On the 3rd January 2008, Jenssen announced that she had landed a record deal. Her first single, Do You Love Me, was released in stores on 23rd January. The following single Amarula Tree (written by Jenssen and Pär Wiksten) was released on 16th April 2008.
Her debut album Killing My Darlings was released on the 7th May 2008 and quickly went platinum in Sweden.
Look What They've Done To My Song
Amanda Jenssen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Look what they've done to my song
Well it's the only thing I could do half right
And it's turning out all wrong, Ma
Look what they've done to my song
Look what they've done to my brain, Ma
Look what they've done to my brain
And I think I'm half insane, Ma
Look what they've done to my song
I wish I could find a good book to live in
Wish I could find a good book
Well, if I could find a real good book
I'd never have to come out and look at
What they've done to my song
La la la...
Look what they've done to my song
But maybe it'll all be all right, Ma
Maybe it'll all be OK
Well, if the people are buying tears
I'll be rich some day, Ma
Look what they've done to my song
Ils ont changé ma chanson, Ma
Ils ont changé ma chanson
C'est la seule chose que je peux faire
Et çe n'est pas bon, Ma
Ils ont changé ma chanson
Look what they've done to my song, Ma
Look what they've done to my song, Ma
Well they tied it up in a plastic bag
And turned it upside down, Ma
Look what they've done to my song
Ils ont changé ma chanson, Ma
Ils ont changé ma chanson
C'est la seule chose que je peux faire
Et çe n'est pas bon, Ma
Ils ont changé ma chanson
Look what they've done to my song, Ma
Ma, look what they've done to my song
Well it's the only thing I could do all right
And they turned it upside down
Look what they've done to my song
The song "Look What They've Done to My Song" by Amanda Jenssen expresses the artist's distress over the changes made to her original creation. The lyrics lament how the song has been transformed beyond recognition, turning something that was once significant to her into a source of disillusionment. The opening verse reveals the artist's frustration with how her song has turned out: "Look what they've done to my song, Ma / Well it's the only thing I could do half right / And it's turning out all wrong, Ma". Through this, Jenssen poignantly captures the disappointment of artists who see their creative work being systematically tampered with.
Jenssen further expresses her anguish through the comparison of her song to her brain, singing, "Look what they've done to my brain, Ma / Well they picked it like a chicken bone / And I think I'm half insane, Ma / Look what they've done to my song". She feels like the very essence of who she is has been meddled with and it has sent her spiraling into madness. However, she is hopeful that her music may eventually sell well and bring her riches. In the end, Jenssen looks forward to finding solace in a good book, concluding the song with the line, "If I could find a real good book / I'd never have to come out and look at / What they've done to my song".
Line by Line Meaning
Look what they've done to my song, Ma
Expressing disappointment and frustration over changes made to a personal creation
Well it's the only thing I could do half right
And it's turning out all wrong, Ma
Feeling incapable of doing anything right and recognizing negative changes to the creation
Look what they've done to my brain, Ma
Well they picked it like a chicken bone
And I think I'm half insane, Ma
Look what they've done to my song
Feeling taken advantage of and exploited by others, leading to mental strain and frustration with the changes to the creation
Wish I could find a good book to live in
Well, if I could find a real good book
I'd never have to come out and look at
What they've done to my song
Desiring escapism from the changes made to the creation by being absorbed in a good book
Maybe it'll all be all right, Ma
Maybe it'll all be OK
Well, if the people are buying tears
I'll be rich some day, Ma
Look what they've done to my song
Hoping for success despite the negative changes to the creation, perhaps even by catering to public demand for emotionally charged content
Ils ont changé ma chanson, Ma
Ils ont changé ma chanson
C'est la seule chose que je peux faire
Et çe n'est pas bon, Ma
Ils ont changé ma chanson
Expressing the same disappointment and frustration as before, but now in French
Well they tied it up in a plastic bag
And turned it upside down, Ma
Look what they've done to my song
Metaphorically describing how the changes to the creation feel like suffocation and disorder
Ma, look what they've done to my song
Well it's the only thing I could do all right
And they turned it upside down
Look what they've done to my song
Reiterating the initial frustration over the changes to the creation and feeling helpless in restoring it to its original state
Contributed by Alaina K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.