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.
sailors
The Bear Quartet Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
they're so soft and you're gentle
I have craved I have dreamt
I have lusted for this love
who would have thought
I'd find it in the harbor
amongst muscles and veins
in the arms of hard labor
Such lovely hands
they're so soft and you're gentle
I have craved I have dreamt
I have lusted for this love
who would have thought
I'd find it in the harbor
amongst muscles and veins
in the arms of hard labor
Such lovely hands
they're so soft and you're gentle
I have craved I have dreamt
I have lusted for this love
who would have thought
I'd find it in the harbor
amongst muscles and veins
in the arms of hard labor
The Bear Quartet's song Sailors revolves around a surprising love story that unfolds in the harbor. The lyrics speak of the singer's fixation with their lover's hands that are soft and gentle. The singer claims to have craved, dreamt, and lusted for this kind of love. The twist comes in the form of the location where they find this love- amongst muscles and veins in the arms of hard labor. The idea that such a tender, delicate love could emerge from an environment that is traditionally associated with masculinity and toughness is what makes the lyrics so insightful.
The lyrics of Sailors reveal a deep appreciation for the unexpected. It is not just about the surprising love story but also the narrative structure, which follows a repetitive pattern. This pattern is disrupted in the last line where there is a subtle deviation from the expected.
Overall, the song conveys a message of finding beauty in unexpected places and defying traditional norms. It shows that love can emerge from anywhere when two people connect, despite their differences.
Line by Line Meaning
Such lovely hands
The singer is admiring the physical beauty of their partner's hands
they're so soft and you're gentle
The singer finds their partner's touch soft and gentle
I have craved I have dreamt
The singer has intensely desired this love and has dreamed about it
I have lusted for this love
The artist has felt intense sexual desire for their partner
who would have thought
The artist is expressing surprise that they found love in an unexpected place
I'd find it in the harbor
The singer found love in a location associated with hard labor and manual work
amongst muscles and veins
The singer is describing the physical attributes they associate with the harbor, which includes strong and visible muscles and veins
in the arms of hard labor
The artist finds their partner's physically demanding job attractive and desirable
Contributed by Jake B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.