Oslo Lyrics
You said "You're better off just where you are
Than to be stuck in my head
You've got to leave it all behind you
And give yourself up to chance"
So I gave myself to chance
Brushed my teeth and washed my hands
I'd been bluffing here for years
And now I think it's time I showed my hand
I'm going to move to New York City
And set the sky on fire
Oh don't the night look so alive
With it's desire to cross the River Jordan?
But it just don't feel the same
When I came home Friday morning
With no one but myself to blame
And paying the ones I owe
I put what I had left in the pocket of my coat
I went out to find a liquor store
And make a home there in the snow
Give myself a little shelter from the cold
Oh my god how I felt so ashamed
Still I hoped that you might join us
And take this little light of ours out on parade
And now I just look around me
I'm going to reap the seeds I've sown
I try to picture myself in Oslo
But lord help me if I go
I've been running around
And I believe it's starting to show
If it just don't feel the same
And I'm not home Friday morning
I'll have no one but myself to blame
Fantastic song. I saw them live in Kingston (sadly they did not play this song - no female singer) and after the concert they stayed around to play their songs acoustically. It was probably one of the coolest moments at a concert I have been too.
Anyway, on to the song meaning. I think its about being homeless and about regretting ones choices, that led the singer to become homeless. It seems to me that the person had family/friends and then left them to go do something. He is to ashamed to go back to them though, because he won't admit his failure. Another idea I had was that he did go home after being homeless but feels awkward being there because well..."it just dont feel the same" so then he leaves again to go be homeless.
I think the part about Oslo is about his dream to go somewhere with his life. Young people often travel after university/college and maybe he wishes he could travel there. Be free and start over.
When the singer talks about crossing the river Jordan that could mean about going home - The Jordan River is the border to Israel the traditional homeland of the Jews...So cross into Israel aka go home.