Running to the Sea (feat. Susanne Sundfør)

Considering we're listening to a Nowgegian, Oslo based, singer,… I can't help thinking it refers to massacre at Utøya. Seeking refuge by rushing to the sea around the island and hoping you're save at the bottom. But no, it can't be.

"I could hear them howling from afar I saw them rushing to your car"

• It was an accident and everyone is rushing to the scene

"In a moment all went screaming wild Until the darkness killed the light"

• Sirens of the ambulance came, but they couldn't get the victim in time

"I remember running to the sea The burning houses and the trees"

• She is running away. The fire isn't actually a fire, but the victim that died meant a lot to her and she feels her world burning down to nothing.

"I remember running to the sea Alone and blinded by the fear"

• She is away from everyone and terrified of what's to come.

"And the river flows beneath your skin Like savage horses kept within"

• This is just referring to the blood flow and that as the victim is helpless, the blood flows rapidly.

"And all is wasted in the sand Like breaking diamonds with your hand"

• Not sure here, but maybe signifying an impossible situation and that there is no going back.

"I remember running to the sea Remember falling to my knees"

• She has lost her strength and collapses

"I remember gliding off the shore Until I touched the ocean floor"

• She takes her own life.

"And the river grows inside of me"

• Her blood begins to flow rapidly just like the victim's blood as she nears death.

It is either about the zombie apocalypse or a deeply personal experience.

This song is talking about life and death.

A past life or imagined death experience.

after darkness kills the light (death) remembrance of running to the sea (ocean of consciousness) the burning house and trees (destruction of reality) 'blinded' by the fear- subject misunderstands death as they're dying.

And the river floats beneath your skin- RIVER refers to human connection to the OCEAN of consciousness

Like savage forces kept within- Forces of the universe which the human is at one with

And all is wasted in the sand- Sand of time that consciousness flows through

Like breaking diamonds with your hands- 'You' as in the ocean of consciousness slowly eroding through the bedrock of time.

The second account isn't 'blinded' by fear

I remember running to the sea Remember falling to my knees I remember gliding off the shore Until I touched the ocean floor

Ocean floor is the end of death and beginning of rebirth.

And the river grows inside of me- The feeling of a growing connection to all things/ the universe

I believe this is about the feeling of blinding terror. About fleeing from your fear, fearing for your life.

Another one of my interps..

The drug dealer is the car. Everyone gets the drugs and goes wild. The burning houses and the sea are the feeling of the veins being on fire the river flows beneath your skin like savage horses kept within is the drugs being injected or the pulse increasing.

And all is wasted in the sand Like breaking diamonds with your hand -- sand being crushed drugs and diamonds being still a chunk

I remember running to the sea Remember falling to my knees I remember gliding off the shore Until I touched the ocean floor -- This part implying she is taking the drugs too and is getting farther away from reality until she hits rock bottom.

and as the river grows inside, it is simply the addiction and that she cant control it

I think it's about an affair, and the breakup of a marriage and feeling alone and helpless...hitting rock bottom.

After watching the "official" video, I believe the song is about a daughter who wrestled with her demons as a young adult and took her life, and her father (in the video) is wrestling with how to cope with it.

However, the explanation by MVDV regarding the Oslo shooting a couple of years ago is brilliant and I wouldn't rule it out. Either way, it's a beautiful song with a haunting message.

People scream and rush to his car as it falls from a sea cliff. But its lights are lost in the darkness. She runs to the sea terrified as all collapse around her. Death flows savagely beneath his skin. Now it’s all lost and in vain,” like breaking diamonds with your hand”. She collapses. Her body gliding off the shore as the sea takes her to the “ocean floor”. Now death grows inside of her.

I don't think this song's really about suicide, since it keeps reiterating "I remember" and I mean if it is, then it'd have to be a ghost story or something (not impossible, mind you)

The song is clearly about some emotional experience and the memories tied to it I think it's about the memories of someone she loved dearly

and all is wasted in the sand think hourglass like breaking diamonds with your hand idk what the writer meant by this but given its placement in the song it makes me think of how she's as likely to break diamonds with her hand as she is to forget this person.. the river is her love and the memories are like diamonds