She released her début album Somebody Outside in 2004. The Swedish Grammy jury awarded her as Best Newcomer of the year, and was nominated for Best Female Artist, Best Lyricist and Best Songwriter of 2005. She also won the P3 Gold award for Best Newcomer 2004.
For her second album, Separation Road released on September 27, 2006, she was awarded Best Female Artist and Best Lyricist of the Swedish Grammy jury, again she was nominated for Best Songwriter and Best Album. She received the award for Best Female Artist at the Swedish National Radio's P3 Gold Awards the same year.
Her début US album, Halfway to Fivepoints, was released on April 22, 2008.
"To Be Gone", "My Secret", "Girl Laying Down", "Today is A Good Day", and "Shoreline" (a Broder Daniel cover) remain her most popular songs.
Her song, "Quiet Night" was used in the second series of the Swedish version of Wallander starring Krister Henriksson.
''Words of Love'' featured in gameplay Silent hill:Downpour.
On December 18, 2009, her song "No, I Don't Remember" was featured on an episode of Dollhouse entitled "The Attic." This song was featured in July 2010 on a new DLC episode, for the Xbox 360 videogame Alan Wake, entitled "The Signal".
Her latest album, Leaving on a Mayday, was released on August 11, 2009. The album won Album of the Year at the 2009 Swedish Grammy Awards along with the award for Best Female Artist.
china girl
Anna Ternheim Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I feel a wreck without my little China girl
I hear her heart beating, loud as thunder
Saw their stars crashing
I’m a mess without my little China girl
Wake up in the morning, where’s my little China girl?
I hear her heart beating, loud as thunder
I feel tragic like I'm Marlon Brando
When I look at my China girl
I could pretend that nothing really meant too much
When I look at my China girl
I stumble into town just like a sacred cow
Visions of swastikas in my head
Plans for everyone
It’s in the white of my eyes
And when I get excited
My little China girl says
Baby, just you shut your mouth
She says, sh-sh-shhh
She says, sh-sh-shhh
Anna Ternheim's song "China Girl" is a hauntingly beautiful tune that speaks to the depths of love, loss, and longing. In the song, the singer speaks of his intense emotional connection with his partner, referred to as his "China girl." He talks about how he could escape his overwhelming feelings if he were with her and how he feels like a "wreck" without her. He hears her heart beating "loud as thunder," which underscores the singer's desperation and need for her.
The song takes a turn when the singer describes feeling "tragic" like Marlon Brando when he looks at her. This could be a nod to Brando's role in "Last Tango in Paris," where he portrays a man grappling with intense emotional pain and longing. The singer then says he could pretend that nothing really meant too much when he looks at his China girl. The line might suggest that the singer is afraid of getting too emotionally involved and getting hurt.
The song's final verse paints an evocative image of the singer stumbling into town like a "sacred cow," with visions of swastikas in his head. The image could be representative of the singer's struggles with identity, as he navigates his place in the world. The song ends on a comforting note, with the singer's China girl telling him to quiet down and hushing him. The final lines of the song suggest that, as long as he has her love, everything will be okay.
Line by Line Meaning
I could escape this feeling with my China girl
I believe that being with my China girl can free me of this overwhelming sensation.
I feel a wreck without my little China girl
I feel disturbed and helpless without my China girl at my side.
I hear her heart beating, loud as thunder
I hear her emotions reverberating through her heartbeat, loudly resonating as if it were thunder.
Saw their stars crashing
I witnessed their relationship falling apart and crushing like a falling star.
I’m a mess without my little China girl
I am a complete disaster without my China girl beside me.
Wake up in the morning, where’s my little China girl?
The first thing I think of when I wake up is where is my China girl.
I hear her heart beating, loud as thunder
Her emotions are so powerful that I hear her heartbeat as loudly as thunder.
Saw their stars crashing down
I saw their relationship collapse catastrophically, like falling stars from the sky.
I feel tragic like I'm Marlon Brando
My emotions are so sorrowful that I feel like Marlon Brando in a tragic role.
When I look at my China girl
When I see my China girl, these are the thoughts that flood my mind.
I could pretend that nothing really meant too much
I can pretend that I don't care about what happened between us.
When I look at my China girl
These are the sentiments that overwhelm me when gazing at my China girl.
I stumble into town just like a sacred cow
I feel like an awkward and uncoordinated creature when I walk into the public eye.
Visions of swastikas in my head
Hellish images of swastikas fill my mind, obscuring positive thoughts.
Plans for everyone
I have ideas that I want to share with the world that will benefit all people.
It’s in the white of my eyes
My eyes are reflective of my desires and goals for the world.
And when I get excited
When I become enthusiastic and passionate,
My little China girl says
My China girl advises me,
Baby, just you shut your mouth
Maybe it is best if I calm down and refrain from speaking.
She says, sh-sh-shhh
She hushes me, like putting a finger to her lips to indicate silence.
She says, sh-sh-shhh
She continues to encourage me to be quiet, indicating that talking is unnecessary.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, BMG Rights Management
Written by: David Bowie, James Osterberg
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@carlosrodrigues8835
without a trace brought me here... amazing cover.
@simoarshara
Me too! Beautiful version,!
@lorenzobolla1648
Me too!
@wyrd2urana958
Best cover.
@Merlinwon2
Awesome song.. watched without a trace and heard this one! Fantastic!! Thanks for posting this! :)
@markantoneee
11 years have passed and i find myself here again T,T
@24liess
I have been looking for this song EVERYWHERE!
@__avp__
Brilliant.
@gife3217
Yesterday I've seen the episode you talked about. Many and many times I've seen it, but it's always painful and sad.
@brianwilson-mccormick3602
Beautiful