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" "
You're the Ocean
Teitur Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There's too many questions to why I love you
There's too many clouds, not enough sun
The rain must fall on everyone
I'm fire
You're the ocean
I'm energy
Love is somewhere in between
What you believe and what you dream
I'm just trying to make you mine
You're the ocean
There's too much doubt and not enough dare
There's too much decision everywhere
There's too much talk and not enough time
Let's close our eyes and not our minds
I'm fire
You're the ocean
I'm energy
You're the rhythm
Love is somewhere in between
What you believe and what you dream
I'm just trying to make you mine
You're the ocean
You look for leads, I follow clues
You love to win, I dare to lose
Mostly you're a mindgame in my head
You are earth, I am water
I can give you what you're after
You can be the word
I can be the rhyme
There's really nothing you can do
You're going where I'm going too
Stay beside me, Stay beside me
I want you
I'm fire
You're the ocean
I'm energy
You're the rhythm
Love is somewhere in between
What you believe and what you dream
I'm just trying to make you mine
You're the ocean
Teitur's song "You're the Ocean" talks about the intense emotions and struggles in a relationship. The first stanza talks about the imbalances in the relationship where the singer feels like he loves his partner far more than his partner loves him. He is uncertain why he is so drawn to his partner but cannot seem to shake off the feeling of love. The second stanza articulates the desire for a deeper connection that is not just based on trivial things but encompasses the many complexities of love. The singer hopes that both he and his partner will be able to set aside any doubts or differences, just be in the moment, and allow themselves to fall in love.
In the third and fourth stanzas, the lyrics explore the differences between the singer and his partner. They have contrasting personalities and values, but this doesn't stop the singer from wanting to be with his partner. He sees that they are compatible in many ways and that his partner completes him. He urges his partner to be his "word" and "rhyme," indicating that they can come together to create something beautiful. The final stanza is a plea for his partner to stay by his side always, and he reassures them that they are meant to be together.
Overall, "You're the Ocean" is a heartfelt portrayal of the complexities of love and relationships. The contrasting elements of fire and water, energy and rhythm, earth and ocean symbolize the different traits and characteristics that the singer and his partner possess. Despite their differences, they are drawn to each other and are willing to work on their relationship to make it work.
Line by Line Meaning
There's too much sky, not enough blue
There is a lack of clarity and color in life.
There's too many questions to why I love you
There are doubts surrounding the reasons for why I love you.
There's too many clouds, not enough sun
The world is filled with negativity and not enough positivity.
The rain must fall on everyone
Everyone must face difficult times in their life.
I'm fire
I am full of passion and energy.
You're the ocean
You are calm and steady, able to flow with life's ups and downs.
I'm energy
I am full of enthusiasm and drive.
You're the rhythm
You are balanced and in tune with the world around you.
Love is somewhere in between
Love is a balance between what you believe and what you dream.
What you believe and what you dream
Love is a combination of your beliefs and your aspirations.
I'm just trying to make you mine
I am pursuing a relationship with you.
There's too much doubt and not enough dare
There is too much fear and hesitation in life.
There's too much decision everywhere
There is too much pressure to make choices in life.
There's too much talk and not enough time
People talk too much without taking action.
Let's close our eyes and not our minds
Let's be open to new experiences and perspectives.
You look for leads, I follow clues
You are more direct, and I prefer to take a more subtle approach.
You love to win, I dare to lose
You are competitive, and I am willing to take risks and learn from failure.
Mostly you're a mindgame in my head
I am often thinking about and analyzing our relationship.
You are earth, I am water
You are grounded and stable, and I am adaptable and fluid.
I can give you what you're after
I am capable of meeting your needs.
You can be the word
You can express yourself verbally.
I can be the rhyme
I can add creativity and artistry to our relationship.
There's really nothing you can do
We are destined to be together.
You're going where I'm going too
We are on the same path in life.
Stay beside me, Stay beside me
I want you to remain close to me.
I want you
I desire a relationship with you.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: MATTHEW RYAN BRONLEEWE, TEITUR LASSEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind