Most of her songs are released under the name Säkert!, which is Annika's artist name when she sings in swedish or Hello Saferide which is her english stagename.
Election Day
Annika Norlin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I′ve already voted, so I'm timewise ok
And Göteborg feels like my head:
Slow, gloomy and grey
My train departs soon, we meet up at the station
You just came in from Bergen, how are you Jens Lekman?
I eye everyone, try to guess what they′re voting for
And this is what we speak of: when you know someone likes you
- As a friend or a lover or a listener -
You still don't know WHY they like you,
So you take a guess based on their appearance
But people are always much more complicated
Than you think, than you think that they are.
A woman comes up, she says she's a clairvoyant
She says "thanks for this Friday, I went to your concert
I like you, cause I can tell you were a warrior in a past life."
On the train, I buy an apple
It′s so huge, it′s astounding
And I get so upset I'm by myself, can′t show no one
I fight an urge to show the girl sitting next to me
But she looks like a model, probably doesn't want to see it
It′s amazingly large, this apple! and I gram it
But it gets very few likes
And outside the window, the trees flaunt their shit
And the fields, and the flowers, and the lakes that are glittering
Behind me, two people in suits say climate change is fake news
And I take my huge apple
And I shove it down their throats
I say: "that's not a topic you can argue about
It is what it is, it′s not up for debate
Do you really think I would be stuck on this train twelve hours today
If it was optional?"
That last part was I lie, I'm a pacifist
But I enjoyed making that up, I have to admit
Lets not forgot I was a warrior in a past life
The results are like life on Election Day news:
No one really won, and all are confused
It's quiet, but it feels like a bomb with a really long fuse.
And I like you cause you talk about the same things that I do:
Telling stories and TV, and being on tour
It makes me feel like an extrovert
And that is nice for a change
And I like me, because I always crash
I wallow and complain, and then I bounce back
If a clairvoyant came up in a hundred years
I think she would have said to me:
"In your past life, you were lame but at least you tried.
Now those fumes will choke you, so get inside."
Now it′s time to sleep on Election Day
Annika Norlin's song "Election Day" is a poignant commentary on the complexity of human nature and the struggles of modern life. The opening lines reveal the singer's disillusionment with her surroundings, as she compares Göteborg to the slow, gloomy, and grey state of her mind. However, her mood quickly shifts as she meets up with Jens Lekman and engages in a reflective discussion on the mystery of attraction. The singer notes that despite knowing someone likes you, it can be hard to decipher the reasons behind their affections. She illustrates this concept by describing how people are far more multidimensional than appearances suggest.
As the train journey progresses, the singer becomes preoccupied with an unusually large apple that she has purchased. She is unable to share it with anyone and instead turns to Instagram to show it off. This reflects the increasingly isolated and individualistic nature of society, where sharing experiences with others has become more about virtual connection than face-to-face interaction. The song's ending focuses on the election results, which the singer sees as being confusing and inconclusive. This is a reflection of the political climates in many countries around the world, where citizens are left feeling disillusioned and uncertain.
Line by Line Meaning
I wake up early on Election Day
Annika wakes up early on Election Day to go out and participate in democracy.
I′ve already voted, so I'm timewise ok
Annika has already voted, and is now assured of arriving on time.
And Göteborg feels like my head:
Slow, gloomy and grey
The morning is dark and bleak, and Annika is feeling apprehensive about the outcome of the election.
My train departs soon, we meet up at the station
You just came in from Bergen, how are you Jens Lekman?
Annika is meeting her friend Jens Lekman, who has just arrived by train from Bergen.
I eye everyone, try to guess what they′re voting for
Annika looks around at the other passengers, trying to discern whom they are voting for.
And this is what we speak of: when you know someone likes you
- As a friend or a lover or a listener -
You still don't know WHY they like you,
So you take a guess based on their appearance
But people are always much more complicated
Than you think, than you think that they are.
Annika reflects on the complexity of human relationships, and how people can be much more difficult to understand than one might initially assume.
A woman comes up, she says she's a clairvoyant
She says "thanks for this Friday, I went to your concert
I like you, cause I can tell you were a warrior in a past life."
A woman approaches Annika on the train and tells her that she is clairvoyant. She compliments Annika on her recent concert and strikes up a conversation about past lives.
On the train, I buy an apple
It′s so huge, it′s astounding
And I get so upset I'm by myself, can′t show no one
I fight an urge to show the girl sitting next to me
But she looks like a model, probably doesn't want to see it
It′s amazingly large, this apple! and I gram it
But it gets very few likes
Annika buys a large and impressive-looking apple, but feels frustrated that she has nobody to show it off to. She resists the urge to show her neighbor, who she assumes would not be interested anyway.
And outside the window, the trees flaunt their shit
And the fields, and the flowers, and the lakes that are glittering
Behind me, two people in suits say climate change is fake news
And I take my huge apple
And I shove it down their throats
I say: "that's not a topic you can argue about
It is what it is, it′s not up for debate
Do you really think I would be stuck on this train twelve hours today
If it was optional?"
That last part was I lie, I'm a pacifist
But I enjoyed making that up, I have to admit
Lets not forgot I was a warrior in a past life
Annika becomes frustrated when two fellow passengers deny the existence of climate change. She imagines herself shoving her large apple down their throats and lecturing them about the seriousness of the issue, but in reality she is a pacifist and does not confront them directly. She takes solace in her belief that she was a warrior in a past life.
The results are like life on Election Day news:
No one really won, and all are confused
It's quiet, but it feels like a bomb with a really long fuse.
The election results are inconclusive and nobody knows who has won. There is a sense of anxious anticipation, as if waiting for something explosive to happen.
And I like you cause you talk about the same things that I do:
Telling stories and TV, and being on tour
It makes me feel like an extrovert
And that is nice for a change
Annika appreciates friends like Jens Lekman who share her interests in storytelling, television, and touring. Being around such people helps her to feel more outgoing and extroverted.
And I like me, because I always crash
I wallow and complain, and then I bounce back
If a clairvoyant came up in a hundred years
I think she would have said to me:
"In your past life, you were lame but at least you tried.
Now those fumes will choke you, so get inside."
Annika appreciates her own resilience, which allows her to recover from setbacks and keep going. She imagines a hypothetical conversation with a clairvoyant in which she is told that in a past life, she was not very successful or interesting, but that she still put forth a good effort. The clairvoyant warns her to be careful about pollution in the present.
Now it′s time to sleep on Election Day
Annika retires for the night, having participated in a tense and uncertain election day.
Writer(s): Annika Norlin
Contributed by Alaina T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.