He concentrates on creating inspiring melodies and gentle but finely observed, often wry and quirkily observant lyrics. Since the release of his debut album, he has toured non-stop.
In 2006, in between performing at many major European festivals, Teitur started to record his second album. Stay Under The Stars, debuting in the Top 10 in Denmark, subsequently going Gold there and earning him the accolade of Best Singer at the Danish Music Awards (Grammies) in March 2007.
Teitur was born and spent his early years in The Faroe Islands. These bleak, but beautiful windswept, rain lashed, rocky outcrops in the Atlantic are due north of the UK and lie roughly mid way between Norway and Iceland. First settled by Irish monks and later Vikings, the Faroes were initially part of Norway and then latterly Denmark, of which they are still an autonomous region. The forty seven thousand Faroese who inhabit the Faroes are fiercely independent, even refusing to join the EU with Denmark. They retain their own language, with Danish only being used for commerce. It was this isolated upbringing with an inevitable sense of alienation and separation that informs much of Teitur's writing.
"Music is one of our main social activities," says Teitur. "There are always instruments in our homes. I started on my own music at thirteen, but the guitarist in my band was so much better than me and I was left at the back, playing acoustic. However I wrote all the lyrics from the start and in English. My native Faroese music is a part of me, but what really attracted me was pop music. Pop is almost all in English, which I find it gives me a bigger ocean of vocabulary," Teitur has more than one ocean of vocabulary to choose from as he speaks five languages. He finally decided to leave the islands, as many young Faroese do, at the age of 17 to study in Denmark. Then after a brief spell in Rome, he decided to base himself in London in 2002.
In mid 2007, Teitur started to pull together the songs that make up his third album: The Singer:
"The songs are written over a time-span of one to seven years. They are stories of events and experiences - like drinking beers on a musty hotel floor with mysterious blues musician Chris Whitley, before he died of cancer (Legendary Afterparty), or stories that I have come across in my lifetime..."
In October Teitur travelled to an island off the coast of Sweden called Gotland with his sound engineer Jonas and arranger Trondur, and recorded the album on a 19th century Swedish Princess' estate, normally a summer destination as a hotel, but at this time of year a beautiful, windswept and somewhat deserted piece of tranquility; interrupted only by the various musicians and singers who came to play or sing on the album, who all stayed at the hotel, during their work on the album.
"This album was made in tranquility and isolation. The result is a very natural and somehow nordic sounding record. Furthermore it has similarities to a musical or a book of short stories."
"On the cover of the album is a the picture of a cartoon figure which stands inside the room of an empty dollhouse. It looks almost like a skeleton and it has no face. The figure is a caricature of "The Singer" "
Catherine the Waitress
Teitur Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
if you only knew where my mind is.
"Is there anything you'd like?"
If I could only tell you!
You haven't even noticed me,
but, oh you are so good to me!
Catherine the waitress,
I'm not a resident, I'm not a regular.
But if I lived here this would be my favourite bar!
Cross my heart and hope to die,
I'm not drunk, and I'm not high!
The accident happened one year ago,
according to the lines in my hand.
A requiem is playing behind my eyes,
but you don't see it, Catherine, do you?
Do you?
Catherine the waitress,
if you only knew where my mind is.
"Is there anything you'd like?"
If I could only tell you.
You haven't even noticed me,
but, oh you are so good to me!
The song "Catherine the Waitress" by Teitur is a melancholic tribute to a waitress who serves him at his favorite bar. The song is essentially about unrequited love - the singer has feelings for Catherine, but she is completely unaware of them. He is fascinated by her and thinks about her all the time, but he is unable to express his emotions to her. The song is structured around the repetition of the line "If you only knew where my mind is," which suggests that the singer feels like he is trapped in his own thoughts and unable to communicate with the outside world.
The singer is apologetic about his feelings, stating that he has no intention of seducing Catherine and that he is not drunk or high when he sees her. He seems to understand that his feelings are one-sided and that he has no realistic chance of being with her. The line "But if I lived here this would be my favorite bar" suggests that he is an outsider in the place where he lives and that he longs to belong somewhere. The final verse of the song suggests that the singer has experienced a traumatic event in his past, represented by the lines in his hand, but Catherine is oblivious to his pain.
Overall, the song is a beautiful and poignant reflection on love, longing, and the difficulty of communication.
Line by Line Meaning
Catherine the waitress,
Introducing the subject of the song, Catherine, who is a waitress.
if you only knew where my mind is.
The singer is preoccupied with something and wishes Catherine knew what it was.
"Is there anything you'd like?"
Catherine asks if the singer wants anything to drink or eat.
If I could only tell you!
The singer wants to express something very important but is unable to do so.
You haven't even noticed me,
Catherine has not paid attention to the singer yet.
but, oh you are so good to me!
Despite not being noticed, the singer appreciates Catherine's good service.
I don't intend to seduce you.
The singer clarifies that their intentions are not romantic or sexual towards Catherine.
I'm not a resident, I'm not a regular.
The singer is not a regular customer at the bar.
But if I lived here this would be my favourite bar!
The singer likes the bar so much that they would make it their favourite if they lived nearby.
Cross my heart and hope to die,
An expression used to show sincerity and honesty.
I'm not drunk, and I'm not high!
The singer is not under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
The accident happened one year ago,
The singer reveals that there was an accident one year ago.
according to the lines in my hand.
The singer seems to believe that their fate and future is written in the lines on their hand.
A requiem is playing behind my eyes,
The singer is experiencing intense emotion, perhaps grief or mourning, that can be likened to the music of a requiem.
but you don't see it, Catherine, do you?
Despite the singer's strong emotions, Catherine is unaware of what is happening within the singer.
Catherine the waitress,
Repeating the subject of the song.
if you only knew where my mind is.
Restating the preoccupation of the singer and the desire for Catherine to know.
"Is there anything you'd like?"
Repeating Catherine's question from earlier.
If I could only tell you.
Reiterating the singer's inability to express what is on their mind.
You haven't even noticed me,
Repeating the fact that Catherine has not paid attention to the singer.
but, oh you are so good to me!
Repeating the gratitude of the singer towards Catherine's service.
Contributed by Alyssa J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@zalyster
Amazing song, the very best part is when he says "Catherine" in "But you don't see it, Catherine, do you?" The way he enunciates it with so much feeling and meaning is simply breathtaking, imo.
@Warostron
My dad played this in the car the whole time we were in Woolacombe last year. And whenever i hear it it makes me think of those great times! :'D
@simbozo8918
That’s wonderful
@laauraabk
I saw him live yesterday. The most amazing koncert of my life! HOO HOO HOOOOOO!
@caramason56
To see a Teitur show is on my bucket list 😊🌹☀️🎶🎶🎶
@sprungjitsu8465
Never gets old. Good song
@simbozo8918
It’s great isn’t it
@katherine5905
been listening for 14 years... but why is it not on spotify right now when i need it most?! 😮💨
@conraddean6510
Heard this on a speaker in my local shop but after many days searching i have it! Todays a good day
@booshgrrl
One of my favourite songs ever. Gutted it was an over 18 gig in Glasgow.