Lekman recorded and released much of his material privately from 2000 to 2003 on CD-R. Because one of his songs during this time was entitled "Rocky Dennis' Farewell Song to the Blind Girl", Lekman was mistakenly referred to as Rocky Dennis for a while (the song was actually written from the perspective of the main character of the 1985 film Mask). Lekman says that it was a "mistake": "someone thought that was my real name cause I had a song about him, and then radio picked up on it, and I never had a chance to change it". He put the confusion to rest with his Rocky Dennis in Heaven EP (2004).
His self-released 7" vinyl EP Maple Leaves caused a big stir in 2003, mainly due to sound files circulating on file sharing networks. When the same EP was released on CD by the Swedish independent label Service Records in the autumn, he was already a well-known name. The songs Maple Leaves and Black Cab were heavily played on Swedish national radio. He soon signed a contract with the American label Secretly Canadian for releases outside of Sweden. Heavy touring and his debut album soon followed.
His first album When I Said I Wanted to Be Your Dog was released in 2004, and consisted of recordings made between 2000 and 2004 (some tracks had been previously released independently by Lekman). The album attracted attention among the alternative music press in both Europe and the US. The song You Are The Light was a successful radio hit, and a video received some rotation in the Nordic MTV and ZTV. In Sweden the album reached #6 in the national chart. Lekman was nominated for three Swedish Grammies, three P3 Guld and three Manifest awards, as well as dubbed album of the year by Nöjesguiden.
A concert film shot from Lekman's sold-out show with José González at Göteborg's concert hall in December 2003 was broadcast by Swedish national television two times in 2005. In June 2005, a compilation CD of Jens' first three EPs, with extra tracks, was released as Oh You're So Silent Jens. Lekman also had a track on Secretly Canadian's SC100 compilation, released in April 2007.
His latest album, Night Falls Over Kortedala, was released in October 2007, and appeared on many lists for the best albums of said year.
Live performances by Lekman differs in style. Sometimes he performs alone with only a guitar and a CD player, or doing a capella versions of his songs. Other times, he is accompanied by a choir and string quartet, and he was recently seen on tour with a full band (including horns etc) consisting of all women musicians, dressed in white 60s dresses.
Official: [http://www.jenslekman.com]
Fan-site/Forum: [http://www.mapleleaves.se]
A Higher Power
Jens Lekman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And then kiss and stuff 'till we get dizzy and fall on the bed.
We were in heaven for five or six minutes, then we passed out
And I was so in love I thought I knew what love was all about.
In church on Sunday making out in front of the preacher.
You had a black shirt on with a big picture of Nietzsche.
When we had done our thing for a full Christian hour,
[Chorus]
A higher, higher power.
A higher, higher power.
At a Christmas-party, I'd hold your hair when you vomit,
I'd help you up to brush your teeth, and then I'd kiss your stomach.
We lie still on your bed, the room is lit only by the tele
And it's a perfect night for feeling melancholy.
[Chorus]
Higher, higher power.
Higher, a higher power.
[Chorus]
Jens Lekman's song "A Higher Power" is a story about love and the lengths one would go for their significant other. The lyrics are a series of vignettes, which involve unconventional and sometimes humorous scenarios. The song begins with the image of two people putting plastic bags over their heads and engaging in a passionate make-out session until they pass out. The lyrics reveal the singer’s intense love for the person he is with, the kind of love that he believes transcends mortality.
The second verse takes place in a church, where the couple is making out in front of the preacher while the singer's boyfriend wears a black shirt displaying the image of Nietzsche. The singer becomes convinced that there is a higher power that exists, which he attributes to the intensity of his love. He is not necessarily referring to the religious God, but rather the belief that there is something beyond us that gives significance to our existence.
In the final verse, the singer describes a moment where he takes care of his sick boyfriend during a Christmas party. He holds his hair while he vomits, helps him brush his teeth, and kisses his stomach. The song ends with the couple lying in bed together, surrounded only by the light coming from the television screen. The lyrics, when examined line by line, seem absurd, but when taken as a whole, it presents the idea of love being an overwhelming force that connects us to something bigger than ourselves.
Line by Line Meaning
She said let's put a plastic bag over our heads
She suggested an activity that could result in suffocation.
And then kiss and stuff 'till we get dizzy and fall on the bed.
They embraced each other, becoming light-headed and collapsing onto the bed.
We were in heaven for five or six minutes, then we passed out
They experienced a feeling of euphoria, followed by unconsciousness.
And I was so in love I thought I knew what love was all about.
He believed that this intense emotional experience represented true love.
In church on Sunday making out in front of the preacher.
They engaged in passionate kissing in front of a religious leader.
You had a black shirt on with a big picture of Nietzsche.
He wore a shirt depicting the image of a philosopher known for his attitudes toward religion.
When we had done our thing for a full Christian hour,
They continued their sexual activity for an extended period of time.
I had made up my mind that there must be a higher power.
He felt that their experience contained a sense of transcendence beyond physical pleasure.
[Chorus]
Repetition of the phrase 'a higher power.'
At a Christmas-party, I'd hold your hair when you vomit,
He is willing to assist her even in uncomfortable situations.
I'd help you up to brush your teeth, and then I'd kiss your stomach.
He is attentive to her needs, and is comfortable with her body.
We lie still on your bed, the room is lit only by the tele
They lay together in silence, in front of the only source of light in the dimly lit room.
And it's a perfect night for feeling melancholy.
The mood is somber and reflective, creating a feeling of sadness mixed with nostalgia.
[Chorus]
Repetition of the phrase 'a higher power.'
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Jens Martin Lekman
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind