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 Sweet Summer's Night on Hammer Hill
Jens Lekman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Could that have been back in the sweet summer of 1993?
It was a sweet summer's night on Hammer Hill.
Oh, the sound of distant carnival drums,
The Spanish guitar someone strums,
It's a sweet summer's night on Hammer Hill.
Bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp!
Can you hear the beat of my heart?
Bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp!
Can you hear the beat of my heart?
Bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp!
Oh, the memories come a streamin'
When I'm walking 'round here dreamin'
It's a sweet summer's night on Hammer Hill.
Oh, the memories come a streamin'
When I'm walking 'round here dreamin'
It's a sweet summer's night on Hammer Hill.
My heart goes like:
Bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp!
Can you hear the beat of my heart?
Bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp!
Can you hear the beat of my heart?
Bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp!
Oh no! Oh no!
Oh no! Oh no!
Oh no no no no no
Oh no! Oh no!
Oh no! Oh no!
Oh no no no no no
Oh no! Oh no!
Oh no! Oh no!
Oh no no no no no
Oh no no no!
It's coming back to me.
Oh no no no!
It's coming back to me.
Oh no no no!
It's coming back to me.
It's a sweet summer's night on Hammer Hill.
My heart goes like:
Bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp
Can you hear the beat of my heart?
Bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp
Can you hear the beat of my heart?
Bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp
In the song "A Sweet Summer's Night on Hammer Hill" by Jens Lekman, the artist reminisces about a sweet summer's night he had back in 1993. He associates this memory with listening to Warren G's "Regulate," a popular hip-hop song from that time. The artist sets the scene by mentioning the sound of distant carnival drums and someone playing a Spanish guitar, which creates a dreamy and nostalgic atmosphere. The beat of his heart serves as a metaphor for the memories that keep flooding back to him.
The chorus of the song, where the artist repeatedly asks, "Can you hear the beat of my heart?" highlights how he wants the listener to understand just how vivid these memories are for him. As he walks around, the memories "come a streamin'," and he's transported back to that summer night on Hammer Hill. In the end, the artist gets overwhelmed by the flood of memories, exclaiming "Oh no! Oh no! Oh no no no no no."
The song captures the bittersweet feeling of reminiscing about the past. The artist longs for those summer nights but is also saddened by the fact that they're gone. The reference to "Regulate" and the beat of the heart suggest that music played a crucial role in evoking these memories. Ultimately, the song is a testament to the power of music to transport us to specific moments in time and elicit strong emotions.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, I still remember "Regulate" with Warren G.
I have fond memories of listening to the song "Regulate" by Warren G.
Could that have been back in the sweet summer of 1993?
I'm wondering if that memory is from the summer of 1993.
It was a sweet summer's night on Hammer Hill.
The memory I have is of a warm and enjoyable night spent on Hammer Hill.
Oh, the sound of distant carnival drums,
I remember hearing the sound of carnival drums in the distance.
The Spanish guitar someone strums,
I heard someone playing a Spanish guitar.
It's a sweet summer's night on Hammer Hill.
These memories are from a summer night on Hammer Hill.
My heart goes like:
This memory makes my heart beat fast.
Bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp!
My heart is pounding with each "bomp" sound.
Can you hear the beat of my heart?
I'm asking if you can feel the same excitement I'm feeling.
Oh, the memories come a streamin'
I'm overwhelmed with all these happy memories flooding back.
When I'm walking 'round here dreamin'
Even just walking around here makes me start to daydream about the past.
It's a sweet summer's night on Hammer Hill.
It's all because of that one special night on Hammer Hill.
Oh no! Oh no!
My heart is starting to race again.
Oh no no no no no
I'm feeling overwhelmed with emotion.
It's coming back to me.
All these happy memories are flooding back to me again.
It's a sweet summer's night on Hammer Hill.
And it's all thanks to that one magical summer night on Hammer Hill.
Bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp
My heart is still beating so fast and strong.
Can you hear the beat of my heart?
Can you feel how strongly I'm feeling this moment?
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Jens Martin Lekman
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Koshirozation
[Verse 1]
Oh, I still remember "Regulate" with Warren G
Could that have been back in the sweet summer of 1993?
It was a sweet summer's night on Hammer Hill
Oh, the sound of distant carnival drums
The Spanish guitar someone strums
It's a sweet summer's night on Hammer Hill
[Chorus]
My heart goes like:
Bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp!
Can you hear the beat of my heart?
Bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp!
Can you hear the beat of my heart?
Bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp!
[Verse 2]
Oh, the memories come a streamin'
When I'm walking 'round here dreamin'
It's a sweet summer's night on Hammer Hill
Oh, the memories come a streamin'
When I'm walking 'round here dreamin'
It's a sweet summer's night on Hammer Hill
[Chorus]
My heart goes like:
Bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp!
Can you hear the beat of my heart?
Bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp!
Can you hear the beat of my heart?
Bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp!
[Bridge]
Oh no! Oh no!
Oh no! Oh no!
Oh no no no no no...
[x3]
Oh no no no!
It's coming back to me
Oh no no no!
It's coming back to me
Oh no no no!
It's coming back to me
It's a sweet summer's night on Hammer Hill
[Chorus]
My heart goes like:
Bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp!
Can you hear the beat of my heart?
Bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp!
Can you hear the beat of my heart?
Bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp!
@Koshirozation
jens lekman lyric a day
jens lekman - a sweet summer's night on hammer hill
14/1/2019
the ultimate jojo richman touch, bergman's characters and joyous background playful voices that for some unknown reason awake this melancholy inside you, for all the summers you had, lived through, wasted, enjoyed, shared
an essential jens lekman song! <3
just this:
"Bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp!
Can you hear the beat of my heart?"
@gowrikolal7170
Why is this album not on Spotify:///
@chelseadouglas7685
It has a bunch of uncleared samples.
@thewildmitchell
oh but look again
@davisiondotca
This is soooo Jonathan Richman. Sooooo Jonathan. The melody, the sweet, naïve sentiment of love, even the voice and instrumentation. Somebody, back me up on this.
@ignacioasin933
+David Stevenson You´re right it has that taste!! It also reminds me of Jonathan´s song "Its you"
@jamieryandowney9880
+David Stevenson Morrissey
@omarqure
+Jamie Ryan Downey Nothing like Morrisey
@jamieryandowney9880
+omarqure Well, I can't argue with those points so yeah, you must be right then.
He sounds nothing like Morrissey.
@mhbackman
Thank you so much for this comparison! I've been on a Jonathan Richman binge all week thanks to you! What a hidden gem!
@hrryeo6243
I always sing this over Martha Reeves: Heatwave!