THE BUTTERFLY HUNTER

OPSI is based on the life of my great-great- grandfather, an entomologist who during his life discovered and collected a vast amount of wildlife in Siberia, Russia. His words about a world so different from my own, inspired me to write the songs of Opsi.

“Overnight the tiger was able to dig up the deer from out of the snow and drag it more than fifty meters away. From a distance of thirty paces I could see the tiger leaning over its kill. There was no time to lose; I went down into a kneeling position and took aim. But it turned its head toward me and I could no longer see the jugular. Suddenly it moved around as if to pounce – I got the neck in sight, and fired. The tiger made a short spring right at me – but it started rolling around until the snow was piled up around it, and soon that gleam was gone from its eyes.”

“Tiger”, extraction from the diary.

About Fritz Dörries (Opsi as he was called by his family)

At the age of 25 Fritz Dörries went on a journey, taking him from Hamburg to the heart of Eastern Siberia. He stayed in Siberia for over twenty years, and during these years he discovered hundreds of new species of butterflies, insects, birds and other animals.

At the age of 89, he wrote down his memoirs, a diary telling stories from his life. His words about a world so different from my own, inspired me to write the songs of Opsi

_{Temporary house on Askold island.}

HUNTING BUTTERFLIES

Day after day
night after night
He searched for life,
he searched for answers
So his story goes
On the road
So many roads
Chasing a dream
while showing dedication
He was told
Of a land
Where giants roamed
in the mountains
And like pines they swayed
Across the sea
He felt at ease
Traveling hard,
no easy answers
And so a story goes
Who would he be
When he returned home
Would she remember the days
When he held her close
Or did she find out
he never came home
(Was he) already gone

He was told of large
butterflies who roams remotely
in a far away land
Running through fields
With linen at night
To catch in the dark
What the moon sees in flight
While some are hunters
Others conserve
To take or observe
Reactions to life
Day after day
night after night
He searched for life,
he searched for answers
So his story goes
Who would he be
When he returned home
What did he chase
while always alone
Was she still the same
As on the day that he left
She listened in vain
To the beat of the rain
the beat of the rain
But had no one to blame

So he returned
to his hometown
To the love that he’d let down
Time after time
On the road
So many roads
Searching for life
searching for answers
Then saw her face
Did he lie in silence
There with his love
Silent like in a cocoon
In the dark of their room
For he was born
in a land
where giants roam
in the mountains
In the pines they sway
Who would we be
If we returned home
What would we chase
when feeling alone
Would we be the same
As on the day that we left
Or would we sell in a second
For a ticket to fame
Could we leave behind
All that we have known

LAY ME DOWN

I miss you being here tonight
as i saw you leaving
on the train now i am
stuck with all this love
I wish I could collect myself
I’ve been fueled with love
since the day you came but now
Without you I lose my way
so come to me
and i’ll hold you tight
you come here and
you lay me down
The rooms feel empty
and are lacking light
With her laughter gone
it’s just not right -
I only want to know
about our love

Pride has no place in here
So I won’t let it get
too near If I do I’ll be
damaged goods this time
so come to me and
i’ll hold you tight
you come here and
you lay me down
We know why
It’s always the same ride
We know what
our love will bring
We know why
always the same pride
we know what
our love will bring
you come here
and you lay me down -
We started out raw and new
Two restless souls
just passing through

You and me, we were into us
A couple in the afterglow
One on one and one to go
We know the cast and
we both know the show
so come to me
and i’ll hold you tight
you come here
and you lay me down
We know why
always the same ride
We know what
this love will bring
We know why
always the same pride
we know what
our love will bring
you come here
and you lay me down

THE WEIGHT

For so long we thought
There were only us
No weight to scale
Our side is rooted down
In fresh green grass and waterfalls
The other straying in the air
Who will rise up
Who will balance the weight
It’s getting darker and darker and
Soon again the light will fall
Leaving them blind
So we can keep on
Tapping and draining and
squeezing our side
While they are
fumbling in the dark

ALL I KNOW

They’re all searching new ways
To trick the polygraph
Make it look like they're
on to something new
The younger the dreamer
The stronger the flame
But there is no air left
inside the walls of fame
But do they know
We’ve all been there before
Do they know
Grief will thrive
If you choose to let it thrive
Where we go
No one will ever know

We may run forever
Or follow the lord and his light
But in the end all those we love
will fade away
All I know
Is there’s a
long road ahead
All i know
You are on your own time,
with the only shot you’ll get
Each day is just a page
we’ll soon forget
Grief will thrive
If you choose to let it thrive
Where we go

No one will ever know
We may run forever
Or follow the lord and his light
But in the end all those we love
will fade away
All I know
Is there’s a long road ahead
All i know
You are on your own time,
with the only shot you’ll get
Each day is just a
page we’ll soon forget

WILDFIRE

Could we go back
To the young and reckless
Unchallenging and restless
Love we had
Our love was like wildfire then
Our love was like wildfire then
We knew of nothing
but each other
travelling down
miles of highways
That took us
nowhere but home
When home was just a room
where we could make love
A home was just a
room to make love
We stayed in
our summer house
Where I followed
your naked body
Down through the grass
after rainy nights
As the mist cleared off
with the morning light
Like a Bergman scene
in black and white -
Soon the smoke

Will leave us nothing left to see
It’s been so long
Now give me something
worth to keep
A love like wildfire
with no way to go
I miss our flames
so high up in the sky
If longing could make us
Lunge to the surface
and into the light
Below us
Only drifters in the dark
When I found you, you told me
You’d been saving
every breath for me
But remember I’m the one
who set you free
We found each other
when we were young
Unspoiled and without rules
in the night
we followed what swung
In the rain we rode
our bikes through town
Like the cliches in every love song

Now we are growing old
No more open
highways to roam
Clogged for miles and miles
When we are traveling on this
safe futuristic road
Speaking without a sound
Soon the smoke
Will leave us nothing left to see
It’s been so long
Now give me something
worth to keep
A love like wildfire
with no way to go
I miss our flames so
high up in the sky
If longing could make us
Lunge to the surface
and into the light
Below us
Only drifters in the dark
When I found you, you told me
You’d been saving
every breath for me
But remember I’m the one
who set you free

BONE-FIRE

Bone-fire
All these years
I’ve never felt you
Silent you break through
Through my veins
flowing freely
How can I make you leave me
We said no evil should
bring us down
Now like birds against the glass
We’re on our own
our own when we fall
Silent we fall

I’ve tried to be the man
I was told to be to stand
tall play by the rules
in the heat of the game
my losing game
But why do we try
when all will fall
Do we choose to stay strong
to get by
Or do we live in
the unknown of our sacrifice
while we balance
on a thread called life
We are humans
that’s the way we’re designed

I thought
I could carry you all
in this losing game
But why do we try
when all will fall
We said no evil
should bring us down
I used to carry
them all so strong
We said no evil
should bring us down
Now like birds
against the glass we fall

.

.

EVEN BEAUTY GROWS OLD

We’re waiting
what are we waiting for
Even beauty
even beauty grows old
We’re waiting
what are we
waiting for
And now
you’re on my mind
Feels like
we’re losing time
you know
we only get one ride
Let’ shake off the old
and be on our way
be on our way

Music, Art / About

JENS J. CARELIUS