Stina Nordenstam (born Kristina Ulrika Nordenstam on 4 March 1969 in Stockh… Read Full Bio ↴Stina Nordenstam (born Kristina Ulrika Nordenstam on 4 March 1969 in Stockholm, Sweden) is a Swedish singer, songwriter and musician.

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.

I See You Again
Stina Nordenstam Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I see raincoats and newspapers
Cowboy boots
And reflected in a window on a train
I see you again

Very brief in the night
Between the stations
A passing town

Was illuminating a face

I saw you again

Overall Meaning

In Stina Nordenstam's "I See You Again," the singer reflects on a chance encounter with someone from her past. As she observes her surroundings, she sees raincoats and newspapers, as well as cowboy boots. These details may suggest a dreary, urban landscape. However, the image that ultimately stands out to her is that of a person's reflection in the window of a train. This reflection belongs to someone she has known before, even though it's been some time since they last met.

In the second verse, the singer provides a bit more context to the scene. She notes that the moment was fleeting, as if it occurred "between the stations" of a train journey. However, the face that caught her attention was "illuminated" by the light of a passing town. It's unclear whether the singer and the person she saw had any interaction, or if they were merely in close proximity to one another. Regardless, the singer seems captivated by the chance encounter and the memories it evokes.

Overall, "I See You Again" is a wistful, introspective song about memory and the way our past experiences inform our present selves. The person the singer sees again represents a kind of anchor to her past, reminding her of who she used to be and perhaps even giving her a sense of continuity as the world shifts around her.

Line by Line Meaning

I see raincoats and newspapers
I am observing my surroundings and notice the presence of people wearing raincoats and holding newspapers

Cowboy boots
I see someone wearing cowboy boots

And reflected in a window on a train
I catch a glimpse of someone's reflection on a train window

I see you again
I see you once more

Very brief in the night
This encounter is fleeting and occurring at night

Between the stations
This brief meeting occurs between train stations

A passing town
The train is passing through a town

Was illuminating a face
The light from the passing town illuminates someone's face

I saw you again
I saw you once more

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: STINA NORDENSTAM

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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