance instead of walking, to "break into love's industry" and slow down time, lying down to "anticipate forever."
Overall, the song explores the different nuances of love and romance and how sometimes one can be mistaken for the other. It presents an incredibly poetic representation of love, its meaning and how within it, time stands still as the proof of “forever” lies in lying down with someone, anticipating an unknown future together.
Line by Line Meaning
There is romance
Romance exists
And there is love
Love also exists
There are reports of a heart-robbing beauty whose victim I know
I've heard about someone who's beautiful and stole someone's heart, and I know the victim
I can't hesitate or wait
I can't delay taking action
'Cause I don't speak that language
Because I don't understand the language of love
I don't know that tone
I don't know how to recognize the tone of love
I can't translate from right to wrong
I don't know how to distinguish between the right and wrong actions in love
I can just call it love
All I can do is define it as love
Yes, you heard right
You listened correctly
I call it love
I define it as love
That seems to be the only system that they know of
It appears to be the only way they know how to express their feelings
But why be satisfied with only love
Why settle for just love?
When there are games you should know of
When there are other experiences you should be aware of
Such as romance and turtledoves
Such as experiencing romance or being with turtledoves
Who wonder if it's love
Who may question whether their feelings are love
I wanna call it love
I want to define it as love
Can we dance instead of walking?
Can we express ourselves with dance rather than simply walking?
We wanna break in to love's industry
We want to experience love to its fullest extent
Lie down where it's machinery slows down
Relax in a place where the pace of life is slower and more romantic
When we've danced our socks off and it's late
After we've danced for a long time and it's gotten late
We'll lie down to anticipate forever
We'll rest and look forward to a future together
When we romance
When we are in love
I feel a part
I feel like I belong
Of the loveliest human creature that I know by far
Of the most beautiful person I've ever known
Who stays away from other boys
Who avoids other boys
'Cause she knows where she's life or death or love
Because she knows what's important in life, what could kill her, and what is love
Where she is thought so highly of
Where she is revered
Where someone calls her love
Where someone calls her his/her love
Darling explosions!
Beautiful emotional reactions!
We are chemistry without chemicals
Our love is natural and organic, without any artificial or exaggerated factors
A constant chain outside us both
An enduring force that links us together but extends beyond us as individuals
Remember!
Recall this!
I've never felt so right before
I've never had good feelings like this before
And chances are it could be so
And it's very possible that our love is real
There is romance that changes its course
Sometimes romance changes direction
Or just sad statistics I answer with anti-remorse
Or just depressing odds that I defy with a lack of regret
When I am satisfied don't tell me so
When I'm content, don't express it to me
Just let me go on and on and on
Just let me continue this way indefinitely
And as I wake up by your side
And as I wake next to you
I'll know that it is love
I'll know that I'm truly in love
Or at least I call it love
Or at least that's what I consider it to be
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: SONDRE LERCHE VAULAR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind