The four girls in Calaisa are ready to demonstrate that the pop sensibilities of Scandinavia and the musical traditions of Tennessee are perfect partners. Especially when you add some Celtic instrumentation and the experience of two pairs of sisters, who prove that the group that plays together stays together.
It’s there to be heard on ‘Hey Girl,’ the first single from a self-titled debut album that will establish Lisa, Caisa, Anna, Malin and their custom-made Calaisa sound, which marries confident songwriting, golden harmonies and instruments like the violin and accordion.
That song is also a great example of the great songwriting cohesion and amazing teamwork that exists between the four members of the group, developed and honed during many years of creating music together. “Sometimes,” says Caisa, “one of us comes up with an idea of maybe a chorus, takes that to the other girls, and we make it into a Calaisa song. Together we’ll add an intro, an outro, a bridge or whatever. ‘Hey Girl’ was one of those songs.”
The album is the result of the girls’ absolute determination to make their way in the record business, and a refusal to take no for an answer that lured them from Sweden, onto the concert roads through Ireland and Poland, and on again to the USA and Nashville.
When they got there, it turned out the man who was absolutely knocked out by their charm as writers and performers just happened to be the head of Universal Music Nashville. Cue record deal, an album cut in just five weeks and a sound already being hailed as the perfect mixture of the Corrs and the Dixie Chicks, with plenty of personality that’s all Calaisa.
“We come from musicians’s families, so our parents taught us a lot about instruments and music,” says Lisa. “I started the band and asked my little sister Caisa to join, and we started to play on the streets to earn money. When I went to music school I met Anna, who plays the violin, and she joined the band. After that, Anna’s sister Malin joined [soon learning to play the accordion] and we became the real Calaisa.”
Lisa was just 14 when she had that brainwave about busking. It not only made her an obvious candidate for young businesswoman of the year, it was the ideal way to try out Calaisa’s early songs and find out what the girls were made of.
“Busking is the best,” enthuses Malin. “It’s fabulous to stand on the street and see how the crowd gets bigger and bigger. It’s the greatest test, because if you can’t make it on the street, you can’t make it anywhere, that’s how we feel. It’s a great place to practice the music and learn new songs. Instead of sitting home, you can practice together and with an audience, and people don’t expect it to be anything. It’s so great to see the reaction. ‘Wait, four girls, playing, singing! This is fun.’”
Through that early experience, Calaisa’s music began to evolve and mature. “We started playing really traditional Irish music,” says Caisa, “then added a few more instruments, and along the way it became more pop and country, because we found some great influences.” Those include not only the Dixie Chicks but Dolly Parton, via Sheryl Crow, Joni Mitchell, the Indigo Girls and the Rankin Family all the way to the Beatles, Sting and fellow Swedes the Cardigans.
After honing their performance skills by touring in Ireland and Poland, the time came for Calaisa to create their own destiny.
“After we tried to get a record deal in Sweden, we decided to take this in our own hands,” says Anna. “So we saved our money for a year and booked our tickets to New York, rented a car and went to Memphis and Atlanta and Nashville and played on the streets and pubs. This man [who turned out to be bluegrass artist Jonathan McEuen] came up to us and told us ‘You have to meet my producer, you should have a huge record deal.’
“So we went to his studio and out came ten men! We started to play and we had no clue who they were, or what they were doing there. We played a couple of songs, the guy said ‘I want to hear more,’ and after that he said ‘I want to sign you.’
“What we didn’t know was that the man in the middle of the crowd was the big producer and record label chairman James Stroud [the head of Universal Music Nashville]. We’d been playing seven songs and telling him the whole story of Calaisa without knowing. He said ‘Don’t even leave the room. You’re staying with us.’”
And they did. After a visit home to work on new songs (“and get a manager and a lawyer!”), Calaisa recorded their debut album in just five weeks. “It was the best experience we’ve ever had,” says Malin. “We could record in the best studios with the best musicians and producers. We had so much fun.”
The results will be with you soon, and the quality of the music runs in the family. Two families, in fact. “Since we’re two sets of sisters, we have voices that really go together,” concludes Lisa. “This year we really want to travel around the world and play our music.”
Hey Girl
Calaisa Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
get in my car we'll drive away
the sun will shine there be no rain
Call me stupid, se I've got no brains
but I'm not Jesus, and I'm sure aint a saint
You drive me crazy with you never ending blame
But you're scared n' afraid of get yourself a bad name
Let me get a chance to live
Let me get a chance to breath
Let me get a chance to run away from you
Hey Girl, look the other way
Girl, you can take the train
Girl, you can go where ever you want
Hey Girl, you can't take the blame
get in my car we'll drive away
the sun will shine there be no rain
I'm so tierd, can't sympathize anymore
I got a feeling you don't have a clue, And I'm looking for
I can't help it, but now my life changes
there are reasons and you are not the one to tell me why
Don't tell me what to say or do
I just wont listen, I am walking out the door
I believe there's so much more
I moving on to find where I belong
Hey Girl, look the other way
Girl, you can take the train
Girl, you can go where ever you want
Hey Girl, you can't take the blame girl
get in my car we'll drive away
the sun will shine there be no rain X3
Hey Girl (Hey girl, Hey Girl)
Hey Girl (Hey girl, Hey Girl)
The song "Hey Girl" by the group Calaisa speaks to the experience of feeling trapped and burdened by others' expectations and judgments. The lyrics urge the listener to break free from this suffocating environment and take control of their own life. The first stanza sets up this theme, with the singer encouraging the girl to escape blame and join them in a carefree ride away from it all.
The second verse delves deeper into the frustration and exhaustion that the singer feels. They acknowledge the constant pressure put on them by the girl and express their desire for independence and self-fulfillment. The lyrics make it clear that they are not interested in being told what to do or how to live their life any longer.
The chorus repeats the invitation to escape and emphasizes the promise of a brighter future. The sun will shine and there will be no rain, providing a sense of hope and renewal. Overall, "Hey Girl" is a relatable anthem for anyone who has felt held back by others and longs for the freedom to pursue their own happiness.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey Girl, you cant take the blame
I know you're always blaming yourself for everything, but right now it's not your fault, so let's get out of here and leave all that behind.
get in my car we'll drive away
I'll take you with me, we'll escape from it all and leave all our troubles behind.
the sun will shine there be no rain
We'll find our way to happiness, and nothing will be able to stop us, not even the bad times.
Call me stupid, se I've got no brains
You might think I'm not intelligent, but I promise you that I'm not naive like Jesus or a righteous saint.
but I'm not Jesus, and I'm sure aint a saint
I might not preach perfectionism, and yes, I'll make mistakes, but that's what makes me human.
You drive me crazy with you never ending blame
You constantly blame everything on me, which is driving me insane and making me feel trapped in this relationship.
But you're scared n' afraid of get yourself a bad name
You're too scared to own up to your mistakes and afraid of getting a bad reputation, which could lead to the demise of our relationship.
Let me get a chance to live
I want to have the opportunity to live my life the way I want to and do what's best for me.
Let me get a chance to breath
I need some space and time to breathe and figure out what's important to me without feeling suffocated.
Let me get a chance to run away from you
I need to leave this place and start over somewhere new, where I won't feel trapped by you or our past.
I'm so tierd, can't sympathize anymore
I'm exhausted from trying to understand your perspective and feeling empathy towards your actions when you never take responsibility for your mistakes.
I got a feeling you don't have a clue, And I'm looking for
I sense that you don't even know what you want, and I'm searching for something more meaningful than this relationship.
I can't help it, but now my life changes
I can't ignore the feeling that something needs to change in my life, and that change might separate me from you.
there are reasons and you are not the one to tell me why
There are valid reasons why I want to leave, and you can't try to justify those reasons or convince me otherwise.
Don't tell me what to say or do
I won't listen to you dictating how I should live my life or what choices I should make.
I just wont listen, I am walking out the door
I won't change my mind, I'm leaving you, and there's nothing you can do to stop me.
I believe there's so much more
I have hope and faith that my life holds so much more than this relationship or this situation.
I moving on to find where I belong
I'm searching for a place where I feel like I belong and where I can be happy without feeling trapped or blamed for everything.
Hey Girl, look the other way
Forget about me, don't look back and don't worry about what happens to me.
Girl, you can take the train
You have the freedom to go wherever you want in life, without worrying about me or anyone else holding you back.
Girl, you can go where ever you want
You can make your own choices and live your life the way you want, with or without me by your side.
Hey Girl, you can't take the blame girl
I know you'll blame yourself for everything, but sometimes things aren't your fault, and you just have to accept that and move on.
the sun will shine there be no rain X3
We'll find our way to happiness, and nothing will be able to stop us, not even the bad times, and we'll live happily ever after.
Hey Girl (Hey girl, Hey Girl)
I'm calling out to you, trying to get your attention so that you can understand my perspective and feelings.
Hey Girl (Hey girl, Hey Girl)
I'm calling out to you, trying to convince you to come with me and leave all your troubles behind.
Contributed by Parker B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@undris
this is a hit folks
@juvancu
i love this!!!!!
@missyheart91
i love this song :D
@weareanidiot
Älskar denna låten
@classeb10
Störtbra, dokumentären är ju dessutom helt enorm, vilken story! Super lycka till Calaisa, ni svänger hårt! Jag såg dem i Kungsträdgården inför ca 50 pers förra sommaren, pinsammt, nästa gång blir det utsålt!
@lillhugg
var och lyssnade på dom på katalin i uppsala och fan va bra dom är
@jockeeb
"sisters in arms" heter den, bästa låten på skivan engeligt mig!! =)
@Borshen
de e ju bra jue:D as soft musik :D
@turkkisydamessani
Riktigt duktiga..(o söta) (tyvärr har jag inget ljud på min dator...men jag sätter upp den här på mina favoriter ändå..så länge..tills jag har högtalare som funkar)
@sofiakallmark
de är riktigt bra! Jag gillar dom:D