In 1991, the year she released her first album Memories of a Colour, Nordenstam played at the Swedish parliament as part of the Year of Jazz. Her early work, including her second album, And She Closed Her Eyes, released in 1994, was significantly jazz-influenced, with only subtle elements of alternative rock. With 1997's Dynamite she started down a darker, more experimental path; most of the album was filled with processed, distorted electric guitars and unusual beats, but careful listening revealed her unique song-writing abilities.
An album of covers, People Are Strange, followed before she returned in 2001 with This Is Stina Nordenstam, an album with shorter songs and a more pop-like feel; ex-Suede vocalist Brett Anderson featured on two tracks. In 2003 Nordenstam appeared in a duet with Jonas Bjerre from Mew on Mew's third album Frengers, with a song called "Her Voice Is beyond Her Years". Between 2003 and 2004 she made the Swedish radio-theatre series called The Fears of the Ice, about one of the first polar expeditions.
Her 2004 album, The World Is Saved, continues the path set on This Is..., but presents a more realised sound and acknowledges her earlier jazz influences more.
In addition to being a musician, Nordenstam also works in other fields, such as photography and music-video directing.
Slightly reclusive, she gives very few interviews, rarely performs live and even alters her appearance using wigs and make-up for album covers and magazines. During the promotion for The World Is Saved, however, she gave more interviews than usual, and even talked about the possibility of future live performances.
In 2006, Nordenstam appeared on Snow Borne Sorrow, an album by the band Nine Horses, singing duets with the band's vocalist, David Sylvian.
Down Desire Avenue
Stina Nordenstam Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
where all the pilots go
Line in a bar when day is thru
keeping the world in a place below
Tall second rated moviestars
step from their overcoloured truth
out thru a side door right into
Empty faces, silly walks
Coming in from the tight-rope dance
Men judging balance above all
looking down on their shaking hands
It's coming up it's hard to breathe
and I think of you
I'm going down but nothing's cheap
down Desire Avenue
One bite of cold and one of heat
A sip of lust a sip of pain
A careless way to cross the street
that is the way to play this game
Now - is a red-hot piece of coal
thrown right at you
This isn't courage anymore
down Desire Avenue
Stina Nordenstam's song Down Desire Avenue is a hauntingly beautiful tale of a place where pilots go, where the world is kept in a place below. The lyrics explore the themes of lower desires, emptiness, and recklessness. The first stanza sets the stage with a line in a bar where pilots go to keep the world in place. However, the pilots are not the only ones who frequent Down Desire Avenue. Second-rated moviestars step out from their overcoloured truth and exit through the side door right into Desire Avenue. The pilots and moviestars are joined by others, all lost in some way and looking for something to fill the emptiness in their lives.
The second stanza describes the characters that make up Desire Avenue. Empty faces with silly walks, coming in from the tight-rope dance - this could be interpreted as a metaphor for the high-wire act of life itself. The men judging balance above all and looking down on their shaking hands implies a sense of uncertainty and instability. The chorus comes next, with the singer realizing that it's hard to breathe as the pressure of life becomes too much. The juxtaposition of the two lines "I'm going down but nothing's cheap, down Desire Avenue" suggests that the characters on this street may be seeking something they can't afford emotionally. They may be willing to pay any price, but the cost of their desires may be too much to bear.
Overall, Down Desire Avenue is a poignant and evocative song, exploring the darker side of the human psyche. It's a song about loss, desperation, and the search for meaning in a world that can seem chaotic and overwhelming.
Line by Line Meaning
Down Desire Avenue
Going down the path of intense desires and cravings
where all the pilots go
The path that is taken by those who are bold and daring
Line in a bar when day is thru
Standing by the counter at the end of the day
keeping the world in a place below
Helping to control the world by keeping oneself grounded
Tall second rated moviestars
People who are not the main actors but still stand tall
step from their overcoloured truth
Coming out of their carefully crafted personas and revealing reality
out thru a side door right into
Exiting through a discreet doorway to enter Desire Avenue
Desire Avenue
The path where intense desires and cravings drive one's actions
Empty faces, silly walks
People hiding their true selves behind fake smiles and awkward movements
Coming in from the tight-rope dance
Completing a task that requires balance and skill
Men judging balance above all
Individuals who prioritize balance and control
looking down on their shaking hands
Criticizing their own lack of control and composure
It's coming up it's hard to breathe
Feeling overwhelmed and suffocated by the intensity of the situation
and I think of you
Remembering a loved one while going through a difficult time
I'm going down but nothing's cheap
Suffering consequences for actions taken on Desire Avenue
down Desire Avenue
Continuing down the path of intense desires and cravings
One bite of cold and one of heat
Experiencing highs and lows, pleasure and pain
A sip of lust a sip of pain
Indulging in cravings for pleasure and facing the resulting pain
A careless way to cross the street
Behaving recklessly and carelessly in order to fulfill desires
that is the way to play this game
This is how one participates in the game of Desire Avenue
Now - is a red-hot piece of coal
The present moment is like a burning coal, intense and painful
thrown right at you
The intense and painful moment is directed towards the individual
This isn't courage anymore
Realizing that indulging in one's desires is not a display of bravery
down Desire Avenue
Continuing down the path of intense desires and cravings
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: STINA NORDENSTAM
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind