The Bear Quartet are Mattias Alkberg on vocals and guitar, Jari Haapalainen on guitar, Peter Nuottaniemi on bass guitar, Jejo Perkovic on drums and Carl Olsson on keyboards. Peter and Mattias write the lyrics, Mattias, Jari and Carl write the music.
The Bear Quartet have spawned many side projects, they can almost be seen as the "hub" of Swedish pop music. Mattias sings and plays in Mattias Alkberg BD, whose debut album Tunaskolan released in 2004 was very well received by the critics and audience. Punk in Swedish. Jari produces lots of other artists, such as Nicolai Dunger, Ed Harcourt, Kristofer Åström, The Concretes and Frida Hyvönen, and plays with Maria from The Concretes in Heikki. Carl has Paddington DC, some kind of noise electro pop.
The name "Bear Quartet" is taken from Klas Östergrens book Gentlemen.
The album titles follow an interesting naming scheme: every title is two words, of which the first ends with a "y".
All albums are released on Skellefteå-based independent label A West Side Fabrication.
Bastard
The Bear Quartet Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
you kept your private things
not much as it would show
but they meant something
maybe we should have left them untouched
you died recently but not enough
The lyrics of The Bear Quartet's song Bastard are poignant and emotional. In the song, the singer, presumably a close friend or family member of the deceased, mourns the loss of someone who kept their private things in a room in the back. The singer acknowledges that these items may not show much, but they still meant something to the deceased. The singer regrets that they did not leave these items untouched, indicating that they may have disturbed or removed them after the death of the person in question.
The line "you died recently but not enough" is particularly striking because it suggests that while the person may have passed away physically, they have not truly left this world. Their memory and legacy live on in the form of these private things that they kept hidden away. This sentiment is both beautiful and tragic, as it speaks to the enduring power of memory and the ways in which we remain connected to those we have lost.
In summary, the lyrics of Bastard are a powerful meditation on loss, memory, and the ways in which the dead continue to influence the living. The singer's regret at not leaving the private things untouched is a reminder of the importance of cherishing the memories of those we have lost and the impact they continue to have on our lives.
Line by Line Meaning
in the room in the back
In the hidden part of your life
you kept your private things
You guarded your personal secrets with great care
not much as it would show
These secrets may seem trivial to others
but they meant something
However, these secrets held great value for you personally
maybe we should have left them untouched
Perhaps it would have been better if we did not dig too deep
you died recently but not enough
Although you recently passed away, there are still mysteries left to uncover
Contributed by Annabelle J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.