B i o g r a p h y (by Kenyon Hopkin)
Hello Saferide's cheery pop/rock is primarily the work of Annika Norlin, a Swedish music journalist and radio DJ who launched her songwriting career in the early 2000s. Although Norlin had written songs in the past, she hadn't released any material until 2004, when the burgeoning songwriter uploaded her first recordings to the Internet. She quickly received label interest, and in September 2005, the Swedish label Razzia Records released Introducing... Hello Saferide. A live band was quickly assembled, and the newly expanded Hello Saferide toured throughout Asia, Brazil, and Europe in support of the debut album. More Modern Short Stories from Hello Saferide In addition to issuing a batch of EPs and singles, Norlin released a Swedish-language record under the name Säkert! in 2007. The album went gold and won two Grammis, Sweden's equivalent of the Grammy Award. Norlin followed such success by returning to the Hello Saferide project; this time, however, she replaced the winsome twee pop of her debut with an edgier sound, propelled in part by an emphasis on electric guitar. More Modern Short Stories from Hello Saferide appeared in 2008, featuring Norlin's new sound as well as numerous contributions by Popsicle's Andreas Mattsson.
Introducing Hello Saferide - 2005-09-28 -
Nothing Like You (when you're gone) My Best Friend If I don't write this song,someone I love will die I thought you said summer is going to take the pain away I Don't Sleep Well Long Lost Penpal Saturday Nights San Francisco Get Sick Soon I Can't Believe It's Not Love Loneliness Is Better When You're not alone Highschool Stalker
Introducing Hello Saferide
Nothing like you (when you're gone) I swear, I felt it again The tingling of the first night again Us moving slowly, merle haggard, the fading sun Well, there's nothing like you when you're gone I wear your sweatshirt again The one with the cast of falcon crest on The one I forbade you to use time and again Well it's sad, I keep putting it on A friend stopped by and said as quoted: “i can't believe that we're here again Have you forgotten the women, the drinking, the blues of the eighties collection Oh my God, you're wearing your Lorenzo Lamas again” Yes, I am lonesome again Yes, I am crying again Yes, you are getting this letter again Because there's nothing like you when you're gone Never as tender and never as well dressed Never as handsome and never as good in bed Never had such good taste Never as much like me Well, there's nothing like you when you're gone My best friend You call me up in the mornings We'll stay on the phone until dawning You tell me secrets I actually keep You call me up around noon and And bring me all the good gossip You hold my head when I throw up I hold your hand when you weep And we talk about friends And we talk about records And we talk about life And we'll talk about death And we dance in the living room Dance on the sidewalks Dance in the movies Dance at the festivals, dance, dance No men ever really dance like this Damn! I wish I was a lesbian Damn! I wish I was a lesbian Damn! I wish I was, and that you were, too Damn! I wish I was a lesbian Damn! I wish I was a lesbian Damn! I wish I was so I could fall in love with you You call me up in the evenings And tell me what they did this time No matter what, I'm by your side When it's raining, we'll go to the video store We even like the same movies No damn Jedis or hobbits this time And you laugh at my jokes And I laugh at your jokes And I even like the birthday presents you get me And we dance in the living room Dance on the sidewalks Dance in the movies Dance at the festivals, let's dance, dance No men ever really dance like this Damn! I wish I was a lesbian Damn! I wish I was a lesbian Damn! I wish I was, and that you were, too Damn! I wish I was a lesbian Damn! I wish I was a lesbian Damn! I wish I was so I could fall in love with you So I could fall in love with you Why don't, why don't I fall Why don't, why don't I fall Why don't I fall in love with you Why don't, why don't I fall Why don't, why don't I fall Why don't I just fall in love with you Why don't, why don't I fall Why don't, why don't I fall Why don't I just fall in love with you If I don't write this song, someone I love will die I check my bed for bugs and spiders Though I don't really believe they're there I check my head, it's getting tighter I want to stop, but I don't dare I will not sleep until I've counted to two hundred three times I will not sleep until my pencils lie in a straight line Goodnight, goodbye It's late, and I'm too tired to cry Goodnight, goodbye Just let me close my weary eyes I pray to god twice in the evenings And check the stove four times each day I spin around the door to make sure that it's locked And wear these lucky socks until they fade away The house might burn down And it's all my fault if that puddle doesn't get me wet If I get home before the rain you're mine, but I won't bet Goodnight, goodbye It's late, and I'm too tired to cry Goodnight, goodbye Just let me close my weary eyes One day, I'll be stepping On cracks and close my eyes But I'm too tired to argue with myself I'll just do this one more time Goodnight, goodbye It's late, and I'm too tired to cry Goodnight, goodbye Just let me close my weary eyes I thought you said summer is going to take the pain away Finally, the sky is blue Last night, my friends dragged me to some lake We drove there real late, we went too fast Sipping cheap sangria in the backseat Everybody are laughing and we are listening to our favourite songs But I thought you said Summer is going to take the pain away January brought a headache In February, it got even worse And when you thought it couldn't get more awful Say hello to march April brought me to a funeral Gained another ten pounds in may But I thought you said Summer is going to take the pain away Have you ever had the feeling that No one really knows what you're all about And when you try to show them They all have things to do tonight Tonight Up on a roof, looking over the city All by myself thinking There is nowhere I would rather be than here, so why am I not Like the others, and why are you not here with me doing crossword puzzles Saying, it's going to be okay Summer's going to take the pain away When I'm gone, I promise It's gonna be okay Summer is going to take the pain away Have you ever had the feeling that No one really knows what you're all about And when you try to show them They all have things to do tonight Tonight Finally, the sky is blue Last night, my friends dragged me to some lake I don't sleep well And suddenly, I don't feel fat anymore I don't count my blackheads as a hobby I don't count the marks on the wall And I don't sleep well at all There is someone else right beside me He kept every secret I told He giggled his way straight through fall And I don't sleep well at all He knows when I'm happy and nods when I'm sad And he puts out when I come home drunk And suddenly I stand real tall But I don't sleep well at all I have seen too many movies I have read too many books I'm the kind that sees sun and brings an umbrella I have been to fortune tellers He knows when I'm happy and nods when I'm sad And he puts out when I come home drunk And suddenly I stand real tall But I don't sleep well at all And I know love will leave you all crooked And I know he'll start sleeping around Or start listening to symphony rock Or throw out the key and change the lock But I don't sleep well at all Long lost penpal Hello, do you remember me I am your long lost pen pal It must have been ten years ago we last wrote I don't really know what happened I guess life came in the way Let me know if you're still alive Let me know if you ever used that knife or not Hello, yes I remember you I've got a husband and two children now I work as an accountant and make fairly good money I still have your letters You used a pink pen to write them And you would comfort me When my tears would stain the ink And I would send you mix tapes with Kate Bush on I have to admit I sometimes lied in those letters Tried to make life better than it was I still wasn't kissed at sixteen And I still need a friend There was this letter I never told you this back then But it would be fair to say it saved my life I sat in the window The only one left out from a party again Pretty sure I didn't have a single friend Then I checked the mailbox Dear long lost penpal I was lying the whole time I'm really a forty six years old man named Luke I have three children And a wife, she doesn't care And I hope you don't resent me And I hope you do not hate me For trying to find my way back to what it's like to be young I have to admit I sometimes lied in those letters Tried to make life better than it was I still wasn't kissed at sixteen And I still need a friend
Saturday nights Somebody ordered too many drinks last night Somebody reckoned dancing on the bar's all right Somebody woke up next to someone else, thinking Some people thought about killing off themselves Oh, Lord! Forgive me them Saturday nights They'll make you do things you'll regret for the rest of your life And Lord! Forbid them glimmering Saturday lights And tell me I am not me on Saturday nights Who was that girl who shouted “this one's on me!” Who was that girl who dropped her drink on a celebrity Who was that girl who fell asleep under a tree, singing Who was that girl, I know for sure it wasn't me Oh, Lord! Forgive me them Saturday nights They'll make you do things you'll regret for the rest of your life And Lord! Forbid them glimmering Saturday lights And tell me I am not me on Saturday nights On Saturday nights, on Saturday nights, on Saturday nights Somebody promised she would stay in the next week Somebody dropped out of the house just to take a peak and Somebody reckoned well just one drink that'll do Somebody's evil twin said, well, let's make it two Oh, Lord! Forgive me them Saturday nights They'll make you do things you'll regret for the rest of your life And Lord! Forbid them glimmering Saturday lights And tell me I am not me on Saturday nights San Francisco Winter's been real long this year I know, cause I've been there Summer never seemed to come along And when it did, it felt all wrong You've been sitting on the sidewalks wondering what went wrong with your life You've been walking to your bedside table and in the top drawer was a knife Time to take your sweetheart by the hand and lead him to the promised land The only place in North America not destroyed by the government San Francisco! You're going San Francisco! We're going Don't you know you'll never ever want to turn back I have news for you my friend I'm sticking by you until the end Doctor's ordering you the same prescription, see, that worked wonders for me I sat by myself in bars, I was driven home in state-owned cars I was filled with so much hate until I saw the golden gate Until my sweetheart took me by the hand and led me to the promised land The only place in North America not yet destroyed by the government San Francisco! You're going San Francisco! We're going Don't you know you'll never ever want to turn back San Francisco! You're going San Francisco! We're going Don't you know you'll never ever want to turn back... And it's time to pack your bags and call in sick and bring the toothbrush Withdraw from that savings account what's savings for, time doesn't wait and Hold the door, I'm coming, all that jazz Like I'm released from Alcatraz San Francisco! You're going San Francisco! We're going Don't you know you'll never ever want to turn back You'll never ever want to turn back You'll never ever want to turn back You'll never ever want to turn back Get sick soon Oh, I love you! I wish you got the flu So I could take care of you Like you take care of me I'm such a Florence A real Florence nightingale I'll fluff your pillows I'll buy you a Spiderman comic And read you 'til you fall asleep Sleep on my shoulder I won't wake you even If my back turns crooked And I have to walk with a limp for a week I'll make you soup And none of that kind that you get in a jar C'ause I know you don't like those Oh, I love you! I wish you got the flu You're the cutest thing I've ever seen Like a teddy bear on heroin Come, I'll tuck you in tight And I'll sing for you all night All night, all night You can hold the remote I won't try to steal it And the best cushion is yours And you can have your feet on me Even though I'm scared of feet And even though I had a hard day at work Oh, I love you I wish you got the flu You can lay your weight on me And I'll be your backbone You won't have to worry 'Cause I'll be your backbone Lay your weight on me Lay your weight on me You won't have to worry 'Cause I'll be your backbone Lay your weight on me Lay your weight on me You won't have to worry 'Cause I'll be your backbone Lay your weight on me Lay your weight on me I can't believe it's not love Can I sleep on your shoulder Whisper words in my ear Can we go out together Can we make out and pretend it's all there 'Cause you know, I've been waiting for Something that hasn't come through But it might come along soon And until that, you will do I can't believe it's not love It's not love, it's not love, it's not love I'll take you to the movies Yell at you when you're late You can sigh when I shower for too long Hold up the bathroom so that you have to wait Invite people over for dinner Make up names for kids we could have had And when we get drunk, we can get it together Go home too early, everyone will say we're sad I can't believe it's not love It's not love, it's not love, it's not love It's not love Have white wine parties in the sun And talk about what it's gonna be like to find someone I can't believe it's not true And I can't believe you didn't know this, too I can't believe it's not love It's not love, it's not love, it's not love Loneliness is better when you're not alone What would you say if I asked of you Out of loneliness, out of loneliness What would you say if I asked of you Out of loneliness, out of loneliness Could I be with you Can I be with you It's warm inside the night club Your face is lit up by a disco light I don't wanna go home alone, not tonight I have a picture of a man Who used to sit in that chair I will go anywhere Just as long as I'm with someone You'll do, just take me home for tea If I told you my stories and sang you my songs Would you laugh at me Would you pity me What would you say if I asked of you Not out of accident, out of loneliness Would you shelter me Will you shelter me I will be gone when you wake up No embarrassing breakfasts, I swear And don't you look for me Because I could be anywhere In someone else's house In someone else's arms With someone else to warm the pain away What can I ask of you What would you want from me What would you say if I just fell asleep Highschool stalker I've been looking for you, baby Anywhere that I can find And I was searching for your sweet name 'Cause you never leave my mind I've been on the AltaVista I went twice on the Yahoo And everywhere I go There is always a clue Always something about you That may help me get my hands on you Like it's your birthday tomorrow But you're not getting anything you know It's your birthday tomorrow But I'm not supposed to know Not supposed to know But I'm not supposed to know Hacked into the school computer Changed all of your d's to a's Broke into the dentist's office Know you never needed braces Know you moved from another small town Know you're never going away 'Cause soon, you'll fall in love The fortune teller said And I know who will be the one to make your bed And it's your birthday tomorrow But you're not getting anything you know It's your birthday tomorrow But I'm not supposed to know Not supposed to know But I'm not supposed to know I've been talking to your best friend I checked out your high school yearbook And I was driving round your mum's house She makes great coffee, you know I spoke to your former girlfriend So now, I know what I've got to expect And yesterday, you passed me by I swear, you nearly said Hi I could have died I swear to God I started crying And it's your birthday tomorrow But you're not getting anything you know And it's your birthday tomorrow But I'm not supposed to know Not supposed to know But I'm not supposed to know
More Modern Short Stories From Hello Saferide
I Wonder Who Is Like This One People are like songs, it's true Some seem dull at first but then they grow on you Me, I'm like can't get you out of my head Annoying at times but I make you wanna dance And you are the only one I've met who's God only knows I liked you the first time I met you, and it grows and grows and grows People are like songs, I swear Some found you as a child and still they're always there A boy that i knew was anarchy in the UK Burned out too quickly but in such a beautiful way And you are the only one I've met who's God only knows Such a well thought out-plan but with harmonies that flow People are like songs, I've been told Some claim your ears but never hear a story unfold Old radio gaga or your high school friends Remind you of things when you were someone else And God only knows and you paired up as two As the turns of the seasons, you come and go I can never claim control of either of you, You're too sweet to be just mine alone And I try to stay humble over the fact That sometimes, when the time is right You will pass my door, the crescendo comes and God only knows and you have the sad similarity That every time it's over, I want to press play again But the only difference appears to be I can force it on one of you, and on the other I can't
2008 There is a war in all the heads and there's a war in mine as well And if I could explain it any better, I'm sure I would We're in a bus and it's night, you opened up and so will I But though I'm good with words, I've never been good with words But all I know is there's something new this year All I know is there's something new real near There is a town that I live in and it's a town that favors winners And when I win I think about when I'll next lose I took a train that took me north And it's the place where trees speak louder than the people But if I have to pick that's what I'll choose I walked along the river Ume, it chilled me out of my bones too But a cold wind is always better than a cold voice I am not strong enough for win city, I'll stay in to play Sin Witty people without hearts have always had a lead on me But all I know is there's something new this year All I know is there's something new real near All I know is there's something new this year I don't know much, but there's something new coming near I'll walk into the shop where you work, it is a shop that kills you slowly There'll be no blood but another shirt on a hanger will still behead you I'll lift your arm and you'll lift mine, and in a Communist state of mind We're not worth more than anyone else but surely not worth less And all I know is there's something new this year All I know is there's something new real near All I know is there's something new this year I don't know much, but there's something new coming near All I know is there's something new this year All I know is there's something new real near All I know is there's something new this year All I know is there's something new real near
Overall Overall, I think we did a good job We did the best we could I think we did the best we could Overall, we couldn't have done much else I think we pulled it off I always thought we pulled it off I always thought we pulled if off Days and nights We were a shoulder to cry on Weren't we, weren't we Smiling eyes that screamed “Confide in me!” That was you and me Weren't we, weren't we It couldn't be our fault we never said anything political Sure you worked late some nights I always thought you could have breast-fed him longer than you did but we let him in Not enough but I let him in Overall, I think we did a good job We did the best we could I think we did the best we could Overall, we couldn't have done much else I think we pulled it off I always thought we pulled it off I always thought we pulled if off I've got my calendar here he was sick back in Ninety-Two Maybe it was the week when they had history on World War II You never should have got him that video game for Christmas They shoot people in that game, pixeled people without names Overall, we've always done as they say we should have Haven't we, haven't we We always smiled, we hid all issues away Didn't we, didn't we You know the new receptionist at work, she's a Jew She could visit, he could see she could be me or you And bring the gay guy downstairs, he doesn't look gay at all We broke something without knowing, but we did a good job overall Didn't we, didn't we, didn't we We always smiled, we hid all troubles away Didn't we, didn't we What will the neighbours say Maybe that shaved hair will grown back Or grandma will have a heart attack
Lund Two brothers from the south of Sweden came to stay with me One of them would have gotten my virginity But he didn't know that back then, did he! He didn't know that back then. He went a bit rough on my poetry, Said: there's no chance in hell this will ever grow to be anything. He said: I mostly like Dylan myself I said: Shocking! Well Then he said something else, I didn't understand ‘Cause he came from the south of Sweden He spoke just like a Dane You should have seen these brothers Freckles all over their pale bodies. And when they spoke They made you feel like summer just broke through though it was fall They made it obvious I was too young, not interesting at all I always wanted to go to their hometown and knock on their door And say something interesting and revolting that they'd never heard before To make them change their minds, after all this time Look! There was some cool in me, you know They probably still won't think so And I'm in Lund again, and nothing's fixed that ever was broken And I'm in Lund again, and I still don't get things right And I'm in Lund again, and maybe they have grown up And maybe they are here ‘Cause there's a glow of spring in the hall tonight There's a glow of spring in the hall tonight There's a glow of spring in the hall tonight There's a glow of spring in the hall tonight X Telling Me About the Loss of Something Dear, at Age 16 I looked up at the ceiling the entire time Well it didn't last for long Like fifteen minutes or so. They had said it would hurt, but it didn't His face all grumped up, veins were showing on his forehead Closed my eyes and thought of dancers, Closed my eyes and thought of dancers I thought of what my friends would say I thought of how my life would change I just laid real still there on the bed. Afterwards I said, like I hear you're supposed to: “Was it good for you as well” He was proud, said: “Ok we can do it again But maybe this time, you can do it better than this You can do it better than this.” I faked to come, because I hear you're supposed to There was obviously something wrong with me and I didn't want him to know I was afraid he'd have a heart attack and die I went to work at the shoe store and waved him goodbye I felt sad, but I didn't know why Do you want those in red, I said 250 with laces, I said Years later, I can still vision that forehead
Middleclass You and me, let's steal a car Let's rob a bank, let's travel far Let's wear these shirts My grandpa used to wear And then I'll be happy, I swear I'll point the gun You'll keep the engine running I'll be running to you You'll be saying Darling our haircuts aside We are just like Bonnie and Clyde I'll probably feel bad for not taking the train But you'll say it's in the country and it's raining We'll kick open a cabin in the forest I'll be scared like I am You'll put a flashlight under your And say you're Son of Sam And I'll slowly pull you out of your Fred Segal And high on the fact that we're illegal We'll make sweet loving sweeter, like we do I'll say baby you're a criminal, and you'll say so are you You and me, let's steal a car But first, before we go that far What's your name, don't look so scared Don't tell me you weren't thinking exactly the same
Parenting Never Ends Mother, give me back my old room I won't make a mess like I used to I won't play my records Loud at nights I'll keep it quiet Mother, let me have my old bed back And lay out clothes for me People give me work and money They depend on me now If they only knew how thin the ice they walk on is If they only knew how thin the ice they walk on is Mother, please make my decisions Like you once did this time I won't pester you about it I'll surrender Mother, these streets Are too cold for me I'm standing by your door A plant under each arm Let me move back in Father, the last time you offered to teach me All about the Baltic Sea, it was wasted on me Now I'm ready, throw me once again The footballs you tried to throw And this time I will catch and know Mother, if that's not enough Bring me all the way back to my original address To your womb I have trouble sleeping But I don't recall I had while in your womb I have trouble sleeping But I don't recall I had while in your womb I have trouble sleeping But I don't recall I had while in your womb I have trouble sleeping But I don't recall I had while in your womb
Anna You know we could have had a daughter And we could have named her Anna And she would have been a sweetheart But with punk rock manners She could have supported us when we retire Bought us a cottage near the countryside You could have taught her to play hockey I could have taught her the guitar And her granddad could have shown her the way to the bar She could have supported us when we retire Bought us a cottage near the countryside We would have made the neighbours jealous We could have barbecues at nights With our collected brain resources She would have an IQ of a hundred and fifty five She could have supported us when we retire Bought us a cottage near the countryside She would have won the Nobel Prize And thanked her mama for all the good advice And we could have gone swimming near that cottage by the lake And she'd never have to know what it's like when your heart breaks When your heart breaks When your heart breaks When your heart breaks When your heart breaks She could have supported us when we retire Bought us a cottage near the countryside She could have supported us when we retire Bought us a cottage near the countryside She would have married a Kennedy She would have found the cure for HIV Well I'm real sorry Anna, you never got to be 'Cause your daddy moved on and left me She could have supported us when we retire Bought us a cottage near the countryside
25 Days Twenty five, twenty five days That's too much, that's too much Twenty five, twenty five days That's too much, that's too much Twenty five, until I get to see you Twenty five, until I get to know If what we just started will have conquered backpacker girls With newly braided hair and Mano Chao records It will soon be twenty four You're so worth waiting for Twenty four, twenty four days Still too much, much too much. Twenty four, twenty four days Half an hour done just writing this song Twenty four, I can hear mouths moving Twenty four, and I nod at what might be the right time to nod You and I hadn't even met twenty four days ago I must have been so low And I didn't even know Twenty three, Twenty two, twenty one, twenty Nineteen, eighteen, seventeen, sixteen Fifteen, fourteen, thirteen, twelve, ten Because I slept for so long those days Nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one One, one, one, one, one… I get a text from you Saying you're off to Havanna airport as we speak. I start brushing my teeth Ten minutes later “Sorry I mixed up the dates” You stupid fuck, you stupid fuck You stupid fuck, you need to come back I'm at Arlanda airport with a famous flower in my hand waiting for you I see the doors opening, I see the passengers pouring out fresh like gingerbread cookies and wearing What appears to be new, funky hats, I see from a distance It's someone I know well You're approaching, I can see it, I take a step forward
Sancho Panza Sancho Panza, this is me I'm your Sancho Panza I get along, I know my ground With me around There's room for you to be amazing I'm the one they don't remember Were you in our school, they say I get asked about my name again Panza, Panza, Panza Around the boulevards we walk The sun is always on your face And I am always in your shade And I am always the funny one How I hate being the funny one I never chose to be her It strikes me as unfair And people at our feet to be with us Such a small comfort I'm so used to this it turned me creative
Travelling With HS I'm not stupid, I understand That it would be convenient If I was better at conversation I've learned to master the skill throughout the years Small talking, but after an hour or so I mentally die, I mentally die And I try, I try, I try, I try But I can't help but loving more When being on my own and watching everyday lives And I try, I try, I wish I wanted to go see local churches with you Or to go clubbing where the young ones do But all I really want to is watch the everyday lives My friend, nothing is ever the matter with you I'm glad to see it, but I don't believe it You won't have to worry, I'll soon have figured you out I won't tell you when I have, but I'll find your weak spot Your weakest spot, oh I'll find it And here is mine, I try to pretend That I like to be part of it all And that I enjoy going out with you And you and you and you And I try, I try, I try, I try But I can't help but dreaming of Sitting by myself and watching everyday lives And I try, I try But I just want to spend more time with my mind It always surprises me every time And none of you ever do It doesn't mean that I don't love you It doesn't mean that I don't love you It doesn't mean that I don't And I try, I try, I try, I try But I can't help but loving more When being on my own and watching everyday lives And I try, I try But I just want to spend more time with myself I always surprises me every time And none of you ever do It doesn't mean that I don't love you
Arjeplog The obstacles we build for ourselves, my love Creating decisions to make, my love When really, it could be this easy You and me, and house, and food Your roots are stuck in the dirt of this land My questions all answered in the firmness of your hand I buried some hatred in the snow on the porch And when it comes undone, I will understand And the wind in the trees are like Sch-uuung, sch-uuung And the trains that pass by are like Sch-du-dung, sch-du-dung And you and me are like Let's go out for a walk And our feet in the snow are like Tsch-ooo, tsch-ooo And the choir in my chest is like Ooooh, ooooh And the Stockholm insecurity is like I don't exist Night dawns on us now, my love We finally found a way to lie, my love Without an arm getting numb In the middle of us, my love Don't you get scared of those people now Who look you in the eye and smile at you now Yes, they condemn you, but they won't tell And that's how it goes, my love And the wind in the trees are like Sch-ooo, sch-ooo And the trains that pass by are like Sch-du-dung, sch-du-dung And you and me are like Take your coat on, let's go out for a walk And the tears in our eyes when we ski fast in the forest But the choir in my chest is always stuck on the chorus And I know it's in me to get away from all of this Though I like this the best, I always liked this the best The obstacles we build for ourselves, my love The time we spend making decisions, my love There's a longing in me for things that yet haven't occurred So I'll return to you, city, again and again
The Fox, The Hunter and Hello Saferide
I Forgot About Songs To hear a song like that To have it spoon your sad little heart It didn't give me a better outlook on life but it told me "I've been there too, and I turned it to art" And that made all the difference to me That made all the difference to me And I forgot about songs I forgot about what they are to me I forgot how they hold me How they sooth me and carry me I'm always on the run and I hate copy paste for god's sake I forgot about violins I forgot how they see me Try me and taunt me And how they finally breathe me I forgot about chord changes Where the base tone stays intact I forgot about drums and Voices with a tendency to crack When they make all the difference to me They make all the difference to me There was this September When all broke through Turned out all my truths had worn thin I dangled by a thread from within But I heard a violin "I'll hold you my child" The song said, and it did It stroke my forehead with pale hands And slowly carried me to the bridge And as the chorus arrived I let go You're so young You're so young and you come up to me And you tell me it helped you through something bad You say and you hang your head But this song it helped you through I get home and I kick my books Fuck you knowledge I was never on your team Never one of your fighters I was born a romantic for a reason Not to be loved To be a songwriter Dad Told Me There is sadness in the family, Dad told me Let's not speak of it, it only brings us down And there's sadness in the DNA, I've known it I've felt it in the pavements of this town I've lived my life With a backpack that was never mine to carry Heard its constant whine Saw its body that was never mine to bury There's trouble in the genes, Dad told me Don't ask again, best we don't bring it up Dad, it seems you can't clear away the smoke of fires you can't find I've lived my life with a longing that I can't identify I've been kept from, held from knowing Daddy, that's why it keeps on growing I'm always on the run and I hate copy paste for god's sake But I found the dead animal the smell stems from I found the story from which the shadow was cast I searched and searched and now that I found it I wanna give it back I searched and searched and now that I found it I wanna give it back There's trouble in the family, I tell you I know and now that I do Kid, I'm passing it on to you But let's not speak of it, son It only brings us down But let's not speak of it, son It only brings us down I Was Jesus It was the second day of spring And sunbeams made love to windows in all the houses And I was Jesus And I decided to come down to earth in the shape of a woman this time And I was Jesus And I went into the sea And I took two fishes And I turned them into millions And I took five loaves of bread And fed a country with them And I said: "Do you believe me now" "Sorry", they said "We focused on your wet white cloth as you bent over to pick up the fishes" I'm always on the run and I hate copy paste for god's sake And I was bitter for a while But then I decided to go at it again And I was Gandhi And I came back to earth In the shape of a woman this time And the river Ganges It cleared my vision and I Well, I guess I was a woman again And I started my quiet, friendly revolution And they said: "Oh, a quiet, friendly woman, super rare" And I tried to convince them it's not a personality It's a choice and a belief And: "Would you give me credit for it and can you please follow me" And they said: "Speak louder, we can't hear you when we're screaming You look nice now that you don't eat" And I was Martin Luther King And I came back to earth In the shape of a woman this time And I was both black and a woman I had two fights to fight so I was burned out And well, that was it And I was Jesus And I went up to heaven Easter Sunday And I said "I'm never going back to earth" And the Mother said: "Oh Jesus up til now, you've been paying for Adam's sins Soon is when the fun begins" Oh and then, she gave me a date for when this would occur Parts Of Nature I stared at a walnut for hours, had time off from work I was so glad it resembled a brain "I must be a part of something", I said to myself If pieces of nature looks the same I climbed a mountain, just to be sure it was a mountain I stood at the top and I said: "Man, this surely is a mountain" I felt a slight comfort as I climbed down That nature was constant when you fail to be around I'm always on the run and I hate copy paste for god's sake Volcanos, the water I'm boiling, keep on erupting There is a storm coming in tonight They're tying their shoes now they're raising their fists Now they're smacking their lips and they're starting a fight There's a mathematical model that emulates How birds fly in flocks, I've heard There must be a reason I must be a part of If you can calculate a bird But I grew up next to a sea I know all about the surface laying still When something's building up from underneath I'm lying still, I'm lying still, always will I'm lying still, I'm lying still, always will I'm lying still, I'm lying still, always will I'm lying still, I'm lying still, always will I'm lying still, I'm lying still, always will There's a mathematical model that emulates There must be a reason I must be a part of There's a mathematical model that emulates How birds fly in flocks, I've heard There must be a reason I must be a part of If you can calculate a bird Berlin Do you miss the sea, though you've never been there I imagine you would you never went anywhere Still everyone came to you, if you could meet the sea Would you like to, would you like to I'm always on the run and I hate copy paste for god's sake Do you miss the sea, though you've never been there I imagine you would you never went anywhere Still everyone came to you, if you could meet the sea Would you like to, would you like to Berlin Do you remember when my lover and I We walked along your river on a cold summer's night As the sun laid to rest The drunks came rolling in And I heard laughter from across the street And laughter from within My heart jumped every step we took My lover wore all white Berlin, you wore your greenest dress And we stayed up all night I whispered to my lover then "Oh, how blessed we are to walk here" And I forgot all sorrows And he forgot to talk Oh no, I was never there Oh no, I was never there Oh no, I was never there Oh no, I was never, never, never But that was many years ago Berlin, I went too far I hear you're growing colder Well, many of us are Some of us bury our roots deep We like our seasons to be four We don't do well with carefree sunshine And we are not young anymore Do you recall the greatest lie you told You made me feel like I could be Just anything, just everything Like you could see things hidden in me Oh no, I was never there Oh no, I was never there Oh no, I was never there Oh no, I was never, never, never They say that rain is coming in again I got us tickets to an early flight I'll show you how to swim Raspberry Lips "Big bang sure knew its way around estetics" You say as we lay down in the grass Sun moves closely over the city Downing on us way too fast While we argue about your comment I'll always know we are on the same mission You are You're a Darwinist while I I am religious but lacking a religion You would build You'd build science a church Form a gospel choir with mathematicians I'm always on the run and I hate copy paste for god's sake Anyhow, we are humble tonight You are a sight and I'm begging I might Get to kiss your raspberry lips Humble that all is calm That the breeze in the air still is warm That my hand is on your arm Let's not speak of sorrows waiting Let's not speak of tomorrow or next year I have weights of mine to carry But just for tonight, they have somehow disappeared Anyhow, we are humble tonight You are a sight and I beg that I might Get to kiss your raspberry lips Humble that all is calm That the breeze in the air still is warm That my hand is on your arm Sing for me, all the voices of this town Sing for me, sing a chorus of your own Far beneath the ground we walk on There's a darkness There's a darkness There's a darkness And it's dying to get out If we're happy It will find us Search with torches Until it finds us So I'll close my eyes I won't think about raspberry lips The Crawler Andrea and me, we went swimming last Monday Swimming last Monday in a community pool I refused to remove my suit in the shower Scared that someone might see the scars on my soul That this autumn left on me A community swimming pool, it's like a society Twenty people swimming in a line Making room for everyone We work hard to get along I'm always on the run and I hate copy paste for god's sake Then he comes along, the crawler He doesn't see anyone else, the crawler He jumps in the middle lane and waves his crawling arms Visibly damaging the swimming quality for everyone else The crawler believes because he knows crawling He gets to crawl over everyone else "People who breaststroke and can't keep up They should start crawling themselves" So says the crawler Andrea and me, we swam after each other After each other in the community pool I'm not good at talking while exercising If you say something funny, Andrea, I'll drown My arms in the water get number and number For every second here I grow stronger We're in a line, twenty people, we try to get along I love how we get along But the crawler keeps crawling, forcing the water Building forts of waves that hit our faces Us twenty, we gather around the crawler We push his face under water And we wait We wait for the waves to slow down We wait for the waves to slow down We wait for the waves to slow down We wait for the waves to slow down We wait for the waves to slow down And we wait for the waves to slow down Hey Ho I knew it first thing I met you There's something special in us Our lives will be different We will stay young forever We'll know when we get there And we looked for entrance doors But somehow we never And there was no And when the streets wake up at nights, we'll go there Singing "Hey, Ho" Hey hey ho, to the plans that slip away before we have them Catching soup with forks without lamplight And everyone else seemed to end up places While we just sang "Hey, ho" Hey hey ho, to the sailors that never passes by To take us along to Brazilian sea ports I'm always on the run and I hate copy paste for god's sake But there is something about him Like he has never seen the world Something so pure and decent I have to destroy it Or tap it on bottles And drink it all night And put a ring on it To keep it forever And in a suddent flash of light I'll stand there Singing "Hey, ho" Hey hey ho, to the hope I carry with me in my hands Fragile as newly-born birds or as egg shell I have something, I know I do I just need someone else to see it too To pinpoint it and let me know What to do You, my friend, you are no help You have just as little clue as I ever had We ask each other for directions It's as entertaining as it is sad No, I didn't ask much of him Only that he'd be all I need That he'd fill the void in me Make me stay young forever And now we roam the streets like tourists There is panic in our eyes We pick up every paving stone Look underneath them for anything Your head is nowhere safe tonight I have no idea what to say tonight We'll take off our boots and run out Curse and scream at the moon tonight In a dream I'm on my death bed Being asked what it's all about And in my dream I know it Roaming the streets with your best friends singing "Hey, ho" But when I woke up I forgot it Last Night Bus I was fifteen, had the shape of a capital L I still read books about ponies This girl I got to know said she was throwing a party A party where boys would occur Something this cool was unheard of In my life this far There were four boys at the party They weren't special or anything Apart from the fact they were boys They were real nice to me They put on some neo Nazi music Said it's pretty good, this neo Nazi music And I hummed along Tapped my foot along To the neo Nazi music I'm always on the run and I hate copy paste for god's sake Now, at fifteen, some people are grown up Have minds of their own But me, I was a child I was a piece of clay those days I could have been molded by anyone I was a good kid Just that I could have been molded by anyone The neo Nazi boys, they were nice to me They smiled at me and they noticed me But the best thing that ever happened to me Is that none of these boys hit on me I could have demonstrated Played the bass guitar in a neo Nazi band Would have been the same in some ways And someone else in other ways It's my scariest sliding doors memory I want it sliced in a shredder thrown out of me The last night bus was departing So I had to leave I see you on the subway You're thirty and you're into hate Now, at thirty, some people are grown up Have minds of their own And I get a letter from you man You're fifty and you're into hate Now, at fifty, some people are grown up Have minds of their own But, you got the wrong attention At exactly the right time You got the wrong attention I'm not gonna hate at you because you hate women I'm not gonna hate at you because you hate colour I'm gonna wish so hard for someone to give you The right attention, the right love To turn this around That someone's gonna be your last night bus This night out on the town That someone's gonna be your last night bus This night out on the town Rocky They spoke to you in terms of "don't" They used five words or less They never asked you how you felt Where we come form, we drink or we suppress When you cried at two, they smiled at you Said "Measure up now, little one" And in school, you bit your lip When you were hit behind the buildings Kids tried real hard to make you cave but you didn't You hit back It was your reputation's birthday When they yelled Rocky at you Because of the punches you threw Rocky, Rocky They wanted to be like you There was discomfort When emotion started sipping out at inappropriate times It felt safer to keep it locked up inside Felt safer to sleep with teeth grinding at nights I'm always on the run and I hate copy paste for god's sake Grinding your teeth, la la la la la la la Grinding, la la la la la la le Grinding, you were just like me And now it's happened, something bad Made something grow inside of you like a volcano And it was too big to control You tried to run away but it ran after you You're scared as shit as you're letting go But as you do I love, I love, I love I love you more Rocky, you're a human now Society tried to smother you But never could Caged up men everywhere Led to believe that weakness is not a strength You must lead them now, you must lead them I loved you before But now when you lay your head on my lap And you say it's too much I love you more I loved you before but now When you're arming up to fight your own head I love you more I loved you before but now When you're speaking like you're not sure I love you more I loved you before I love you Rocky I love you more When you put down your gloves Let us share the pants You can carry my load And I'll carry yours I love you more When you're speaking like you're not sure I love you more I loved you before but now When you're arming up to fight your own head I love you more I loved you before I love you Rocky I love you more When you put down your gloves Let us share the pants You can carry my load And I'll carry yours I love you more When you're speaking like you're not sure I love you more I loved you before I love you Rocky I loved you before I love you Rocky I loved you before I love you Rocky This Body This body That's only done me wrong That always proved weak when I needed it strong That lays down to rest When I need to run That refuses to go just on This body whose neck and shoulders are steady as thread This body That's only let me down Whose head was always turned up to ten That wasn't chosen To be on anyone's team Was picked last and never fought hard enough It finally spoke out Said "We need to see what this is about" Oh, body How I have wished of you That would look different than you do I'm always on the run and I hate copy paste for god's sake I'm sorry I feel apologetic You had better things to do You had an agenda And I never saw that You're growing a kid now, it's sprouting like hell now I'm suddenly dirt It's like finding a hidden door In the house you always lived in With a secret room, and it holds diamonds and pearls You're a rock and you're the sea You're the fox and you're the hunter You're not less and you're not more than anything You're your mother and your father You're their mothers and their fathers Let your shoulders down, you're not going to war
CORRESPONDENCE Who Really Needs Who Jens Lekman: January 1st, 2018 I'm writing you now, Annika Norlin From the remnants of a New Year's Eve The fog that slithers through the streets I am trying to remember how you made friends when you were young What were those friendships based on And what made them so strong Francisco was my first friend He lived round the bend in my neighborhood He came up one day and asked, "Are you a turd?" I said I was not, he said, "Then you're good" He had post-traumatic memories I didn't have any friends We based our friendship on our non-turdness At the time, it just made sense Remember the first time that we met That fall in New York that I want to forget You asked if someone had a show for your band I surprised myself when I reached out a hand I was feeling so alone back then Vulnerable and heartbroken Despite that people used to call my name As I stepped off the Q train As I stepped off the Q train I joined a program where you meet refugees To feel a bit better bout myself honestly I met Nazir, once a week And we ended up good friends eventually He said, "Thanks for taking the time to meet, it's really nice of you" And I wondered who should be thankful to who And who really needed who Who really needed who It's a miserable, sad and lonely life You're a slave to your fears and then you die But once in a while the skin becomes thin You stand there by the door saying, "Can I come in?" I just want someone to talk to Well, maybe not just anyone I've always liked what goes on in your brain So would you like to correspond Would you like to correspond Showering in Public Annika Norlin: It's early morning I'm packing my backpack Computer and headphones and swimwear but no towel I don't like showering at gyms, never thought of why Maybe it's cause I'm semi-known I don't want anyone listening to my albums While telling their mums what my ass looks like Showering in public Showering in public This is me recapping my life when it comes to showering in public Six years old, some guy at the pool kept his office Next to the girls' locker room, drinking his coffee While watching us shower, I don't know his story Someone said he was a pervert I'm like: well maybe he just liked coffee But the rumour alone gave us a sense that you Have to watch yourself While showering in public Showering in public You have to use your towel strategically Shower one body part at a time Two times a week we had gym class In grades four to nine, so that was two times a week That the boys could sneak into our locker rooms to try to catch us naked It became a tradition, I still remember their bored faces Like they thought we would get upset if they didn't show up To watch us shower in public Shower in public You couldn't shower and then you would get accused of being sweaty in public At seventeen In the locker room, one of the bathrooms was broken It had a sign that said BROKEN But some of the girls from the arts programme opened the door anyway Found a guy who'd drilled a hole through the wall To watch us all come in after gym and then Magically shower in public Shower in public They chased him down the hall The paper published the news with a fun caricature It's fun come to think of it I know no less erotic places than locker rooms Sweaty women drinking protein drinks with sweaters but no pants on Talking about kids and work and training Blowing noses and laughing and complaining Jens, I must go now, I'm heading home On the yard, a small amount of snow has laid to rest I hope you bought yourself a quilted jacket down in Gothenburg Jens, I wish you all the best Forever Young, Forever Beautiful Jens Lekman: In Milwaukee I met a mountaineer He told me how he'd taken an old lady from there To one of those famous mountaintops Where her husband once had perished and dropped Being a gymnast she was in very good shape But once in a while they had to stop for a break To warm their hands on a cup of java As he helped her put on her balaclava It'd been forty-two years he had heard But the man's body was quite well preserved From the permanent cold he was Forever young Forever beautiful Forever young Forever beautiful Forever young On the way down her cheeks were redder Redder than the reddest apple They set up their tent at basecamp Crawled into their sleeping bags and she lit a candle She said: You should've seen him in his summer clothes The short pants that gently exposed His calves that spoke of hidden treasures Golden ratios, unknown pleasures She told him how their bodies had together bloomed That first time they did it in her student room How she had got on top of him So she could see everything Reflect in the light of the moon Forever young Forever beautiful Forever young Forever beautiful Forever young Hibernation Annika Norlin: Remember I took on too much last Spring After a while, my nerves went to war for anything Overfeeling everything Sad looking sock and I'd be down for the whole weekend And I couldn't sleep at nights because my Rabbit heart kept me awake Du-du-du-dunk all night And all the news And the opinions And the strip lights So that was when I seriously started Considering hibernation Felt like the natural thing to do, just Going into sleep mode I just said I love you to my family Went over to the station Took a train and jumped right out in the woods Lied there until my summer fat wore off Halfway into the forest Met some kids there with a bright red spade Offered them a twenty for it Said I need to get myself some sort of cave And I said to the kids "Take that spade out and dig Dig-dig-dig-dig, I need a hole this big So it fits me arms out I need it for the coming six months See, lately I have seriously been Considering hibernation Feels like the natural thing to do, just Going into sleep mode I'm just gonna pack my bags, go over to the station Gonna take a train and jump right out in the woods Lie here until my summer fat wears off" I wouldn't have to worry about the world I'm a bear in hibernation I don't worry about the world I wouldn't have to worry about the world I'm a bear in hibernation I don't worry about the world I wouldn't have to worry about the world I'm a bear in hibernation I don't worry about the world I wouldn't have to worry about the world I'm a bear in hibernation I don't worry about the world Not Because It's Easy, But Because It's Hard Jens Lekman: Knock-knock, are you there Sorry to wake you, my fellow bear I'll slip this song under a rock somewhere So you can hear it when it's summer It hurts to hear you've been exhausted I've seen too many people round me haunted By the cruelest to-do lists Longer than the end credits of movies It shocked me to hear about Avicii Did you see that documentary I read Avicii means hell in buddhism And hell is what his dream had become That scene when he tried to cancel those shows Made me think back on some years ago So scared of letting anyone down I worked myself slowly into the ground Felt the cortisol pumping through my sleep When an ad flashed by in my Facebook feed A cheap DNA cloning kit Didn't know technology had made it there yet Connected it to a USB hub Dabbed saliva on a cotton bud Gave my passwords to all my email accounts And slowly a body rose from the ground With more clones of me we would have more time One could write the tune and the other the rhymes A third could focus on the business And a fourth would send greeting cards for Christmas But soon our focus fell apart I said, "Guys, if all of us do our part We could make it to the moon with our art Not because it's easy, but because it's hard" But because it's hard I heard the clones bragging About all the sleep they'd been missing They posted vids of them sipping On a smoothie while their eyes were twitching Coffee for lunch, email for dinner In those press photos we've never looked thinner Exhaustion only happens to a winner Wear it like a badge of honour It was not until clone number one Was hospitalized with palpitations That they asked themselves what we'd done And were horrified by what they had become And the slaves turned on their master Filmed me while they kicked my ass there And posted it with the caption "Smash the capitalist system" So I hope you slept well in your bears den I hope you're back on your feet again But if you should need the time to Take the next month off and I'll cover for you Joining A Cult Annika Norlin: Thanks for your letter Please, send a clone over I'll use him for garden work And harmonies Speaking of pretty new documentaries Have you seen the one about the Rajneespuram society Everyone seem to think They were lunatics But I sort of thought Hey I get this Inside this rational brain of mine I long to be contradicted I wait for a sign Doesn't matter what cult What sign Just give me any culty sign I'll tell you all the advantages Though I'm guessing maybe you are an atheist You'd get a reason And you'd get a goal You'd know how to dress And how to cleanse your soul I'd be up for that I'd be totally up for cleansing my soul Would I have to split from my family They wouldn't know what got into me I'd change my name into something cool Like Warlord Springgrass And the leader would use me as a songwriter tool I'd spread her message to the world Send in the choir Send in the choir Each day I'm waiting eagerly When I cross this corner Will there be a sign there just for me A special light or a person with a glow That says something new I didn't already know But there's never anything Just the same old cats and fences My leader would know what to do about everything About the wars and the climate and all the hurting She would say, "Sh! I know just what to do You just relax, and you stay low I'll punish the bad guys, set the good ones free Then we'll have a fiesta" Send in the choir Send in the choir Send in the choir Send in the choir Last month when you came to visit You played a set in the church in the city For Shirin you set your voice up high and you let go It made me cry, so when you answer in July Can you, please, do so in falsetto Revenge Of The Nerds Jens Lekman: Annika, I long for that too A parental figure to serve Someone who could recognize the pain in me And validate my hurt Who could point me in a direction And say walk this way and you'll be free That I'd have a home there among them In their little community I think back on a teenage friend who introduced me to Marilyn Manson In the darkest moments of high school It channeled our frustration He'd set up a poster of Britney She was the face of all that was wrong The hierarchy we'd never be part of and then he brought out his airgun At a concert I met a punk girl She just walked up and asked my name Asked if I played any instruments She had a band that could barely play The band was mostly an excuse To wear leather jackets and hang And go vandalize the swimsuit ads from H&M While I carried their spray cans The best song they ever wrote Was called "Can't Get Laid 'Cause We're Too Ugly" But they never blamed anyone for that Except Baywatch and Tutti Frutti I had kind of a crush on the punk girl But she had a crush on my friend And despite my heart being punctured I delivered the message to him But it only made him offended He slammed the door to his room Her interest became an insult And confirmed what he thought he knew And he was furious, so furious At all the Britney's that he couldn't get I distanced myself when I saw what He'd written on the internet I re-watched Revenge of the Nerds Do you remember the speech 'bout being different How I cried when I saw that at thirteen But do you remember the rape-scene, 'cause I didn't Or how generally creepy the nerds are The plot could be re-summarized this way: Some athletes try to stop some sex criminals From assaulting their partners, but fail I thought about this culture That gave me strength when I felt like a freak But also gave me an ulcer From an anger that I couldn't speak That I had somehow been robbed of a right To love and sex that I deserved A feeling that the game was rigged Between alpha males and beta nerds And then Isla Vista happened And the Toronto attack this spring And I read these incel threads They reminded me of something I checked my old friend on Facebook Scared of what I would see But he just posted pics of his family In his profile pic he looked happy He had a photo album called "good times" With a photo where we try to look evil In shirts that said, "How does it feel To be one of the beautiful people?" Failure Annika Norlin: Licking my lips I lean In for the first kiss He says I am mistaken Leaves me eyes closed, mouth open Big people fly in To see me rise to the occasion I know this is it But occasions make me sink like a stone They fly home Opening the paper I see my big idea Punctured like a balloon Deflating for the whole country to see Blood pumping through my veins As I fall Here's to the feeling of failure Ah the rush when you made a fool of yourself Ah the liberating fresh scent of failure You are finally free from yourself Reading your letter It made me remember When I was a teenager I had a band that no one knew of If I express my love for no one I won't be rejected If I play my songs to no one They won't be made fun of If I point out my own flaws Put them on a shirt Here's to the feeling of failure Ah the rush when you tried and you fell Ah the liberating fresh scent of failure It's a big fuck-off sign to yourself Free falling Free falling into thin air Who will be left when I come down What parts will be there Free falling Free falling into thin air If it fit didn't please them I must have done it to please me It must mean I am finally free In this song alone I worry: Am I too straight, am I Saying things that belong to Refrigerator magnets But oh no I am liberated now I will do no such thing As to hide what I'm saying Hear the strings play it Here's to the feeling of failure Ah the rush when you made a fool of yourself Ah the liberating fresh scent of failure It's a big fuck-off sign to yourself Cosmetics Store Jens Lekman: I went to a cosmetics store To buy some lotion Tried to describe my type of skin To the store clerk, a kind woman She led me over to a sink And held my hand in it And washed it so carefully For what felt like a minute And I felt a tear running down my cheek There in the store I hid it quick I didn't expect To react like that It's just that there's been a grief I've tried to carry with grace A heart that broke While I kept a straight face A hand that forgot What it's like to be held What it's like to be grazed Election Day Annika Norlin: I wake up early on Election Day I've already voted so I'm timewise OK Göteborg feels like my head Slow, gloomy and grey My train departs soon We meet up at the station You just came in from Bergen How are you, Jens Lekman I eye everyone, try to guess What they're voting for And this is what we speak of: That when you know someone likes you As a friend or a lover or a listener But you still don't know Why they like you, so you take a guess Based on their appearance But people are always so much more complicated Than you think, than you think that they are A woman comes up, she says she's a clairvoyant She says thanks for this Friday, I went to your concert I like you 'cause I can tell you were a warrior In a past life On the train I buy an apple It's so huge, it's astounding And I get so upset I'm by myself, can't show no one I fight an urge to show the girl sitting next to me But she looks like a model, probably doesn't want to see it It's amazingly large, this apple, and I gram it But it gets very few likes And outside the window, the trees flaunt their shit And the fields, and the flowers, and the lakes that are glittering Behind me, two people in suits Say climate change is fake news And I take my huge apple And I shove it down their throats I say that's not a topic you can argue about It is what it is, it's not up for debate Do you really think I would be stuck on this train Twelve hours today if it was optional That last part was I lie, I'm a pacifist But I enjoyed making that up, I have to admit Let's not forget I was a warrior In a past life The results are like life on Election Day news No one really won, and all are confused It's quiet, but it feels like a bomb with a really long fuse And I like you 'cause you talk about the same things that I do Telling stories and TV, and being on tour It makes me feel like an extrovert And that is nice for a change And I like me because I always crash I wallow and complain, and then I bounce back If a clairvoyant came up in a hundred years I think she would have said to me: In your past life, you were lame but at least you tried Now those fumes will choke you, so get inside Now it's time to sleep on Election Day On the Edge of Time Jens Lekman: October 27th, 2018 I'm writing you one last time Annika Norlin It was nice to see you that morning at the station I'm sure you were a warrior in a previous incarnation Me, I must've been a rabbit or an ostrich Or a pile of trembling leaves sown together with cross stitch My anxiety has been holding me hostage I've developed this problem with a really tough itch I went to the clinic to get a prescription Cried a little in front of the physician Ointments and sedatives and antibiotics Went home with a bag full of legal narcotics The best is the sedatives, they work well but softly I don't scratch myself in sleep, I pass out like a baby When I wake up I'm rested, I'm calm and happy The only bad thing is the strange dreams that haunt me I'm deep in the woods, in a village with tipi's The branches from old oak trees hang heavy A woman carrying a baby greets me Says she's glad that I came, she's been trying to reach me She shows me around, the villagers are happy They give me some wine and flowers to greet me Their society's based on a loose form of anarchy They've dealt with the climate, injustice and patriarchy 'Cause this is the future I can tell from their technology But they use it for good and they use it so sparsely They are not but slaves under their own machinery The cogwheels turn only when they think it's necessary And the woman grabs my arm and she looks me in the eye She's contacted me 'cause she's worried bout our time This future is only one of many lines That we can potentially walk down, you and I When I wake up I giggle 'cause it seems kinda cringey I think about their village, what a bunch of fucking hippies This must be because I read that book by Marge Piercy Where some people from the future make contact with Connie A woman in a mental institution in the seventies And show her their world that's one of many possibilities And instill in her the hope to fight for humanity I loved that book, but as a document of history 'Cause now it seems strange to hope for anything at all When every step forward seems infinitely small Save the polar caps from melting by recycling milkbottles While the CEO's are flying their pets to skilodges How vulnerable it is when someone says what they want (says what they want) Instead of just saying what they don't want (what they don't want) How easy it is to laugh at someone's utopia After decades of being spoonfed dystopia I rub my cortison ointment on my eczema I take my sedatives and crawl up to the heater Keep treating the outside, ignoring the inside Keep treating the symptoms, not the root of the problems And in my next dream the woman's back again This time she's shouting 'cause her signal is fading I wake up sweating, my skin is itching I put some ice on it and sit down in the kitchen And outside the leaves are slowly falling (slowly falling) Over pigeons, buildings, CEO's and children I'm gripped by a love for this world that we live in And I think about a quote from Ursula Le Guin: "We live in capitalism It's power seems inescapable So did the divine right of kings Any human power can be resisted And changed by human beings" There's a dying light in the distance that beckons As the clocks are rapidly running out of seconds This is where I get off, I reckon Take care of yourself, your friend Jens Lekman Silent Night Annika Norlin: There was a kid called Joseph He'd been dealt a bad hand Was born poor and a bastard But grew up to be a preacher Made a new friend called Franz Joe went over to Franz house Said, "See this poem I once wrote I feel like it's got something Can you, please, put some music To my words" Looking down at the paper And the title read Silent Night The first time they performed it It was Christmas Eve They sang it together Franz played the guitar I can see them before me And this big shot organ builder Fell in love with the song Brought it back to his hometown Where some folk singers heard it And they spread it around Slightly changed Each time it was sung, was Silent Night When I'm down I just think about it How they must have felt when they performed it If the choir cried when they sang it If anyone in the church that day said Well, I like the older stuff better They should do more upbeat tunes It could have been a day like any other day Where Joseph would be preaching and Franz would be playing Nine out of ten days are slightly disappointing But on the tenth, you see that light beckoning They had no idea that Silent Night would be Silent Night Sing it with me Let your voice carry from all those miles away If you sing loud enough, my microphone might record you It might record you Silent Night Holy Night Silent Night Holy Night Silent Night Holy Night Silent Night Holy Night In World War One, 1914 Because it was Christmas There was a short truce on the battle field Both sides laid down their weapons Sang carols in the night And the day after Like nothing had happened They continued the fight There was only one song Known to soldiers on both sides And for a second All was calm, and all was bright
Mentor
Darkest Shade Of Dark Hold on, hold on, hold on I've got nothing to lose I'm waiting for my time Hold on, hold on, hold on I've got nothing to lose I'm gonna be ready when it comes Dark has always been dark But this is the darkest shade of dark I've ever seen Got up at five waiting for dawn But there is an endless night in front of me The water below me seems tempting But say what you want, I am not the kind who jumps It might take me years, but I will see This isn't the last page, but the first in the book of me Hold on, hold on, hold on I've got nothing to lose I'm waiting for my time Hold on, hold on, hold on I've got nothing to lose I'm gonna be ready when it comes Oh a new day will dawn Bringing new ways Singing new songs When the tide comes Maybe the waves will Wash us up on shore I sing with a question mark I hope there's an answer, I hope there's a way I lost everything I believed in Just say there's an answer, just say there's a way Hold on, hold on, hold on You've got nothing to lose Just wait for your time Hold on, hold on, hold on You've got nothing to lose You're gonna be ready when it comes Hold on, hold on, hold on You've got nothing to lose Just wait for your time Hold on, hold on, hold on You've got nothing to lose You're gonna be ready when it comes Hold on, hold on, hold on You've got nothing to lose You're gonna be ready when it comes
Hydra You run around and I am stuck in you God, it's a nightmare Calling out, calling out, calling out in the middle, middle, middle of the night Waking you up I am still here I am still here, you know You couldn't smother me if you tried I show up, I show up, I show up in the middle, middle, middle of the night Waking you up Shouldn't we be living on Hydra Wearing white clothes, drinking white wine, sleeping around Warm bodies soaking in the sunlight Shouldn't we sing Russian folk songs through the night Roll the dice Don't go gentle into that good, good night Taste the question How good would you get if you lived a poet's life You're off to work and it is 8:05 God, I despise you Picking up, picking up, picking up kids and food at 4pm Like art ends in the afternoon Sense the moist on the tip of your tongue What if you weren't depending on anyone? I know sometimes when you are all alone You play with the idea of devoting your life to the song I am still here I am still here, you know You tried to kill me all these years I show up, I show up, I show up in the middle, middle, middle of the night Waking you up Shouldn't we be living on Hydra Finally getting the recognition we deserve Shouldn't somebody be serving us? Shouldn't we sing Russian folks songs through the night Shouldn't you drink young male bodies through the night How good would you get if you lived a poet's life
The Woods In the late hour of the August night, I go to the woods I run deep down into the caves I usually try to avoid I think about my life and everything I've done that was wrong I hit myself with my own hand until bleeding comes I trip on roots, fall into trees with branches cutting my face I pound my head into rocks until I'm dizzy and I say I told you many times not to get ideas about yourself I told you many times not to be yourself I sing Oh my love Oh my love never understood Oh my love Oh my love thinks I'm in the sofa But I am in the woods The smallest bird flies to my shoulder, sings the tiniest song I gaze right at the bird, you're wrong, I say and shoot her down I think about my ways and why I limp where others run I think about my caves and how I can't show them to anyone I find a well and down I whisper all my hopes and dreams I dig a hole and down I whisper all my deepest fears I cover up with mud, secure the mud with heavy stones I see a pine nourish from it, see it grow sad cones Oh my love Oh my love never understood Oh my love Oh my love thinks I'm in the kitchen I scream back from the woods Tonight Oh night In the stillness of the evening, I see you So bright You are shining right where you're standing, waiting Your eyes Did this colour even exist, I didn't know Oh night There's religion in just knowing you Your hands trembling My leg over yours Touching your face Distant chorals Heavy breathing Dizzy lights I forget about tomorrow I only need tonight I've been waiting for tonight All this time Timing never seemed to be our friend and You were with someone Then I was with someone and I never thought you'd Oh night I usually have a hard time not having my thoughts fly everywhere But tonight It is finally happening, they're finally here Remember all those days you woke up Wondering for what, for who, you Put your jacket on and went out Took the bus and went to work but All this time, a pondering question Where's this going, there must be more And suddenly your heart's exploding You realise you were only waiting for tonight You've been waiting for tonight You've been waiting for tonight You've been waiting for tonight Mentor Sing a song that wasn't written Play a chord you never tried Call someone who got you smitten Fuck the rain and go outside And let something heavy go Just let something heavy go Back until you got the picture When you're done backing, back some more Stand up straight for where you came from Ask your best friend what you're longing for And let something heavy go Just let something heavy go A few times you will meet people Who will make you feel like you Make sense wholly and completely Hold them tight and let it show And let something heavy go Just let something heavy go Learn something you didn't know Let something heavy go Be someone you want to be And when you're finished with all this Will you teach me Forget all I said and start anew All is waiting just for you Alien Ran into an alien His lil' green foot playing in the snow He said we're gonna stay here now I said, "OK, aha, I don't know" Touching every tree He cried with joy when he saw the light He said, "I've never seen anything this pretty" I said, "OK, aha" I guess it's alright I guess nature is alright And he said, "Look at these roaming hills Look at these blue silent lakes Look at the people when they talk about their kids Look at these crispy mornings Look at these soft red nights" He said, "Look at all of this" I said, "OK, just got a text here I missed what you just said There's nothing much to do her You'll probably get bored here" He invited me into his flying saucer We took a trip to my favourite cafe I said I was a well-known singer I could tell he didn't care "Tell me about love", he said "Tell me about love" I said, "Try to avoid it It hurts when you lose it" "But it can be beautiful And it can be magical And it can be all you need And it can be love" And he said, "Look at these roaming hills Look at these blue silent lakes Look at the people demonstrating in the streets Look at these crispy mornings Look at these soft red nights Look at all of this" I said, "OK, just got a text here I missed what you just said There's nothing much to do here You'll probably get bored here" Walking on the streets People yelled at him for being green For his name being difficult to pronounce And for probably taking someone's job He said, "You were given it all" And you turned it into what He said goodbye to trees only I said, "Well, it sounds bad when you put it like that Tell space we send regards" Roaming hills Blue silent lakes Humans when they fall in love Crispy mornings Soft red nights All of this This species destroys things Stay out of Mars
Pengar (Annika Norlin) Alla dessa drömmar Som fyrtorn i mörket Blinkar där borta Men helt utom räckhåll Och man ombes att gå med Nedböjt huvud Göra sig liten Jag stod med En varmkorv i handen Kolla in i en bar Såg dom interagera Det syntes i rummet En lätthet i stegen Att dom hade glömt Och därinne flyger pengarna runt Som dammkorn i vinden Och ingen kollar ut Och människorna går mitt ibland dom Som ingenting särskilt Som det var syre, skulle aldrig ta slut Om jag kryper Vid golvet, under röken Om ingen ser mig Snabbt, sen genom en dörr Jag rör mig längs väggarna Hör hur dom pratar Om skönhet och kunskap Och härinne flyger pengarna runt Som dammkorn i vinden Inte viktigare än så Om jag strack ut handen och tog dom Så var dom väl mina Och jag kunde se världen genom dom Och det är då jag hör jag mig själv säga Nej pengar betyder ingenting Och därinne flyger pengarna runt Som dammkorn i vinden Och ingen kollar ut Och människorna går mitt ibland dom Som ingenting särskilt Som det var syre, skulle aldrig ta slut Och våren Våren ska komma Oavsett konto Den är till för alla Men det är att kunna andas At hinna tänka Att det är vår Mitt Gäng Fast jag blundar vet jag vägen Genom puben, samma bord Frågar aldrig dom hur dom har det Jag vet alla kommande ord Han pratar om samma låtar Hon drar samma skämt som då Jag har samma känsla Att det ändå finns en plats som jag förstår Stjärnorna på himlen Ta hand om mitt gäng Lys upp deras steg och hjälp dom Dom vet inte vad dom gör Det är det ingen som gör Allting ändras kring mig ständigt Man står själv när stormen drar Stanna kvar i gamla minnen Påminn mig om vem jag var I smyg ler jag när ni bråkar Allt störigt som ni gör, blir varm När allt snurrar drar jag hemåt I min mun en psalm Stjärnorna på himlen Ta hand om mitt gäng Lys upp deras steg och hjälp dom Giv runt deras hals en arm Giv deras hjärtan en psalm Vita Frun Nu hör man skratten från gatan Dom spelar innebandyklubbor så att dammet yr i ögonen Grannen vrålar till, skriker satan Så fort som någon har en känsla här så skakar hela höghuset Musiken dånar, spelar c'est la vie, c'est la vie Jag stannar upp och tänker c'est la vie, c'est la vie Ibland så händer det att tomma nötta rader tar sig in Har börjat drömma om han Jag såg hans nacke, kändes farligt att den helt öppet var där En mjukhet mitt i morgontrafiken Hela blåa linjen darrade när han tog av halsduken Och chefen säger åt mig, "Du vet det jag sa till dig Det betyder inget nu, har ändrat mig, har inget jobb åt dig" Jag följde vallhjorden ner hit för det är det man gör Och jag går som en vålnad Vita frun genom Solna Ingen som säger hej Blott en osynlig gast genom stan Dom knackar på, det är polisen Dom säger, "Mannen under dog, han har legat där i dar Har du hört nåt eller sett nåt" Jag sa, "Jag vet inte vem det är, det luktar alltid unket här ändå" Jag går i stöpet, jag går runt, jag går till en astrolog Jag lever på, kommer inte hända nånting ändå Jag får ett telefonsamtal från ett skivbolag Och jag går som en vålnad Vita frun genom Solna Jag kan varje station Har bott två månader överallt Lilla Anko, kände du handen Den som jag la på vår panna, du låg vaken och oroade dig Du tror att du bara vandrar Men allting som jag skördar nu är frukter du planterade åt mig Och dina ångestnätter kallar jag för frihet i efterhand Och inga planer kallar jag för inga krav i efterhand Och vi gick norrut efter Västerbron och hela himlen brann Och vi gick som en vålnad Vita frun genom Solna Vi kan varje station Har bott två månader överallt Avtryck Av alla som jag träffat lämna du minst avtryck Ingenting vi gjorde stannade kvar Vi åkte på en resa, eller gjorde vi det Minns inte var vi var, eller om jag var med När det slutade minns jag inte om jag var nere När det pågick minns jag inte alls om jag var glad Minns inte din hud, minns inte nåt du sa Du ville ta ett steg i taget och jag ville bara brisera Det har gått några timmar sen jag träffa dig på stan Och du lät mig förstå att du utgått ifrån Att en låt eller två väl handlat om dig Du var ganska säker på att dom handlat om dig Jag log stilla i solen, jag log för mig själv Jag ljög den gång jag sa att jag älskade dig Lite tändvätska för att se om det fanns nån glöd till elden Men det fanns det inte, hur mycket man än hällde Brisera Springa rakt ut på ett fält Höra på cikadorna Glömma bort igår och imorgon och sätta allt på vänt Jo nu minns jag din mun, hur den rörde sig Och sa jobbet, jobbet Vad ville jag veta om ditt jobb Vad andra sagt om hur du jobbade Och andras jobb Hur deras jobb stod I paritet till ditt jobb Och hur mycket jobb du gjort Sen såg du stolt ut Som du hämtat hit en boll jag kastat När jag tänker på den tiden är det helt blankt Det hände ingenting när vi tog i varann Du säger, "Honung handlade väl om mig" Jag sa inget, men här är en låt till dig Du vet att jag fick aldrig se dig Vet inte vem du är Du släppte aldrig in mig Jag stannade vid dörrvakten som sa "Vänta här nä det finns ingen här som är beredd att alls riskera" Riskera någonting Riskera tappa ansiktet Riskera att bli liten sårad överkörd För att nån enda gång va med om att brisera Kroppen Som En skål Ljusa fjun i hennes nacke Jag har inte sett dem, men hittat på Hur det var för dig att lyfta håret Stryka dom mot handen Smala magens mjuka hud När du öppnade hennes skjorta Var du en upptäckare då Ung och stark och fri Kom tillbaks, kom igen Jag förlåter dig allt Jag ska låtsas ett par veckor Som att jag behöver tid Men om du bara står bredvid mig Så jag kan se allt du gör Då slipper hjärnan fylla i Din andning var så lugn När du somnade i natt Du sa, "Nu är allt som det ska igen" Jag luktade i mörkret Sökte hennes fibrer på dig Kom tillbaks, kom igen Jag förlåter dig allt Jag ska låtsas ett par veckor Som att jag behöver tid Men om du bara står bredvid mig Så jag kan se allt du gör Då slipper hjärnan fylla i Det finns en virvel i maggropen Som jag inte kände till Drar ner en i en avgrund Kroppen som en skål Nattens fukt som flåsar över mig
Den Sista (Annika Norlin feat. Mattias Alkberg) Ta den här meningen och håll den Jag kommer alltid vara kvar Det finaste man kan säga Men jag förstår om du också blir äcklad Jag har alltid vetat säkert Jag har ett trofast hjärta Det passar inte ini den här tiden Men jag kommer alltid vara din Jag är den sista du får kyssa Du kommer få se det här ansiktet tills du dör Av alla händer är det här dom sista Det här blir den sista midjan du rör Du har sett mig vara nere Du har sett mig komma upp Jag har gråtit mot din axel När jag kräks så torkar du upp Minns du hur det var att hålla Någon som var alldeles ny Att se dig själv genom nya ögon Du fick va modig, och samtidigt blyg Jag är den sista du får kyssa Jag minns allting du har sagt Du kan aldrig låtsas va någon annan Jag vet exakt vad som är sant Jag borde vara ny och kul för dig Jag vill att du ska få uppleva allt Jag vill ge dig allt i världen Nån som ser på dig som du förtjänar Men om jag skulle se dig med nån annan Skulle jag sparka ner henne, absolut Hör, dom spelar våran låt nu Jag lägger huvet bredvid ditt En liten värld i världen Ett litet skydd mot idioterna Se, nu stängs dom, alla dörrar Och jag som står och flinar framför dig En liten värld i världen Förlåt, men Jag kommer alltid välja dig
Non Albums Tracks
2006 Party favours on the floor And a half drunk bottle with a popcorn in it Yesterday's dress in a complete mess And a bruise on my arm, I don't know how I got it January 1st and it's already clear It's gonna be another shitty year This years resolutions I will exercise more Call my grandma Tell my family that I love them Learn about the world wars, and forget I will learn a new word each day Today's word is dejected And on the top of the list there's you I'm gonna be with you I haven't told you yet But I'm gonna be with you Doorbell's ringing, I ordered pizza Came half through it, wish I hadn't eaten so much, had some more Watching Ivanhoe on TV Picturing me as slacker Marion Wished for a life this year, it's brand new But the only thing that's true I'm gonna be with you I haven't told you yet But I'm gonna be with you I haven't told you yet I'm gonna be with you
Åkej (Annika Norlin / Sonja Åkesson Tolkad Av LP) Åkej, ag är misslyckad (åkej) Jag klarar inte opp det här (åkej) Jag har en annan rytm Åkej, åkej, åkej, åkej Man är väl fel person Av fel kön I fel roll I fel ålder På fel plats vid fel tidpunkt På galen planet Hängig på morron (åkej) Döle vid lunchdags (åkej) Färdig vid middan Åkej, åkej, åkej, åkej Det är väl hösten Eller vintern Eller våren Eller välfärden Nån bristsjukdom eller Jag har en annan rytm Jag har en annan rytm Jag har en annan rytm Jag har en annan rytm Jag ska försöka bättra mej Jag ska försöka som Den dära statsrådsfrun i reportaget Förra veckan Eller som den med nie barn Som jobbar heldag Och dessutom bakar vörtlimper Och tjänar extraknäck på kåserier Yeah åkej, åkej, åkej Och tänk på alla dom i Norrland Som får bärar vatten långa vägar Medan spisen ryker in Och gröten möglar Tänk på dom Och tänk på dom i Spanien Och i Afrika Och tänk på Gittan som blev lämnad ensam Med ett koppel slitvargar i värsta åldern Och som är för stolt att gå till socialen Och dom ska ju ha som alla andra ungar har Och tänk på sjukvårdspersonalen Vad dom orkar Yeah åkej, åkej Jag ska försöka bättra mej I morron ska jag gå till jobbet Yeah åkej Och engagera mej Verkligen engagera mej Och vara bussebussig mot den lilla nya Yeah åkej Och skriva brev till mormor Och till Doris och till Kalle Äntligen, åkej Och ägna mej Verkligen ägna mej Och få en tid hos tandläkarn (åkej) Och gå till biblioteket (åkej) Äntligen, åkej Och låna alla böcker Som man måste läsa ju Ja hjälp, åkej Och börja föra kassabok Och börja läsa ryska Och koka äppelmarmelad Och repetera tyska Och måla kryddhyllan i någon piffig raffig färg Åkej, och laga någon liten piffig raffig rätt Till TVs panorama Och dammsuga bilen förstås (åkej) Och vädra garderoben förstås (åkej) Och sy den dära tevärmarn Jag tänkt så länge, äntligen Och verkligen ägna mej (åkej, åkej, åkej) Verkligen engagera mej Och vara på ett jättefint humör (Åkej, åkej, åkej) Men det får bli en annan dag (åkej) Just nu har jag inte lust till någonting alls Jag är väl missanpassad, misslyckad Åkej, jag tror jag lika gärna får och hänger mej Över en Allers eller Damernas Åkej, nu sticker jag och dränker mej I drömmen om att vara en av dom som orkar med Och lyckas yeah åkej Jag passar ändå ingenstans Jag går och knyter mej Generalens Visa (Cornelis Vreeswijk cover / Annika Norlin / Poem, Ballader Och Lite Blues: Återbesöket LP) I Flatland bor dom flata, i Latland bor dom lata I Krigland bor dom krigiska så där är allting väl Dom lata ska vi dräpa, dom går blott kring och skräpa Dom flata har vi tänkt oss att vi ska slå ihjäl Av ideella skäl I Slöland bor dom slöa, i Döland bor dom döa I Raskland bor dom raska, dom slöar aldrig till Dom döda ska vi bränna, dom vill vi icke känna Dom slöa ska vi spöa så snart dom sitter still Sen gör dom som vi vill I Krigland bor dom flesta, dom krigar för det mesta Dom kämpar flera år i sträck, sen vilar dom två dar Deras medaljer blänker, dom sitter när dom tänker Dom sitter på den kroppsdel där hjärnan säte har Säg kan du gissa var När generaler tala blir rösterna nasala Dom stirrar stint på kartorna, men grips dom av panik Då blundar dom och pekar, kommandoropen ekar Dom lyfter sina kikare och kommer med kritik Och räknar sina lik I Blåland bor dom blåa, i Gråland bor dom gråa I Tyskland bor den bruna byxans bleka herremän Ser jag den bruna färgen ryser jag in i märgen Och hör du taktfast stöveltramp så är det dom, min vän För dom marscherar än
Godstar (Anika / Psychic TV cover / Todo Muere SBXV compilation) This is a story A very special story It's about Brian Jones One of The Rolling Stones Where were you when the stars went out Where were you when they started to shout I saw you alone by the pool And all your friends called you a fool Godstar, godstar Godstar, godstar Godstar, godstar Godstar, godstar And you were so beautiful You were so very special I wish I was with you now I wish I could save you somehow Godstar, godstar Godstar, godstar Godstar, godstar Godstar, godstar And where are your friends that night As you switched off the final light I saw your body in the water Like a lamb going down to the slaughter Godstar, godstar Godstar, godstar Godstar, godstar Godstar, godstar Godstar, godstar Godstar, godstar Godstar, godstar Godstar, godstar And where are your laughing friends Where were they at the very end They started to steal your glory They never even told your story Godstar, godstar Godstar, godstar Godstar, godstar Godstar, godstar Godstar, godstar Godstar, godstar Godstar, godstar Godstar, godstar
Hallelujah (Leonard Cohen cover / First Aid Kit & Annika Norlin / Who By Fire: Live Tribute To Leonard Cohen) Well, I've heard there was a secret chord That David played and it pleased the Lord But you don't really care for music, do you Well, it goes like this, the fourth, the fifth The minor call, the major lift The baffled king composing "Hallelujah" Hallelujah, Hallelujah Hallelujah, Hallelujah Well, baby, I've been here before I've seen this room and I've walked this floor You know, I used to live alone before I knew ya I've seen your flag on the marble arch Well, love it's not a victory march It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah Hallelujah, Hallelujah Hallelujah, Hallelujah Well, there was a time when you let me know What's really going on below But now you never show that to me, do you But remember when I moved in you And the holy dove was moving too And every breath we drew was Hallelujah Hallelujah, Hallelujah Hallelujah, Hallelujah And maybe there's a God above But all I've ever learned from love Was how to shoot somebody who outdrew ya It's not a cry that you hear at night It's not somebody who's seen the light It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah Hallelujah, Hallelujah Hallelujah, Hallelujah Hallelujah, Hallelujah Hallelujah, Hallelujah Hallelujah, Hallelujah Hallelujah, Hallelujah Hallelujah, Hallelujah Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Ipod X-Mas ( Oh No... It's Christmas! - 2006 ) They say It's coming on to christmas Hello Saferide, lot of candle in the christmas tree They say It's gonna be all parties and carols Well I disagree Well I disagree You left on the 10th of december Guess there'll be no nobel award from me Far as standing outside by your window, shouting "I disagree" "I disagree" I'm always on the run and I hate copy paste for god's sake And as for present, you fuck, I had an Ipod nano With your name written on it It's gonna fit well into my new life listening To Gloria Gaynor, singing "I will survive" They say there's suppose to be three wise men I've been searching but I haven't found a single one Angels brought a baby to a virgin me I'll just settle for some good old fun Settle for some good old fun And as for present, you fuck, I had an Ipod nano With your name written on it It's gonna fit well into my new life listening To Gloria Gaynor, singing "I will survive" And as you're on your way Merry christmas, you just ruined my favourite holiday
I Was Definitely Made For These Times ( There's A Razzia Going On, Volume 1 - 2008 ) Looking at old photos of Grandma's Grandma, Making a quilt, looking after the kids. Hating school, I made my teacher in shop cry I am far too restless Kids are cute as long as they're not mine Wait up I was definitely made for these times I can make the meanest daiquiri I can quote all of high fidelity I was definitely made for these times Would have gotten stoned or ridiculed Maimed or trampled Or died from poor nutrition Wait up Up-up-up-up-up There have been times I thought it might be good though If Mum and Dad could have chosen a man for me Someone from the neighborhood with well-bred charms Guess I'd still have thrown myself in the arms of you Wait up-up Up-up-up-up-up I was definitely made for these times A woman should obey her man Sure - when he can do the things I can I was definitely made for these times Going in to Church on Sundays, ruining my TV fun day-ay Wait up-up Wait up-up Wait up-up I'll be holding you when you cry I'll be holding you when you cry I won't commit to you but I'll hold you when you cry (I'll be holding you when you cry) I won't commit to you but I'll hold you when you cry (I'll be holding you when you cry) I won't commit to you but I'll hold you when you cry (I'll be holding you when you cry) I won't commit to you but I'll hold you when you cry (I'll be holding you when you cry) I won't commit to you but I'll hold you when you cry (I'll be holding you when you cry) I won't commit to you but I'll hold you, hold you, hold you when you cry (I'll be holding you when you cry) I'm always on the run and I hate copy paste for god's sake I was definitely made for these times I can make the meanest daiquiri I can quote all of high fidelity I was definitely made for these times Would have gotten stoned or ridiculed Maimed or trampled Or died from poor nutrition Wait up-up Wait up-up Wait up-up
Jag Vill Inte Suddas Ut (Sånger Om Kvinnor cover / Annika Norlin) Jag vill inte suddas ut För kärleks skull Även om den som suddar är alldeles kärleksfull Näe jag vill inte suddas ut För kärleks skull Även om den som suddar är alldeles kärleksfull Du ser mig som en tavla Som andra kluddat på Du vill sudda allting bort Och fylla på med egna tecken Skriva dit låt stå Näe jag vill inte suddas ut För kärleks skull Även om den som suddar är öm och kärleksfull Näe jag vill inte suddas ut För kärleks skull Även om den som suddar är öm och kärleksfull Du ser mig som en tavla Som andra kluddat på Du vill sudda allting bort Och fylla på med egna tecken Skriva dit låt stå Nej låt dig inte suddas ut För kärleks skull Även om den som suddar är öm och kärleksfull Nej låt dig inte suddas ut För kärleks skull Även om den som suddar är öm och kärleksfull Nej jag vill inte suddas ut För kärleks skull Även om den som suddar är öm och kärleksfull Nej låt dig inte suddas ut För kärleks skull Även om den som suddar är öm och kärleksfull
Last bitter song Now, this will be the last bitter song It will be my last, real bitter song about you From now on, I'll write about flowers and butterflies Chickens and kittens and shit From now on, I'll try to look myself straight in the face From now on, I'll try to find someone who knows I exist Not to feel like I do When I write my bitter songs This is my last real bitter song About you I won't have to mention she was blonde and thin With a peanut for a brain and volleyballs for chest I won't have to mention that's always what happens When you leave him your key Ends up having sex in your apartment with miss non-bitterness Now this will be the last bitter song I'm feeling cheerful already I'd like to break his neck, if I may, if I may But most, I'd like to cut off that head And cut off that hair And cut off those volleyballs And I hope he gets her heart broken And I hope she turns bitter, really really bitter Really really bitter, really really bitter Like me Leaving you behind How I wish you'd lied, or had been untrue That you hadn't said: “it's always you.” Baby how I wish you hadn't held me all those lonely, lonely nights But you did, makes me wonder why Makes me wonder why, I'm leaving you behind And I know I'm gonna see you down town with a pretty girl, and you'll be holding hands You'll both be laughing And she will be wondering the same as me Was I crazy You know I've got to be crazy for leaving you behind I'm leaving you behind Oh I'm such a worthless being Ruining all we've got for Some kind of feeling that there's more than this How I wish there was more than there is
Merry Christmas (I Don't Want To Fight Tonight) (Ramones cover / Weeping Willows feat. Annika Norlin / Christmas Time Has Come LP) Merry Christmas, I don't want to fight tonight Merry Christmas, I don't want to fight tonight Merry Christmas, I don't want to fight tonight with you Where is Santa and his sleigh Tell me why was it always this way Where is Rudolph, where is Blitzen, baby Merry Christmas, merry, merry, merry, merry Christmas All the children are tucked in their beds Sugarplum fairies dancing in their heads Snow is falling, swirly falling Merry Christmas I love you and you love me And that's the way it's got to be Why have we been torn apart 'Cause Christmas ain't the time For breaking each other's hearts Merry Christmas, I don't want to fight tonight Merry Christmas, I don't want to fight tonight Merry Christmas, I don't want to fight tonight with you Merry Christmas Merry Christmas Merry Christmas I don't want to fight tonight with you Mitt Skinn Och Ben (Sofia Jannok feat. Annika Norlin) Kom, mitt skinn och ben, håll året ut Strö mer grovsalt eller bara skjut Mig, mig, mig Mig, mig, mig Mig, mig Stirrar ner på blod och hopp som runnit slut Jag sa till mitt hjärta tagga ner Låt mig falla, skär loss alla rep Ner Nu är det för tungt att palla mer Jag sa du måste orka Jag sa var schysst mot mig Jag sa du måste tåla Du måste va' okej På morgon när vi vaknar Finns inget av oss två Jag blir den som sakar Och går tillbaks till "Gå" Åh mitt skinn och ben, vad hände här Svårt att hålla kött och liv isär Nej, nej, nej Nej, nej, nej Nej, nej Lasset som vi delat glider iväg Och jag sa du måste orka Jag sa var schysst mot mig Jag sa du måste tåla Du måste va' okej Om allt du känt är borta Hur kan jag då finnas kvar Jag går sönder, kommer hoppa Vid slutet av din fras Vem ser dig Vem slåss Vem kommer ge sig Re: always on my mind If you say that you're the one How come you always bring me down How come you always bring me down If you say that you're the one And if I'm always on your mind How come you've been so hard to find How come you've been so hard to find If I'm always on your mind You left me looking like a fool, boy You left me yearning for your love Thought about leaving just to Let you know that I am not for granted Guess I am for granted And when night has turned to day I'll never leave you anyway I'll never leave you anyway When the night has turned to day You left me looking like a fool, boy You left me yearning for your love Thought about leaving just to Let you know that I am not for granted Guess I am for granted Guess I am for granted If I'm always on your mind How come you've been so hard to find How come you've been so hard to find If I'm always on your mind
Rött & Svart Pumpar Hjärtat (Annika Norlin feat. Falkarna) Nu vaknar solen över Frösöbron Och de sista från festen går hem Att de kallar oss eljest bär vi som en krona Och fast jag är pank är jag rik igen Dig vill vi ha med om du tror på det här Vem du än är om du tror på det här Sida vid sida vi lyfter det här Fjällen är fond till det här Vi går gågatan fram, ska till norraste stå Följer Samuel Permans mot bussen och sen Rött och svart pumpar hjärtat för vårt ÖFK Och fast jag är trött är jag klarvaken Dig vill vi ha med om du tror på det här Vem du än är om du tror på det här Sida vid sida vi kan bara stå här Fjällen är fond till det här Och allt är klart och kallt när vi samlas Röken som himlen famnar Och även om allt ändras omkring oss Ses vi väl här igen Och allt är ljust och varmt fast vi fryser Laserstrålar lyser Då möts vi här som Storsjön är blå Och laget är ÖFK
The best night of your life I saw you as soon as you entered the door I knew I was right not to leave before From this stupid masquerade party we're at Yeah yeah yeah I came here dressed like Audrey Horne You came here dressed like Salieri Well Amadeus is making out with Joey Ramone Don't think we've met Only in my dreams every night Well nice to meet you I won't let you out of my sight Oh no that's wrong Then how could it feel so right You don't know it yet but it's the best night of your life Boy, you've got the dark voice as the devil's Why are you standing there chating to pebbles And I've got a penguin checking me out Yeah, yeah yeah Boy, you've got the soft eyes of a poet I know that all of that is bullshit I've seen that you've got a carpenters hands I've got to go Don't act older than you are But I've got work Get working and go to the bar I've got a girlfriend She doesn't have to know where you are You don't know it yet But it's the best night of your life
The quiz You look nice alright And I like the way you nod after everything I say Like it actually means something to you And I like your record collection Townes and Jens with a hint of Ricky Lee And you've cleaned up the bathroom Made a really nice soup But a bit too much sci-fi in your shelf with DVD's There are things you need to know about me I'm weak right now, so weak right now I need proof before I dare to open this heart So I prepared a quiz for you Would you freak out if I said I liked you Do you walk the line Is your IQ higher than your neighbour's And is it very much higher than mine Can you sleep when I grind my teeth Do you look away if I slob when I eat Will you let me be myself Can you at all times wear socks Because I'm still scared of feet And if I'd fall Would you pick me up And if I'd fall Would you pick me up Do you talk in the middle of Seinfeld Do you read more than two books a month Do you get racist or sexist when you've had a few Is it fine if I make more money than you Have you slept with any people I work with Is there anyone you'd rather wish I'd be Do you still keep pictures of old girlfriends Are they prettier than me And if I'd fall Would you pick me up If I'd fall Would you pick me up And if I'd fall Would you pick me up If I'd fall Would you pick me up
Valentine's Day I won't tell you, baby, you drink too much This year, on Valentine's Day And I won't see you looking at that girl's butt This year, on Valentine's Day I won't remind you I'm not for granted Won't have to beg you to take a shower I won't even cry cause you don't love me enough This year, on Valentine's Day Got my bags packed and I'm bringing the dog Going too fast on the highway Lost my love for me when I loved you Gonna reclaim it all on Valentine's Day True love at last, on Valentine's Day Gonna have dinner with the coolest girl Although she's been broken down during this stay Just me, myself and my biggest laughter Candle light dinner on Valentine's Day And then, I'll go dancing at the finest club Find a kid who's ready to play Gonna get all the pleasure you never could give me This year on Valentine 's Day True love at last, on Valentine's Day So I hope you are sorry and I wish you the worst And that's all I had to say I think we have fish sticks if you need dinner This year, on Valentine's Day Got a feeling this is gonna be valentine's year Roses are red and violets are blue And sugar is sweet and I'm leaving you Roses are red and violets are blue And sugar is sweet and I'm leaving you Roses are red and violets are blue And sugar is sweet and