http://www.thediversmusic.com
2. The Divers are a folk group from Mankato, MN. They have released three albums: "The Divers," "Water," and "Walkies in the Park." The group is known for their humor, and their fun live shows. Visit their website at http://www.thedivers.com for more information.
3.The Divers are Denmark based band, who performed on Roskilde Fest 2014. They are now on spotify : https://play.spotify.com/album/5nw6tq9kKbPE4RfwtAySJX
Surreal
The Divers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Closed the door but he couldn't lock it
I got a fish in my back pocket
Her-nonny-hey-o-way
He speaks German fluently
Sprechen Sie deutsch le excellente
His dad's a monk, his Mom's a tree
Seem a distance far away, but actually they're near
And then they disappear
In shades of blue and red and yellow
Everything is so surreal
Beneath my clothes I'm all buck necked
Beneath his clothes he's all buck necked
Dead-headed Ed edited it with Beckett
A guy named Ed edited it
Moved my fridge with Salvador's Dali
Moved his fridge with Salvador's Dali
And Boutros Boutros Boutros-Ghali
Objects in my mirror
Seem a distance far away, but actually they're near
And then they disappear
In shades of blue and red and yellow
Everything is so surreal
I wrote this song and then it set sail
He wrote this song and now it's for sale
To race across Jean Cocteau's cocktail
Her-nonny-hey-o-way
Siggy Freud would probably mock it
Siggy Freud would probably mock it
But there ain't no fish in his back pocket
Objects in my mirror
Seem a distance far away, but actually they're near
And then they disappear
In shades of blue and red and yellow
Everything is so surreal
OK, backwards now!
Surreal so is thing
Every yellow and red and blue of shades in appear
Dis they then and near they're
Actually when away far distance
A seem mirror my in objects
The lyrics of The Divers' song "Surreal" are characteristic of surrealism, a cultural movement that emerged in the early 20th century, characterized by its emphasis on the irrational, the unconscious mind, and the bizarre. The song begins with the lines "I closed the door but I couldn't lock it/Closed the door but he couldn't lock it" which suggest that the persona is unable to keep something out, either literally or metaphorically. The line "I got a fish in my back pocket" is metaphorical and can be interpreted as carrying something precious or vulnerable with oneself despite the dangers. The word "her-nonny-hey-o-way" is a meaningless chant used to reflect the irrational nature of the song.
The lyrics continue to express surrealist ideas, such as a character who speaks German fluently, the persona's dad being a monk, and his mom being a tree. The lines "Objects in my mirror/Seem a distance far away, but actually they're near/And then they disappear/In shades of blue and red and yellow" suggest that the persona is experiencing something that is continuously changing and distorting their perceptions. The line "Everything is so surreal" summarizes the overall theme of the song.
The final verse complicates the interpretation of the song. The persona claims to have written the song but then also suggests another person wrote it, leading to uncertainty about the persona's identity. The name-dropping of Jean Cocteau and Sigmund Freud suggests that the song is not a straightforward narrative but rather a reflection of the complicated, sometimes contradictory, and irrational workings of the human mind.
Line by Line Meaning
I closed the door but I couldn't lock it
He tried to lock the door, but for some reason he could not.
I got a fish in my back pocket Her-nonny-hey-o-way
He has a fish in his back pocket that he seems to have caught while singing 'Her-nonny-hey-o-way'.
He speaks German fluently Sprechen Sie deutsch le excellente
He is very good at speaking German, and can do it with ease ('Sprechen Sie deutsch le excellente' means 'Do you speak German excellently?')
His dad's a monk, his Mom's a tree
His dad is a monk and his mom is a tree, which could be taken as a surreal image or a metaphor for their personalities
Objects in my mirror Seem a distance far away, but actually they're near And then they disappear In shades of blue and red and yellow Everything is so surreal
He sees objects in his mirror that appear to be distant, but are actually close by. They then disappear in a display of vibrant colors, making everything seem surreal.
Beneath my clothes I'm all buck necked
Underneath his clothes, he is completely naked ('buck necked' is likely a variant of 'buck naked')
Dead-headed Ed edited it with Beckett
A man named Ed edited the song with input from Samuel Beckett (who is likely the 'Dead-head' being referenced here)
Moved my fridge with Salvador's Dali And Boutros Boutros Boutros-Ghali
He moved his fridge with the help of surrealist artist Salvador Dali and the former Secretary-General of the United Nations, Boutros Boutros-Ghali (this is a play on the artist's name and the traditional use of three names)
I wrote this song and then it set sail Her-nonny-hey-o-way
He wrote this song and then released it ('set sail'), all while singing 'Her-nonny-hey-o-way'.
Siggy Freud would probably mock it But there ain't no fish in his back pocket
Sigmund Freud (referred to here as 'Siggy Freud') would criticize the song, but he does not have a fish in his pocket like the singer.
Surreal so is thing Every yellow and red and blue of shades in appear Dis they then and near they're Actually when away far distance A seem mirror my in objects
This is a backwards version of the chorus, which describes the surreal nature of objects that appear in the singer's mirror.
Contributed by Ian S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.