24-25

I think that this is a sad, pessimistic song. It's about a breakup. About somebody realizing that he is much better off alone, and that he is now paying a heavy price for having been in a relationship. Specifically...

=> "She'll be gone soon, you can have me for yourself"

The person whom the taleteller is with is soon leaving, allowing another to supposedly have the taleteller for herself. But it looks like the taleteller isn't really interested in the new person that he's talking to, since the second part of the sentence ("you can have me for yourself") appears emotionally detached. In particular, the taleteller isn't talking about himself or expressing his feelings; he isn't saying "we" can be together, nor is he even expressing a desire to be together. He is just coldly, perhaps cynically, referring to what the new person wants, as if he has no part of it.

=> "But do give, just give me today, or you will just scare me away"

A pessimistic, probably more realistic, view may interpret the phrase "give me today" as give up on me quickly, because, after what happened with the aforesaid "she" (whom will be gone soon), the taleteller became scared of being (or is perhaps simply unwilling to be) in a long relationship. 

A more optimistic view, if you must have it, may perhaps interpret the same phrase as the taleteller requesting from the new person to quickly show she is generous (= she's a "giver"), possibly because that other person he's breaking up with was not. I tend to think the pessimistic view is more consistent with the rest of the lyrics and with the spirit of the song.

=> "what we build is bigger than the sum of two"

This is, of course, the cliche, the romantic view of being together, the goal.

=> "but somewhere I lost count on my own, and somehow I must find it alone"

And this is the disillusionment of the taleteller from the cliche. Like most of us, his intent was to build something bigger. But in reality, for him and that other person, it didn't work out that way: the taleteller ended up worse than he started, and he must now pay a price. He must attempt to find again what was lost. No assurances he'll succeed.

=> "24 and blooming like the fields of May, 25 and yearning for a ticket out"

The story of the aforesaid disillusionment. The taleteller was 24 when he and "she" started, and back then he was blooming; a year after and he desperately wants out of the relationship.

=> "dreams burn, but in ashes are gold"

The taleteller --- the dreamer --- is much better off without the dream; the dreamer realizes that he should let the dream die and move on. Perhaps the dream turned out to be a nightmare, and giving up on the dream possibly allows the dreamer a (golden) chance to heal.

'' She'll be gone soon you can have me for yourself ''

In this part of the song, the speaker, the guy, is talking to the third person, the girl he likes or the girl he is in love with, with whom he plans to start a relationship with after breaking up with his current girlfriend. He is promising her a future together.

'' But do give, just give me today or you will just scare me away ''

He is asking her for patience, because his current relationship has been long and he needs time because he considers it is not easy to start over with a new person.

'' what we build is bigger than the sum of two ''

This is a new part of the song, notice the instrumental part between these verses and the previous ones, it sort of makes the 'transition' between both phases of the song; and in this new part he is talking to a different person, that is his current girlfriend, who he is breaking up with. He starts by saying how wonderful their relationship has been.

'' but somewhere I lost count on my own and somehow I must find it alone ''

But then, here he is giving her the reasons to end the relationship.

'' 24 and blooming like the fields of May 25 and yearning for a ticket out ''

Another instrumental transition appears between these verses and the previous ones. Here, he is talking to himself, like a self-dialogue. He reflects on his relationship: when he first dated this girl, when he was 24, he had great hopes and expectations on this relationship. But then, at 25, he no longer feels the same for this girl and wants to split up with her because he feels it is the best for both of them.

'' dreams burn but in ashes are gold ''

I do not consider this part pessimistic at all, he relates dreams with those positive thoughts and hopes he had at the beginning of the relationship, in a way that 'dreams burn but in ashes are gold' means that the relationship ended for the better and goes back to when they were happy, thinking of it as a great experience, not as a bad thing. He kind of thanks the girl for having lived with him such a great time together but wants her to understand that it has to be over now.

I interpret this song as someone asking for grace in a period of change.

Change can be an tumultous period, and can negatively affect the relationships you have with loved ones as you adjust to something new.

Although the change was not planned- there's a sense of optimism ("dreams burn, but in ashes are gold"). The singer acknowledges that this period will take time ("but do, just give me today, or you will just scare me away") and understands that he must go through this change alone and adjust on his own terms ("what we build is bigger than the sum of two; but somewhere I lost count on my own, and somehow I must find it alone").

I think the title of the song reflects a maturity on the singer's part. He acknowledges that his outlook was different at 24 compared to now, and wants to avoid repeating the same mistakes.

One of my favorite Kings of Convenience songs!!

I think it may be..."24 and blooming like the fields of May", not "Maine"

I wondered if this song was about erlend and by eirik. Leaving his partner to join erlend and needing time to adjust. Especially since this album followed a seven year hiatus. Erlend left the band to seek his own path, yearning for a ticket out. They have rejoined way down the line and eirik must find the motivation they had before having been out of the scene. I may be wrong but it seems like there is a slight feeling of having been together, parted, and then reunited with an expectation that everything will be the same.

Sometimes certain lyrics don't strike you the first time you listen to them. I listened to this song again a little while later, and was really hit by the opening lyrics:

"She'll be gone soon You can have me for yourself She'll be gone soon You can have me for yourself

But do give Just give me today Or you will just scare me away"

There's something in those lines that perfectly describes the feeling when you know you'll soon lose contact with somebody you've fallen in love with, and only really want them, but are also aware that someone else seems kinda into you.

And you don't want that at all.

As dants said:

"...it looks like the taleteller isn't really interested in the new person that he's talking to, since the second part of the sentence ("you can have me for yourself") appears emotionally detached."

It is an absolutely fantastic song.

i think it should be: "you can have me for yourself" I love this track.

this is one of their most beuatiful song from the new album. I actually had a chance to see them live month ago and all my expectations were....MAN!They are wonderful, full of emotions and now I am even more in love with them. This song wakes up such a nice emotions while I am listening to it but 24-25 I don't to what is related. When I think of it I imagine a beautiful girl of 24-25 dreaming alone. Any ideas? dreams burn but in ashes are gold - wow!

I'm pretty sure it's about a guy who has a gf or wife, and is about to breaking up with them and the song is to his mistress. "She'll be gone soon, you can have me for yourself". As well as "25 and yearning for a ticket out" talking about the relationship he has at the moment. And then "dreams burn but in ashes are gold" meaning the dreams he once had with the girl he is breaking up with are being burnt but it means there will be gold in it for his mistress!

at least thats what it sounds like!

"dreams burn but in ashes are gold"

love that line! for me it means that for those two on that song, when other dreams are burn, they will have a chance to make their own dream turn into gold.

*-}} remind me of that special someone that came right after my "dream" burn down. Sometimes, all you need its a end, to build an entire new golden dream.