It began in 2001 as a collaborative effort between Nina Persson (of The Cardigans) and Swedish singer, guitarist and songwriter Niclas Frisk (of Atomic Swing). The self-titled debut album A Camp was released later that year.
Persson and Frisk had recorded a collection of songs in 1998, but the project was suspended while they attended to other matters, including Persson's move to New York City with future-husband and fellow rocker Nathan Larson, an american film composer who had known some modest success in the 90s with his band Shudder To Think.
A second batch of recordings for the first A Camp record took place in Woodstock, New York, at the now-dufunct Bearsville studio. Work took place in a barn. Larson played bass. Kevin March (Dambuilders/ Shudder To Think/Guided By Voices) played drums.
The resultant album was released in 2001 in Europe, where it was a considerable success, and a significant hit in Scandinavia. The band toured extensively on the strength of the single I Can Buy You: the touring band included members of Soundtrack Of Our Lives as well as the above mentioned studio players. The album was awarded four Swedish Grammies.
In late 2007, NYC recording sessions included Joan Wasser, Nikolai Dunger, James Iha. The second album, Colonia, was released in January 2009.
A three-track EP named Covers, featuring interpretations of Pink Floyd's "Us And Them", David Bowie's "Boys Keep Swinging" and Grace Jones' "I've Done it Again", was released digitally in the United States on 9 June 2009 and in Europe on 16 June 2009.
Persson has continued to record and perform as a solo artist, and reunite with The Cardigans for occasional tours. There are not known to be any plans for further A Camp recordings.
The Crowning
A Camp Lyrics
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Light up the fires and season the swine
We're gonna party like it's 1699
Slaughter the rabbits, the doves and the boars
And lay all the tables and open the doors
The creme de la creme will be waiting
On one guest of honor
Oh, up go the curtains and down go the virgins
Oh No! Mothers are crying
Ladies of virtue will stand to accuse you of heartbreak and theft
Bells are gonna ring
Birds are gonna sing
Let the people begin
The crowning of your big head
Young drunken girls in a hideous dance
Sing a heartfelt lament of the death of romance
Beautiful boys turn and offer their cheeks
Preening and prancing, the outcome looks bleak
Good times are rolling but outside these walls
Our houses will crumble, this city will fall
But a few broken pawns don't mean nothing
To our guest of honor
So let's raise our glasses to murderous asses like you
May you sleep soundly
Once we had laughter, you got what you're after
Oh you wear it well
Bells are gonna ring
Birds are gonna sing
Let the people begin
Hear how the hearts are pounding
We're all witnessing the crowning
Of your big bleeding head
Birds are gonna sing
Bells are gonna ring
Let the people begin
Hear how the hearts are pounding
Your rise, nothing but astounding
We're all witnessing the crowning
Of your useless ruthless head
The lyrics to A Camp’s “The Crowning” paint a vivid picture of a decadent, opulent party taking place in a distant past. The song speaks of laying tables, slaughtering animals, and preparing for the arrival of a guest of honor - someone with a big head who seems to revel in the chaos and destruction around them. As the festivities begin, the scene turns increasingly bacchanalian, with drunken girls and beautiful boys dancing and preening. All the while, the city outside the walls crumbles, a few broken pawns in the grand scheme of things.
But despite the wild hedonism on display in the song, there’s an undercurrent of darkness and violence that suggests something deeply disturbing about the gathering. Mothers cry and ladies of virtue stand to accuse the revelers of heartbreak and theft. The guest of honor is described as ruthless and useless, while the dancers sing a lament for the death of romance. This all builds to a haunting conclusion - the crowning of the guest’s big bleeding head.
Taken together, the lyrics of “The Crowning” seem to be a comment on the corrupting influence of power and excess. It’s a cautionary tale about the dangers of losing oneself to greed and pleasure, and the price that must be paid for such indulgence.
Line by Line Meaning
Color the flowers in rose and maroon
We will decorate the place with beautiful flowers in the shades of rose and maroon
Light up the fires and season the swine
We will light the fires and cook the pig after adding delicious seasoning
We're gonna party like it's 1699
We will have a great time and party like the people did in 1699
Slaughter the rabbits, the doves and the boars
We will kill and prepare rabbits, doves and boars for the feast
And lay all the tables and open the doors
We will set up all the tables and open the doors for the guests
The creme de la creme will be waiting
The most important and distinguished guests will be waiting for the event
On one guest of honor
One special person will be the main focus of the event
Oh, up go the curtains and down go the virgins
The curtains will be raised and the virgins will be sacrificed
Oh No! Mothers are crying
Mothers are crying over the sacrifice of their daughters
Ladies of virtue will stand to accuse you of heartbreak and theft
Women of high moral standards will accuse the guest of honor of causing heartbreak and theft
Bells are gonna ring
The bells will start ringing
Birds are gonna sing
The birds will start singing
Let the people begin
The celebrations will start
The crowning of your big head
The guest of honor will be crowned the leader
Young drunken girls in a hideous dance
Young girls, drunk and out of control, will perform a strange dance
Sing a heartfelt lament of the death of romance
They will sing a sad song about the end of romance
Beautiful boys turn and offer their cheeks
Attractive young men will turn around and offer their cheeks to be kissed
Preening and prancing, the outcome looks bleak
They will strut around, trying to impress, but it will be pointless
Good times are rolling but outside these walls
We are having a great time within these walls, but beyond them, there is chaos
Our houses will crumble, this city will fall
Our houses will be destroyed, and the city will collapse
But a few broken pawns don't mean nothing
The destruction of a few insignificant people is of no consequence
To our guest of honor
The guest of honor is indifferent to the fate of the common people
So let's raise our glasses to murderous asses like you
Let's toast to people like you who harm others
May you sleep soundly
May you rest well, knowing you have done wrong
Once we had laughter, you got what you're after
Once we were happy, but you got what you wanted at our expense
Oh you wear it well
You look good wearing your success, but it is a result of your actions
Hear how the hearts are pounding
Listen to how excited the people are
We're all witnessing the crowning
We are all watching the crowning of the guest of honor
Of your big bleeding head
The guest of honor's head is large and bleeding, perhaps due to his violent behavior
Your rise, nothing but astounding
It is incredible to see you rise to power
We're all witnessing the crowning
We are all watching the crowning of the guest of honor
Of your useless ruthless head
The guest of honor is ruthless and has earned his position through immoral means
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: NATHAN PETER LARSON, NICLAS PATRIK FRISK, NINA PERSSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind