Words I Couldn’t Understand

Britta Persson “Meet A Bear”

The melody of the first single from Britta Persson’s forthcoming third album seems to roll out, like a string unfurling from a ball of yarn. It’s not totally graceful, but it comes out soft and smooth, so much that you might miss the non sequitur that gives the song its title. She starts off the chorus by stating that she would like to “meet a bear before I die,” but then goes on about wanting to help a teenage girl break up with some guy who made her feel more adult. It’s rare that I find a song where I wish I could ask the singer, mid-song, to go back and elaborate on something. I’m so curious, though! Meet a bear? Like, an actual bear, not gay slang? A bear in the woods, a bear in a zoo? A cartoon bear wearing human clothing? A bear that might talk to you? Because it’s “meet a bear”, as in socially engage with a bear, not just see one in passing. A grizzly bear? A panda bear? There is so much vivid, precise language in this song about girls in Tokyo playing rock music and the behavior of children in a school building, but man, I’d love just one more detail about the bear thing.

Pre-order it from Britta Persson.