detlef schrempf – the song.

Note: 11/6/15. I wrote this post over a year ago. I did some research, but got some information wrong. I was corrected today, and that is good. Here is the original post, but with the correction near the bottom, and in italics.

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I started listening to a group called Band of Horses a few years ago. I don’t like very many of their songs, but a few of them are some of the best songs I have ever heard.

My favorite Band of Horses song is called “Detlef Schrempf.”  When I read the title, my reaction was.. ?? Why a German title? At least, I thought it was German. I don’t know German, but when I see a language in print, I can often guess what language it is.

I typed in the two German words into google, and found out that Detlef Schrempf is the name of a person, a German-born former NBA player.

Ok..

So why is this song named after Mr. Schrempf?

According to an interview posted on a website called Artist Direct, whichever guy from the band who wrote the song said it had to do with some things regarding Seattle. The songwriter happened to be thinking of the NBA player while working on the song. Why? Who knows. Our brains do odd things.

I’m guessing the songwriter wrote the lyrics first, couldn’t come up with a title, so just randomly scribbled down “Detlef Schrempf” as a working title, and kept it.

Schrempf stopped playing for the Seattle Sonics in 1999. The song is on the album, “Cease to Begin,” which was released in 2007.

There are worse NBA players to name a song after than Schrempf. According to Wikipedia, that guy raised close to 10 million dollars for children’s charities. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Detlef_Schrempf#Charitable_work

I’d say Schrempf deserves having a wonderful song named after him, but I doubt the song is about Schrempf. This is a very personal song. I am guessing the band member who wrote it was thinking of someone he knew well.

The lyrics are not at all the typical lyrics in pop songs. This is not a love song. Seems to me it is a person talking with a friend who has said something seriously wrong, (see the lyric,”words can do more than harm”) so that people can’t look at that friend the same way anymore. The person singing the song is giving an admonition to the friend in the third verse:

“So take it as a song or a lesson to learn. And sometime soon be better than you were. If you say you’re gonna go, then be careful. And watch how you treat every living soul.”

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Here is the correct info about the song, according to someone who submitted a comment:

“You got it wrong, but at least you’re bringing attention to one of the best bands of the millennium.

Band of Horses is from Seattle, and at the end of his career with Seattle, Schrempf went to play for Portland, a much hated and bitter rival of Seattle. This was considered a horrible slap in the face to Seattle locals because Schrempf was one of NBA’s greats.

The song lyrics are about bitterness and loss of a loved one; it was specifically written for and about Schrempf by the lead singer of the band. You don’t have to take my word for it, Google any of his interviews about the song. The band are all die hard Seattle locals who have great passion and love for their city and felt backstabbed by Detlef’s move to Portland.”

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Here are all of the lyrics.

And take a little walk when the worst is to come
When I saw you looking like I never thought
And say you’re at a loss or forgot that words can do more than harm

The town is gonna talk, but these people do not
See things through to the very minimal
But what’s it gonna cost to be gone?
If we see you like I hoped we never would

When eyes can’t look at you any other way,
Any other way, any other way
When eyes can’t look at you any other way,
Any other way, any other way

So take it as a song or a lesson to learn
And sometime soon be better than you were
If you say you’re gonna go, then be careful
And watch how you treat every living soul

My eyes can’t look at you any other way,
Any other way, any other way
When eyes can’t look at you any other way,
Any other way, any other way.

And, finally, here is the song (audio only)..

Beautiful.