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.
So This Is Goodbye
Stina Nordenstam Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So this is how you say it
These are the words
It's the voice you're using
It's the picture you've seen
So this is goodbye
So this is how you say it
It didn't take you a lot now did it
It didn't hurt you a lot now did it
So this is good bye
So this is how you spell it
Where you place it in your mouth
What happens if I didn't hear you
What happens if it wasn't serious
Well I was around
Maybe it was you I came to see
Maybe it was you who invited me
I remember your eyes were on me
I remember your eyes were on me
Goodbye
The lyrics of Stina Nordenstam's song "So This Is Goodbye" depict the ending of a relationship. The singer reflects on how the other person is saying goodbye and the various ways that they are communicating it. It's clear that the singer is not happy about the end of the relationship and the way that the other person is handling it. The line "these are the words, it's the voice you're using, it's the picture you've seen" suggests that the other person is being insincere and not genuine in their farewell, possibly even using a rehearsed script or saying what they think the singer wants to hear.
The song's chorus repeats the phrase "so this is goodbye" and focuses on how the other person is spelling it and how they are physically saying it. The use of repetition emphasizes the finality of the situation and the singer's resignation to the end of the relationship. The lyrics also suggest that the other person is not affected by the breakup, as they didn't take much time or effort to say goodbye, and the singer questions whether it was even serious to them.
Overall, the lyrics of "So This Is Goodbye" convey a sense of hurt and disappointment at the end of a relationship, and how the other person is handling the situation in a way that feels insincere and uncaring.
Line by Line Meaning
So this is goodbye
This is the end, we are parting ways
So this is how you say it
You're using words to express our separation
These are the words
The actual phrases you are using to say goodbye
It's the voice you're using
The tone of your voice is conveying how you actually feel
It's the picture you've seen
You've come to this conclusion from the events and conversations that have occurred
This is the time it takes you
You didn't have to spend much time to decide to say goodbye
It didn't take you a lot now did it
You made this decision quickly
It didn't hurt you a lot now did it
You don't seem to be affected by our parting as much as I am
So this is how you spell it
You are very clear and straightforward about conveying the word 'goodbye'
Where you place it in your mouth
The way you articulate the word 'goodbye' changes the meaning and tone of the message
What happens if I didn't hear you
If I didn't hear you say goodbye, does that mean it didn't really happen?
What happens if it wasn't serious
What if you didn't really mean it and it wasn't as serious as it sounded?
Well I was around
I was present and aware of what was going on
Maybe it was you I came to see
Perhaps I was only here to see you
Maybe it was you who invited me
You could have been the one to invite me here
I remember your eyes were on me
I recall the way you were looking at me before we said goodbye
Goodbye
Farewell, our paths are separating
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: STINA NORDENSTAM
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind