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.
From Nowhere
The Bear Quartet Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
unemployed in love and evicted
and their sons were bums
but that's not why I have come
when the police brought you home
your father buried himself
in his recipies
old enough to move away soon
and then you came over to me
and we went to she
and then we were three
and it rolled on and away from here into the atmosphere
it rolled on and away from here
into what's referred as nowhere
The Bear Quartet's song "From Nowhere" begins with a reference to the biblical story of Adam and Eve, who were the first couple to experience unemployment and eviction from their home. The song further explains that their offspring were beggars, but the singer states that this is not why they are singing this song. The next verse introduces a new character, possibly the singer's lover, who was brought home by the police, causing her father to bury himself in his recipes while she hid in her room. The third verse then describes the two main characters coming together and eventually welcoming a third.
The refrain of the song sings, "and it rolled on and away from here into the atmosphere, it rolled on and away from here into what's referred as nowhere." This line sets a tone of ambiguity, suggesting that the events described in the lyrics may have no clear destination or purpose. The song's lyrics play with the concept of time and how events are perceived as they unfold. The last line of the song, "into what's referred as nowhere," suggests that the past events have no specific destination or meaning but still exist and continue on.
Overall, "From Nowhere" is a melancholic and introspective song that explores the cyclical nature of time and memories that endure despite their lack of specific purpose or significance.
Line by Line Meaning
Adam and Eve were the first
The Biblical characters of Adam and Eve are often considered to be the first humans on Earth.
unemployed in love and evicted
Adam and Eve were forced to leave the Garden of Eden due to their love and disobedience towards God's commandments.
and their sons were bums
Adam and Eve's sons, Cain and Abel, were not successful in their own pursuits and Cain eventually committed the first murder towards his brother.
but that's not why I have come
This line serves as a transition from the Biblical references to the main story of the song that is about to be told.
when the police brought you home
Someone in the song was brought home by the police, likely due to some kind of trouble.
your father buried himself in his recipes
The person's father likely dealt with the stress of the situation by throwing himself into cooking or baking as a way to cope.
you hid in your room
The person chose to retreat to their room to avoid the conflict and emotions of the situation.
old enough to move away soon
The person is at an age where they will soon be able to leave their current situation and move out on their own.
and then you came over to me
Someone came to the person for support and comfort during difficult times.
and we went to she
The group of people went to someone's house or hangout spot.
and then we were three
The person and their friend met someone else, making a group of three people.
and it rolled on and away from here into the atmosphere
The good times and fun had by the three people in their hangouts seemed to float away into the universe and be forgotten.
it rolled on and away from here into what's referred as nowhere
The memories and happiness of the past experiences are no longer with them and are referred to as 'nowhere', as they are intangible and forgotten.
Contributed by Sebastian A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Mick Lee
Only 842 global views for one of the best songs ever written. Oh well