Anna Lovisa Johnsson (born October 4th, 1977 in Gothenburg, Sweden), previo… Read Full Bio ↴Anna Lovisa Johnsson (born October 4th, 1977 in Gothenburg, Sweden), previously known as Ana, is a singer-songwriter, best known for her song "We Are". Her longplay disc Cuz I Can appeared in April 2004 in Sweden. However, her worldwide debut The Way I Am was released some months later. Little Angel was released in 2006.

She became fed up with school and went to the US as an exchange student. She took up skiing as a hobby and is now a semi-professional snowboard artist. She competed and travelled around the US, and at one point she came in 5th and 6th place in a championship in 1996. Eventually she went back to Sweden in 2001, finished high school and started working at various jobs.

Her singing talents started when she was a teenager and became a singer of coverband @groove and moved to Karlstad.

But her big break started when she heard about the first season of Popstars in Sweden and decided to give it a go. She succeeded in the final and Ana, Jenny Karolina, Kristina Bergfoth, Malin Catharina Olsson and Susanna Emily Anna Patoleta formed the band Excellence. They were a huge success, sold many albums and completed a sold out tour.

However, [artist[Excellence[/artist] wasn't Ana's style of music and left the band. She continued her music career as a solo artist. In the autumn of 2003, she released "The Way I Am" on the radio and it developed into a radio hit in Sweden and Germany and it gave her a nomination for the 2004 NRJ Awards in Stockholm. She released her debut album Cuz I Can in 2004 soon after. This album was only released in Sweden.

She was approached by the head of Colombia Tristar during a cruise and was invited to contribute a song to the soundtrack of Spider-Man 2. The song was called "We Are" and it became the first single to come off the soundtrack and was released worldwide. It became a big hit and she released the album The Way I Am. The album was followed by the singles Don't Cry For Pain and Coz I Can

Ana recorded a new album in the mean time which was released in 2006. The first single, " Days Of Summer", was released in July 2006. The album, Little Angel (October 2006), was preceded by the second single called "Exception", which is the theme song to the Swedish thriller movie Exit. Johnsson also recorded a song with Finnish rockband Bleak for the soundtrack for the Finnish-Chinese film Jadesoturi (Jade Warrior) called "Fate". It became one of the most played songs on the radio in Finland and got the NRJ award for Best Nordic Song in 2007. "Catch Me If You Can", the album's third single, also was the official theme for the 2007 Alpine World Ski Championships. In February 2007 Johnsson released the album in Japan resulting into sales over 20,000.

What If
Ana Johnsson Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Couldn't move a mountain but, what if
Couldn't be an angel nor a goddess
There's so many stories we'd love to believe
But all I ever can be is me
There's a devil inside us all
But I believe in the beautiful

We can't change today

Undo yesterday
Make it go away
But what if
When tomorrow comes
We could be the ones
Who make miracles
What if

Saw you on the news today, crying
I just wanna turn you off, keep denying
Waiting for a wind to change to pull me right in
And while I'm waiting you're under my skin

We can't change today
Undo yesterday
Make it go away
But what if
When tomorrow comes
We could be the ones
Who make miracles
What if

There's a devil inside us all
I still believe in the beautiful
(what if)
(what if)

We can't change today
Undo yesterday
Make it go away
But what if
When tomorrow comes
We could be the ones
Who make miracles
What if
(2x)

We can't change today
Undo yesterday
Make it go away
But what if

Couldn't save the world today...
But what if...

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Ana Johnsson's "What If" describe the internal struggle of wanting to be something bigger than oneself while accepting personal limitations. The opening lines "Couldn't move a mountain but, what if/Couldn't be an angel nor a goddess" convey the desire to achieve something extraordinary despite feeling incapable. Additionally, the lyrics "There's a devil inside us all/ But I believe in the beautiful" highlight the internal conflict between good and evil that resides within everyone. This section of the song essentially asks the question, can one be both flawed and beautiful at the same time?

The second verse shifts to a more worldly perspective, focusing on the overwhelming emotions associated with witnessing people's suffering. As the lyrics "Saw you on the news today, crying/ I just wanna turn you off, keep denying" indicate, it can be difficult to process and come to terms with the realities of the world. Nevertheless, in holding onto the hope that we can make a difference, the lyrics also suggest the capacity of individuals to contribute to positive change. Thus, the repetition of "what if" throughout the song serves as a reminder that because we can't change yesterday or today, it is up to us to imagine and strive towards a better tomorrow.

Line by Line Meaning

Couldn't move a mountain but, what if
Although I may not be capable of achieving the impossible, what if I could?

Couldn't be an angel nor a goddess
I don't possess supernatural abilities or qualities, but that doesn't mean I am not valuable.

There's so many stories we'd love to believe
We often seek comfort and hope in the stories we hear and tell.

But all I ever can be is me
Despite our wishes and desires, we can only be true to ourselves.

There's a devil inside us all
We are all capable of evil or harmful actions and thoughts.

But I believe in the beautiful
Despite the darkness within us, we can also embrace the light and beauty in the world.

We can't change today
We cannot alter the present moment or circumstances.

Undo yesterday
We cannot erase or reverse what has already happened.

Make it go away
We cannot simply wish away our troubles and problems.

When tomorrow comes
There is always the possibility of a new day and a fresh start.

We could be the ones
It is possible for us to have the power to make positive changes and impact others.

Who make miracles
We can make extraordinary things happen if we believe and take action.

Saw you on the news today, crying
I saw someone else's pain from a distance and was tempted to ignore it.

I just wanna turn you off, keep denying
I wanted to avoid the inconvenient truth of someone else's suffering.

Waiting for a wind to change to pull me right in
I was hoping for an external force to make me care and respond to the situation.

And while I'm waiting you're under my skin
Meanwhile, the issue or person was constantly on my mind and affecting me emotionally.

Couldn't save the world today...
I may not have been able to solve all the world's problems or fix everything I wished to.

But what if...
Despite the limitations and challenges, what if I could make a difference?

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: SARA VARGA MADELEINE JONSSON, STEFAN NILS GUNNAR NILSSON, FREDRIK CHARLES RANDQUIST, MARCUS JOHAN FRENELL

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS