Hvil meg
By Marianne Sveen
Meaning
“Hvil meg” is a tender, dreamlike plea for comfort, protection, and release from emotional coldness. The speaker seems overwhelmed by life, longing to be carried, soothed, and accepted through uncertainty and pain, with images of water, falling, and darkness suggesting surrender and transformation. The tone is intimate and vulnerable, but also strangely peaceful: even the colder, stranger images feel like part of a wish to be held safely through them. The song’s language is poetic and somewhat unconventional, which adds to its sense of being half-prayer, half-lullaby.
About Marianne Sveen - Topic
Marianne Sveen is a Norwegian singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. She was a member of the all-female Norwegian band Katzenjammer, which was formed in Oslo in 2005 and became known for mixing pop, rock, and folk. After leaving the band in 2015, she focused on her solo music and later released her solo debut album Next of Kin in 2021.
"Hvil meg" is a solo song by Marianne Sveen, released as a single on November 7, 2014. The title is Norwegian and can mean "rest me" or "let me rest," so the song likely has a calm, reflective mood and a personal emotional tone. I could not verify a detailed public explanation of the lyrics, but it appears to be an early solo release from the period when she was moving from Katzenjammer toward her own artistic voice.
Line highlights
"Vann som renner"
Literally, “water that runs” or flows. Water here suggests time, change, and emotional washing-over, a common poetic image in Norwegian and many other languages.
"Jeg ikke vil ha / skoene på"
“I don’t want to keep my shoes on” suggests letting go of defenses and being ready to walk barefoot, physically and emotionally. It gives the song a very human, intimate feeling.
"Så vil meg vil meg"
This is a striking, repeated plea that seems to mean “so lull me / rest me / soothe me,” though the wording is poetic and unusual. For learners, it shows how song lyrics may bend grammar for rhythm and emotion.
"din hjerteklang"
“The sound of your heart” is a beautiful metaphor for warmth, empathy, and emotional safety. It contrasts with the repeated “kallare” (“colder”), making the comfort being asked for feel especially important.
"Når alt jeg kjenner er kallare"
“When all I feel is colder” captures the emotional center of the song: isolation, numbness, and inner chill. The word “kallare” is a dialectal or poetic form of “colder,” which adds texture and feeling.
"Inn i tiden"
“Into time” is a broad, philosophical phrase that suggests moving forward despite pain and uncertainty. It makes the song feel less like a story and more like a meditation on endurance and surrender.
Lyrics preview (Norwegian with English translation)
- Ikke kast kalle råd, løse vind. Do not cast cold advice, loose wind.
- Fnykk som et frø blir til rose på A flicker like a seed turns into a rose on
- Skinn. En svare pris i et Shine. A heavy price in a
- Fang. Lov meg at jeg skal få kjenne Trap. Promise me that I will get to feel
- Igjen en gang. Vann som renner som stryk Again once more. Water that runs like rapids
- Over år. Over mitt hår ut Over years. Over my hair out
- I det store blå. Jeg ikke vil ha Into the great blue. I do not want
- Skoene på. For det er ikke vondt My shoes on. Because it does not hurt
Play the song above for the full karaoke-synced lyrics with line-by-line translation.