In 1840, the famous import company Behn Meyer was founded by Valentin Lorenz Meyer and his friend, Theodor August Behn. The company initially traded tropical products such as mangoes before later expanding into shipping and insurance. Their friendship, which started when they were little, suffered a terrible blow as they developed the business together, though the company still operates under the same name today. Valentin's and Theodor's childhood friendship in Hamburg and the dreams they may have had together inspired the theme of the song.
lyrics
VALENTIN:
Mango… This foreign word sounds like a magic spell
Should we go? Can we succeed? Only time will tell
-----
THEODOR:
And soon one of these boats
Is going to bring back loads and loads
Of fruits divine, most wanted kind
I feel it in my bones
The memory so clear, two little friends long ago
Sitting on the pier, watching the ships come and go
Already then we knew that we wanted something new
And now’s the time, horizon line -
Is calling me and you
VALENTIN:
Mango, this word sounds like a magic spell
Should we go?
THEODOR:
Oh come on trust me we’ll do well
Cause you have always been
Like my brother, like my twin
No thunderstorm will see us torn
Apart, we’re bound to win
VALENTIN AND THEODOR:
Behn Meyer, Meyer Behn
What a wonderful sounding name
We’re gonna make it
In the big, big world we’re gonna make it
We have waited long enough, now it’s time
It might be tough but we’ll be fine
We’re gonna make it
We might make mistakes but we’ll make it
We’ve got all it takes
The name that we created
So strong nothing can break it
So strong nothing can break it
------
VALENTIN
The memory so clear, two little friends long ago
Sitting on the pier, watching the ships come and go
You have always been
Like my brother, like my twin
No thunderstorm will see us torn… apart
credits
from Journeys,
released September 1, 2020
PERFORMED by Caroline Barnard, Laura Lorenz-Meyer and Company
PIANO Vít Beneš
CLARINET Matěj Trejtnar
I teach English through theatre and I write musical plays. I love composing songs that are embedded in a story and help to
move it forward. I write folk songs and chansons also, lately more and more in Czech, and I occasionally perform them myself with a band....more
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