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.
Closure
The Bear Quartet Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
it aches going down to see you
smell something is wrong again
winter is so much closer
to your heart's deepest principle
I've heard it like slow music
but I can't follow
that beat anymore
hide one thing and it shows another
my world and you feelings
for it, turning darker
when it comes to you
words are bound to fall through
and I doubt there's a lodestar
shining bright enough
for the both of us
now we sit and wait
for someone to hush and say:
"listen, it's dying
do you even care anymore?"
hide one thing and it shows another
your world and my place in it,
turning darker
time heals, alright
but time also steals
your guiding light
In the song "Closure" by The Bear Quartet, the singer is struggling with a broken relationship, as they struggle to communicate their feelings to their partner. The opening lines describe the singer's physical discomfort as they prepare to see their partner, and their sense of foreboding and unease upon arrival. The imagery of the "sharp air" and the impending winter suggest a cold and unwelcoming environment.
The second verse speaks to the difficulty of communication in the relationship, as the singer notes that "words are bound to fall through" when they try to express themselves. The use of the phrase "lodestar shining bright enough for the both of us" suggests a sense of mutual reliance on this relationship, but the final lines of the verse show that the singer recognizes that the relationship is dying and they are unsure if they even care anymore.
The chorus, with the lines "hide one thing and it shows another" and "your world and my place in it, turning darker," speaks to the idea that the difficulties in the relationship have led to a lack of trust and honesty between the two parties. The final line of the chorus - "time heals, alright but time also steals your guiding light" - suggests that while there may be hope for healing in the future, the passage of time may also lead to a loss of clarity and direction.
Overall, "Closure" speaks to the complexity of human relationships and the challenges we face when trying to communicate with one another.
Line by Line Meaning
breathing sharp air as if it is mine
I feel like I'm suffocating and the air is sharp and painful to breathe in.
it aches going down to see you
My heart hurts when I see you.
smell something is wrong again
I can sense that things are not right between us and there's some underlying problem.
winter is so much closer
The distance between us feels like an icy winter that's creeping in.
to your heart's deepest principle
I know that your core values and beliefs are important to you.
I've heard it like slow music
I've listened to your words and tried to understand them, like the slow rhythm of a sad song.
but I can't follow
I'm having trouble comprehending what you're trying to tell me.
hide one thing and it shows another
You're hiding something from me, and it's making things worse by creating more problems.
my world and your feelings
Our relationship is affecting my personal life and your emotions.
for it, turning darker
As time goes by, it seems like things are only getting worse instead of better.
when it comes to you
In regards to our relationship,
words are bound to fall through
It's hard to express my thoughts and feelings accurately when it comes to you.
and I doubt there's a lodestar
I'm not sure if there's a guide or a way to fix things between us.
shining bright enough for the both of us
It would take something significant to bring light and hope back into our relationship.
now we sit and wait
We're both waiting for something to happen or for someone to take action.
for someone to hush and say:
We're hoping for somebody to come and intervene.
"listen, it's dying
We need someone to acknowledge that our relationship is fading.
do you even care anymore?"
We need someone to ask us if our relationship is even important to us anymore.
your world and my place in it,
Our relationship is affecting your life and my role in it.
turning darker
Things are getting worse as time goes by.
time heals, alright
They say time will heal the wounds.
but time also steals
But time is also taking away our happiness and love.
your guiding light
Our love and joy that used to guide us through life.
Contributed by Maria B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.