Her independently released second album "Monday's Ghost" (2008) stayed at the top of the swiss charts for several weeks and caught the attention of critics abroad. The Guardian described her as "Laura Marling, Beth Orton and Björk in one folk-rocking package".
The Swiss singer spent parts of her youth abroad, living in England and Germany. Her cosmopolitan biography is reflected in her multilingual songwriting. While most songs are in English or German language, each album contains one song in a Swiss German dialect. Her third studio album 1983 (2010) also includes a cover version of Noir Désir's Le Vent Nous Portera in French language.
Hunger has always worked in a collaborative spirit, and her many musical interests have led her to a fascinating geographic and personality mix. While she had recorded her solo début "Sketches On Sea" at home in just a few days, her latest album "The Danger Of Light" evolved over three sessions abroad. In Los Angeles she was joined by Josh Klinghoffer (Red Hot Chilli Peppers, PJ Harvey), Nathaniel Walcott (Bright Eyes) and Steven Nistor (Danger Mouse); in Montréal Howard Bilerman (Arcade Fire), singer/songwriter Mark Bérubé, Brad Barr (The Barr Brothers) und David Payant (A Silver Mt. Zion) jammed along. That last session from Hotel2Tango-Studio in Montréal is included on the Deluxe Edition of her latest release.
Rapidly gaining a reputation as an electrifying live performer, Hunger has been sharing stages with some of Switzerlands’s most successful artists, like Erik Truffaz, The Young Gods, Kutti MC or Stephan Eicher and appearing at locations such as Olympia in Paris, Miles Davis Hall at the Montreux Jazz Festival or the John Peel Stage at Glastonbury Festival.
The musical directions of Sophie Hunger are limitless, from traditional folk songwriting bathed in jazzy moods to soul balladry. Her musical universe is very flourished, nourished by an exceptionally fragile yet mature voice as well as an ability to cross genres. For Sketches On Sea, she collaborated with a great number of musicians, from a trombone player to a flamenco guitarist. Sophie’s technical prowesses can lead her anywhere and allow her to do things that nobody else could get away with.
Sophie Hunger also contributed the soundtrack to the documentary "Zimmer 202" and the movie "Der Freund" by Micha Lewinsky.
Sites: SoundCloud, Vimeo and Facebook.
Round and Round
Sophie Hunger Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In the front yard your note: "Oh, don't you wait for me"
In the papers you wrote: "I'm free as free can be"
And your footprint, you left no legacy
Round and round and round you go
Who you are, nobody knows
So unaware, fall over, fall over, fall over
In the backyard I sought a family
In the front yard, I wrote on theories
In the paper my note: "I will, I will for eternity"
Now my footprints: You are my legacy
Round and round and round you go
Who you are, nobody knows
Funny air, blow over, blow over, blow over, blow over
[So] unaware, fall over, fall over, fall over
You were a shot in the head, when I thought I was home
And I keep throwing you up, so I won't be alone
And I still lead you around, claiming amends
And I wake you and make you and break you again
The lyrics of Sophie Hunger's song Round And Round primarily speaks about the struggles and complications of relationships, with a focus on the dynamics between two individuals. The song begins with the singer recalling a moment where the partner expressed their desire for a family, but later left a note expressing they need space. The partner's actions were confusing, and the singer was left uncertain of who they truly were. As the song progresses, it becomes evident that both the singer and the partner were struggling to find themselves amidst their relationship. They both sought to have a sense of identity but failed to achieve that. However, despite this confusion, the singer was able to find their legacy in the form of their own footprints, while the partner left none.
The chorus of the song, "Round and round and round you go, who you are nobody knows," signifies the cyclical patterns of relationships and how people change over time. The lines "funny air, blow over, blow over," and "so unaware, fall over, fall over" imply a sense of helplessness and being unaware of the turbulence that relationships can bring. The final lines of the song, "You were a shot in the head, when I thought I was home, and I keep throwing you up, so I won't be alone, and I still lead you around, claiming amends, and I wake you and make you and break you again" reveals the emotional turmoil that the singer goes through every time she tries to forget her partner. The cycle keeps repeating as the singer keeps convincing herself it is the right thing to do.
Line by Line Meaning
In the backyard you said: "Let's have a family"
I wanted to start a family with you and you seemed to want the same in the beginning.
In the front yard your note: "Oh, don't you wait for me"
You left a note for me saying that you didn't want me to wait for you anymore.
In the papers you wrote: "I'm free as free can be"
You wrote in the papers that you were completely free and had no other attachments.
And your footprint, you left no legacy
You didn't leave any significant impact or legacy behind.
Round and round and round you go
You keep going around in circles, not really getting anywhere.
Who you are, nobody knows
No one really knows who you truly are or what you want in life.
Funny air, blow over, blow over, blow over, blow over
This weird feeling or tension in the air will eventually just blow over with time.
So unaware, fall over, fall over, fall over
You seem completely unaware of the consequences of your actions and you just keep falling and failing.
You were a shot in the head, when I thought I was home
You were a sudden, painful realization that everything I had thought was my 'home' was actually not what I wanted or needed.
And I keep throwing you up, so I won't be alone
I keep revisiting our memories together because I don't want to feel alone or forget about them.
And I still lead you around, claiming amends
I still feel guilty and want to make things right with you, so I keep trying to reach out or make amends.
And I wake you and make you and break you again
I keep re-living our relationship over and over again, trying to fix and somehow make it work, but ultimately just breaking my heart again.
Contributed by Kaylee G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.