In 1993, He started his musical career as the singer in Planet Waves, a group which released only one album, Brutal Awakenings before splitting up due to internal conflicts. He then turned to a solo career, releasing the debut solo album Cottonfish Tales. In 1999, he had an international hit with the single Glorious, which later featured on the album Liebling, which has been used in a number of advertisements including Volvo, Nutella and Vauxhall. Deadly Happy, his third solo album, was released in 2002, and Mr Johnson, Your Room Is On Fire was released in 2005. 2007 he gave out a greatest hits CD called The Collector.
Bio from the poet site written by Unbry, Mysty and Bending:
March 22nd, 1970 - Lund, Southern Sweden: a wonderful baby starts to let the world hear his phenomenal voice: his name is JON ERIK ANDREAS JOHNSON. His mummy is called Marie, his daddy Gigge; they're both jazz musicians. He also has an older brother called Olof who's now a lawyer. Since they were children, the Johnson brothers have travelled throughout the world with their parents, always in a tour: "I've grown up on the stage, surrounded by instruments, scores and dressing-rooms sometimes not decent. [...] I was the group's mascot and to joke or because I liked it, I always ended up with taking a microphone in my hands, often on daddy's knees..." Music becomes a natural yearning for Andreas: as a kid he used to fall asleep listening to his mother singing jazz songs instead of traditional lullabies, believe it or not! In his early teens he moves with his family in a Stockholm suburb: "There was not so much to do, I only had three choices: sport, drugs or music and I chose the last!". He starts joining small bands and making his first experiences; his first band Silver Arrow made its debut in an assembly-hall at school "It was my first gig ever, It ended up with that I and the two guitarists went up and played without drummer. The guitarists were so nervous that they played with their back against the public". But his parents disagree with him having seen many friends quitting their musical career pretty soon. "So you don't want me to be in the music world? I'll prove you wrong!"
Andreas releases his first album with Planet Waves, "Brutal Awakenings", published by EMI only in Scandinavia. The band seems to take inspiration from Bob Dylan, and also the title is the same of a Dylan's album (Andreas will later confess that they didn't actually know anything about that album!). Between 1993 and 1995 love brings him with the band to New York, where he finds his first personal inspirations for his songs; back in Stockholm the band splits up "We didn’t come to agree. It became a total conflict. Also physical confrontations, fights".
Under the American influence Andreas releases, again with EMI and only in Scandinavia, his first solo album, "Cottonfish Tales". And here problems begin, he fight with EMI because they don't give him enough freedom, he takes a period off in Berlin and in this magic city the new album "Liebling" starts to breathe in only 2-3 months.
The album is dedicated to Debbie Starlight, mysterious inspiring muse, dead before her time but somehow still present in his songs' sounds. Italy brings inspiration too: he spends a couple of weeks in Porto Ercole, Tuscany, and, inspired by green Tuscanian hills, he writes 8 songs, 3 included in the album (the last three). As a final gift he gets a new contract with another recording house, WEA. Tales say that when Andreas went to WEA he brought with him three sample songs in DAT format, but the player jammed right at the proof moment; he took a guitar and decided to make a live performance, with an acoustic version of "The Games We Play": the editor was immediately crazy about it and signed the contract the same day! The POET's talent strikes back!
After the album conclusion, comes the single choice: for about two weeks Andreas and his band try to choose a song to be released as a single, but everyone has his own favourite and the choice is not easy; in the end the album opening song is chosen: "Glorious". In Gothenburg, during the first months of 1999, in an old dismissed gas container, Karl-Johan Larsson directs the video of "Glorious"; in interviews Andreas always says that it was "quite frightful: I was 80 metres above the ground and we were even without permissions!". The song is published just before summer, but it doesn't reach immediate success: "This song is too distressing for summertime" the POET says. But during autumn it becomes the biggest success of the season: it reaches the third place in Italian singles chart and also the fourth place in the "difficult" English chart, which is a quite good result for a debut single! Andreas receives two nominees for the Swedish Grammy Awards, as best single and best video for 1999. Critics unanimously recognise that "Glorious" is "the most beautiful song of the last decade". Concerts in Germany, England, Spain and Sweden are always sold out.
..At the end of 1999 the new single, "The Games We Play", is published in Sweden, reaching 7th place in the chart. Unsatisfied with the video shot in Praga, Andreas decides to shoot a new version during the weekend 4-5 march 2000, with the same director of "Glorious", Karl-Johan Larsson, and again in Gothenburg waiting for the new single to be published in the rest of Europe on May 15..
..In Autumn 2000 “People” video was ready and directed by Karl-Johan Larsson too in Kiev/Ukraina. At our advise the best video of our POET..
..After a long European tour from 1999 till Autumn 2000 till the presentation of the best hip hop MTV Europe Award, a long working period gets him ready to conquer the world..
...15/12/01 he is ready to enter in all charts with the new single Shine. A little taste coming from the new album Deadly Happy, third work of the Swedish singer songwriter, that will be released in Europe between March and April...
.. No one will ever stop the POET)
Do What You Want
Andreas Johnson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sweeping down the stairs
With a big smile on her face
And sunshine in her hair
She's taking what she wants
She's the one that runs the show
And I'm under her command
And god I love it so
I say
Do what you want to do
I love you
Say what you want to say
I love you
Go where you want to go Baby
I will follow
Do what you want to do
I love you so
And here comes pretty face
The star of the parade
She's the sweetest evening breeze
With purple colored shades
And the queen of every heart
As she dances through the crowd
Well she had me from the start
And God I'm easy now
I say
Do what you want to do
I love you
Say what you want to say
I love you
Go where you want to go Baby
I will follow you
Anywhere your heart desires
As the city explodes I go out of control
And it feels like I'm losing my soul to you
Just as long as you need me
I am here for you baby
And here comes baby Jean
So turn down all the lights
She a multicoloured dream
That takes me through the night
Just
Do what you want to do
I love you
Say what you want to say
I love you
Go where you want to go Baby
I will follow
I say
Do what you want to do
I love you
Say what you want to say
I love you
Go where you want to go Baby
I will follow you
Follow you
The lyrics of Andreas Johnson's song "Do What You Want" seem to be about the singer's infatuation with three different women - Grace, Pretty Face, and Baby Jean. Each woman that he describes has a certain allure or attraction, and the singer is almost under their spell. They are all independent, confident, and know what they want. The chorus repeats the phrase "Do what you want to do, I love you" multiple times, suggesting that despite their differences, he is willing to follow any of their lead.
The first woman he describes is Grace, who "runs the show" and has him "under her command." He seems to adore her confidence and charisma, as evidenced by the line "god I love it so." The next woman he talks about is Pretty Face, who is "the star of the parade" and "the queen of every heart." He is drawn to her from the start and enjoys being "easy" around her. Finally, he mentions Baby Jean, who is a "multicolored dream" that takes him through the night. He is willing to go wherever these women want, just to be near them.
Overall, the lyrics suggest that the singer is attracted to strong, independent women who know what they want. He is willing to follow their lead and submit to their will because he is so enamored with them. The repetition of the chorus emphasizes this willingness to follow wherever they may lead, even if it means losing a bit of his own soul along the way.
Line by Line Meaning
Here comes lovely Grace
Grace is someone who enters the scene and makes everyone happy
Sweeping down the stairs
She is walking down the stairs with an air of confidence
With a big smile on her face
Grace is happy and cheerful
And sunshine in her hair
She's a bright and beautiful presence
She's taking what she wants
Grace is assertive and knows what she wants in life
She's the one that runs the show
Grace knows how to take control of a situation and direct it towards her benefit
And I'm under her command
The singer is ready to comply with Grace's wishes
And god I love it so
The singer is happy to follow Grace's lead
Do what you want to do
The singer is encouraging his love interest to be herself
I love you
The singer is expressing his feelings of love towards his partner
Say what you want to say
The singer is giving permission to his love interest to speak freely
Go where you want to go Baby
The singer is willing to follow his love interest wherever she goes
I will follow
The singer will comply with his lover's wishes
As the city explodes I go out of control
His lover is intoxicating him with her presence and he is losing control
And it feels like I'm losing my soul to you
His love for his partner is so strong that he feels like he's becoming one with her
Just as long as you need me
The singer is ready to be his lover's support system
I am here for you baby
The singer is assuring his love interest that he's always there for her
Here comes baby Jean
Another love interest enters the scene
So turn down all the lights
The singer is setting the mood for Baby Jean's arrival
She a multicoloured dream
Baby Jean is a beautiful and vibrant presence
That takes me through the night
The singer is enchanted by Baby Jean and loses himself in her fantasies
Contributed by Hunter F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Monica Ganz
Qué linda voz! me gusta esta cancion. Los videos de sus canciones tambien son interesantes.
Casmilon Lawi
oh my God! can't stop listening on this song. one of the best!
solacemoon4
Great song !Cute song love the lyrics very sweet.
Thomas Andersen
How on earth did this perfect pop song NOT win???
Amanda Eklund
Thomas Andersen wonder the same thing😊😊😊😞
Bernardo Lazatin
Currently playing this song for someone. ❤️
Amanda Eklund
älskar hans musik♡♡♡
simme337
this songs rock :D i love it<333333
Klara Balogh
Absolut en vinnarlåt!
Angel Sentíes
oh my god.... love this song, loved the video... so fucking cute!