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Sleepless Songs

  1. Lonely, God

  2. 10 below

  3. Going over that mountain

  4. True what they say

  5. Love, love, love

  6. Right in front of you

  7. Isolation rd.

  8. No one knows

  9. High hopes

  10. Sleepless song

“Sleepless Songs er klokkerent det beste alt.country-albumet laget i Norge så langt”
— ABC Nyheter
“Vidar Vang er bedre enn noensinne”
— Avisa Nordland

“The heart and the hourglass”

Jeg og Robert ble kjent med Frode, Sivert og Jon på "Rock Mot Rus" på Andenes i 1993-94. Vi var der med gymnasbandet vårt fra Narvik, de med deres fra Stokmarknes. Jeg tror begge leirene umiddelbart tenkte at "Yes, her er jo flere av oss!". Tonen fant vi i alle fall umiddelbart.

Frode og jeg har i årene siden hatt utrolig mange gode og inngående samtaler om musikk, og alltid hatt sammenfallende tanker om sangskriving, lydbilde og produksjon. På turnè sammen, gjennom Europa og Norge med Madrugada i 2005 og 2006, snakket vi mye musikk. Siden Frode og bandet i denne perioden var i gang med å etablere sitt eget “Malabar Studio” i Oslo, ble vi enige om å sette av tid der vinteren 2007, til å gå i gang med innspillinger til mitt femte album. Vi startet med akustiske demoer. 

De fikk Robert heldigvis hørt. 

For 12. juli 2007 døde Robert, og min, Frodes og manges verden stoppet opp. Robert var en av mine beste barndomsvenner fra Bjerkvik; han jeg spilte i mine første band med, fikk kjæreste samtidig med sommeren 1994, viste musikk til først (noe han gjorde med meg og oss også) og hang med - hver gang vi skulle ta en kaffe, eller ei pils. Han var et så mektig, livgivende senter for så mye, og for så mange. Ikke bare Robert ble borte da han gikk bort.

Jeg ser han enda, overalt - hører latteren, og innspillene hans til nye sanger jeg lager. Og jeg prøver å lytte til dem.

Frode og Madrugada fikk i 2007 sin egen vei å hanskes med. Parallelt med det som endte med avviklingen av bandet, og i en periode med sorg og vanskelige følelser ble «Sleepless Songs» spilt inn - i bolker, i årene 2007-2009. Alexander Kloster-Jensen kom underveis på som medprodusent sammen med Frode. 

Det ble mange, og lange dager i studio – der ekkoet av timelange samtaler med spesielt Frode sitter igjen, av og til nesten sterkere enn selve innspillingen. “Når man mister noen som står en nært, så åpnes en slags lomme i tiden”, husker jeg Frode sa en dag. “Og så lukkes den sakte, men sikkert igjen - over tid”.

Inni en slik lomme i tiden ble mitt femte album til, og spilt inn.

2007-2009 ble også år preget av mange samtaler og oppgjør med meg selv. Ikke bare fordi Robert ikke var her lenger, men fordi andre livselementer også kolliderte litt for og i meg disse årene. Jeg tror det gjaldt flere av oss i “gjengen”. Det at Robert døde var nok helt sikkert en igangsetter for flere typer samtaler som ville kommet på et tidspunkt uansett. Nå kom de fort for min del. Samtaler med venner, med Elisabeth, med familie, med psykolog. I 2008 var jeg genuint usikker på hvor veien videre gikk, også utenfor musikken. 

Sangene på “Sleepless Songs” endte opp med å fange mye av denne stemningen. Nettene man ikke faller til ro, rett og slett fordi roen ikke er der.

Heldigvis lysnet det etter hvert. Da Aurora ble født i juni 2009 var jeg blitt far og familiemann. 

Den musikalske mållinjen jeg klarte å krysse med “Sleepless Songs” er kanskje en av de viktigste i karrieren min til nå. Mange musikere kom og gikk i studio, med Geir Sundstøls fra-hofta-session, og Tift Merritts bidrag som høydepunkt. Duetten med sistnevnte, «Love, love, love», var alle involverte helt sikker på skulle finne veien rett inn i eteren. Så skjedde ikke, men albumet som helhet ble veldig godt tatt imot, der spesielt Tom Skjeklesæthers sitat: “Sleepless Songs er klokkerent det beste alt.country-albumet gitt ut i Norge så langt”, stod ut.

Poeten Robert Frost svarte med tre ord, da han i forbindelse med sin 80-årsdagsfeiring ble spurt om han kunne summere opp hva han hadde lært om livet: 

"It goes on"

Og det er rart. Men, det er akkurat slik det er, uansett hva vi måtte tenke om det - eller hvor tungt det føles å miste noe, eller noen. Livet går alltid videre.

Følelsen av å gå nedover Grünerløkka dagen etter at Robert var død, og se folk som satt og drakk utepils, flirte og koste seg - den brant seg fast, og både frustrerte og provoserte meg.

For hvorfor stoppet ikke verden opp? Hvordan kunne de bare sitte der - og ha det artig?

Så går tiden; og så kan vi også. 

V

  • LONELY, GOD

    I’m ready
    40 nights in this sickbed
    There’s more behind me than ahead
    What hasn’t been done, has been said

    It’s so lonely, God

    And freedom
    It ain’t the same as having fun
    Many times you’ll lose when you think you’ve won
    Hard to tell what pays off in the long run

    It’s so lonely, God

    It was raining when I left home
    It still is
    I always knew it would come to this
    Not much I really miss

  • 10 BELOW

    You’re moving on
    I knew this couldn’t last
    Sleepless songs
    The heart and the hourglass

    The ground was cold
    The stars were dying in the sky
    You waved goodbye
    I left without you

    Your hands were trembling
    The night was dark and still
    You said “Remember”
    I said “I always will”

    The ground was cold
    The stars were dying in the sky
    You waved goodbye
    I left without you

    And days go by
    I keep the memories alive
    You’re with me now

    Love, you remind me
    Of what I used to know
    Tonight I trace your footprints
    Tonight I’m letting go

  • GOING OVER THAT MOUNTAIN

    Well, I’m going over that mountain
    Going across that sea
    Going over that mountain
    Don’t wait around for me

    I got boots of solid leather
    A coat to keep me warm
    Boots of solid leather
    When you wake up I’ll be gone

    Flowers in the meadow
    Wet with morning dew
    The river’s on the rise
    The sky silvery blue

    I can hear the church bells ringing
    Wonder who they’re ringing for
    I can hear the church bells ringing
    And the slamming of a door

    Well, God is in his heaven
    And the devil’s down in hell
    I’m going over that mountain
    Where I’m bound now I can’t tell

    Brother, don’t you worry
    Sister, don’t you weep
    Someday we will meet

    I gaze at the horizon
    In the mirror of the sea
    I gaze at the horizon
    There’s no one here but me

    Tombstone’s my pillow
    Cold ground my bed
    Blue skies my blanket
    Moonlight my spread

    (The last verse is an excerpt from “Death room blues” by Blind Willie McTell)

  • TRUE WHAT THEY SAY

    Well, I’m older
    I pull my coat tight round my shoulders
    The trees have turned black
    The wind’s colder
    The river is icy grey

    And I stop
    And I turn
    I could swear…
    But it’s not
    For a second there I forgot
    It happens most every day

    Is it true what they say?
    I see the daylight fade away
    I wander & I stray
    Don’t leave me here
    I am strong and then I’m not
    See, these chains are all I’ve got
    I’ve tried, but not a lot
    Don’t leave me here

    He said
    “Son, you know one day I’ll be gone
    Walk on
    Memories they fade away”

    Here I stand
    On a ridge in no man’s land
    Ready to move on, but I can’t
    Tomorrow’s another day

    Is it true what they say?
    I see the daylight fade away
    I wander & I stray
    Don’t leave me here
    I am strong and then I’m not
    And these chains are all I’ve got
    I’ve tried, but not a lot
    Don’t leave me here

    So it’s true what they say
    & I don’t wanna fade away
    Wander & stray
    Don’t leave me here
    I am strong and then I’m not
    See these chains are all I’ve got
    Yeah I lied, but not a lot
    Don’t leave me here

    I hear your footsteps everywhere
    Feel your fingers run through my hair
    I turn and there’s no one there
    Don’t leave me here

  • LOVE, LOVE, LOVE

    My dad, he taught me not to spend a dollar if you only got a dime
    “But if you do”, he said, “Call me anytime”
    Ma read me the Lord’s Prayer every night at bedtime
    “Now close your eyes”, she’d say, “I’ll sit here by your side”

    And I guess that’s love, love, love
    Love, love, love

    I come home from work at 10 to 5, we eat dinner at four
    You say you’re tired, you don’t talk much anymore
    But, every now and then you dress up, we go dancing at the bar
    I pull you close, “Don’t push your luck”, you'll say, “Who do you think you are?”

    But then you’ll smile just like when we we’re in love, love, love
    Love, love, love

    And it’s hard to make the good things last
    The days just pass
    And, we do a lot for love

    People on the platform, waiting on the northbound train
    Some are waiting on a friend, others leaving town again
    The days are shorter now, another summer’s gone
    And while the world keeps spinning round, you and I keep holding on

    Falling in and out of love

  • RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU

    This is our old ground
    This is where we used to run around
    Too busy playing to eat
    Too busy dreaming to sleep

    If you want it it is right in front of you
    It shines like the morning
    It shines like you do

    This is what’s left of our old man’s pier
    Remember when we snuck down under it and popped our first beer?
    This is where we sat
    And swore when we’d leave we’d never look back

    If you want it it is right in front of you
    Whenever you’re ready to
    It’s right in front of you
    It shines like the morning
    It shines like you do

    Never left this town
    Never settled down
    Never left this town

    It's right in front of you
    Whenever you're ready to

  • ISOLATION RD.

    I can’t follow dear
    I just can’t go on
    There’s nowhere to turn
    And nowhere to run
    The last time you cried
    I just turned away

    Isolation road
    Can we go on?

  • NO ONE KNOWS

    My old man took off tonight
    A shooting star shines so bright
    No one knows, knows where it goes

    My little girl said “Dad” today
    “You know, every night when you make me fold my hands and we pray
    Do you believe in what you say?”

    No one knows

    My best friend
    I’ve known him since I was ten
    Once we were boys
    Now we’re men
    And everything comes to an end

    You and me now, we’ve been up all night
    We both know what went wrong
    Can we make it right?
    We’ve been up all night

    No one knows

    The sky hanging low
    The sea moving slow
    You’re asleep now
    And soon it’s tomorrow

    No one knows

  • HIGH HOPES

    Ken buys a coffee, Ben orders a beer
    Ken says “My God, how did we end up here?”
    They’ve met in this bar now for 20-odd years

    Will plays the lottery and waits for Saturday night
    Someone always wins, so he just might

    Marianne should have left Joe
    But, it’s easier to hold on now than to let go

    Sam was the singer in a big local band
    Why they didn’t make it no one understands
    Now, like me he’s looking for a second chance

    Had high hopes
    That got shot down

    There ain’t no way I’m gonna let you down
    I hope you always knew
    Now, let’s run over this same old ground
    And pretend that it is new

    Cause we can’t go back

  • SLEEPLESS SONG

    The wind through the trees
    The roaring sea
    The wind through the trees
    The roaring sea

    I reached for your hand
    You weren’t there
    I reached for your hand
    You weren’t there

    The church on the hill
    The circling crows
    The church on the hill
    The circling crows

    I remember you
    You were a friend
    I remember you
    You were a friend

    I carry my cross
    And it carries me
    I carry my cross
    And it carries me

    The waves roll out
    The waves roll in
    The waves roll out
    The waves roll in

    If you can dream
    Dream
    If you can dream
    Dream

    If you can sing
    Sing along
    We all know the words
    To the sleepless song

Forrige

Sidewalks Silhouettes (2012)
Neste

Vidar Vang (2006)