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]
Another Sweet Summer's Night on Hammer Hill
Jens Lekman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When I'm walkin' 'round here dreamin'
On a summer's night on Hammer Hill
oh, it's hard to stay with the subject
When you think of something so perfect
As a summer's night on Hammer Hill
That means fatass in the seventh grade
I still remember the steamy dressing room
Where they beat him black and blue
Yeah they beat him black and blue
oh, but it's hard to stay mad when there's so much beauty
An open window, someone's playing Tutti Frutti
It's a summer's night on Hammer Hill
I had a friend, a girl who looked sort of like a guy
I can't forget her dark painful eyes
When they burned her with a cigarette lighter
When the cops came they had to untie her
Another girl was free to grow up as cynical writer
oh, but it's hard to stay mad when there's so much beauty
An open window, someone's playing Tutti Frutti
It's a sweet summer's night on Hammer Hill
I wanna die right here
On a sweet summer's night on Hammer Hill
The song "Another Sweet Summer's Night on Hammer Hill" by Jens Lekman is a bittersweet tribute to a summer night spent on Hammer Hill, which is presumably the hill where Jens grew up. The opening lines of the song, "Oh, the memories, they come a-streamin', when I'm walkin' 'round here dreamin', on a summer's night on Hammer Hill," sets the nostalgic tone of the song. Jens reminisces about his memories of Hammer Hill, but these memories are not all happy ones. The lyrics "I had a friend who was slightly overweight, that means fatass in the seventh grade. I still remember the steamy dressing room, where they beat him black and blue," speak to the bullying that Jens's friend experienced. Similarly, he talks about his friend who was burned with a cigarette lighter, an incident that likely took place on Hammer Hill as well. These dark memories are juxtaposed with the beauty of the summer night on Hammer Hill, and it's this contrast that makes the song so poignant.
Overall, "Another Sweet Summer's Night on Hammer Hill" is a song about the complexities of childhood memories. It's a reminder that even the most idyllic summer nights can be marred by darker experiences. Despite these painful memories, the song acknowledges that there is still beauty in the world. This sentiment is expressed in the lines "It's hard to stay mad when there's so much beauty, an open window, someone's playing Tutti Frutti." Even though Jens has experienced pain and sadness, he is still able to appreciate the small moments of joy in life.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh the memories, they come a-streamin'
Thinking about the past brings back strong memories
When I'm walkin' 'round here dreamin'
He daydreams while walking around
On a summer's night on Hammer Hill
The memory he's thinking of takes place on Hammer Hill on a summer night
oh, it's hard to stay with the subject
It's difficult to focus on one thing when there are so many emotions involved
When you think of something so perfect
The summer night on Hammer Hill was too beautiful to forget
I had a friend who was slightly overweight
He had a friend who was teased for her weight in middle school
That means fatass in the seventh grade
Kids used cruel language in middle school to bully their peers
I still remember the steamy dressing room
He vividly remembers where the teasing took place
Where they beat him black and blue
The friend was physically abused in the dressing room
Yeah they beat him black and blue
The abuse was severe and left a lasting impact on the friend and the singer
I had a friend, a girl who looked sort of like a guy
He also had a friend who was bullied for not conforming to traditional gender norms
I can't forget her dark painful eyes
The pain and hurt his friend experienced was evident in her eyes
When they burned her with a cigarette lighter
His friend was physically abused in a different way
When the cops came they had to untie her
The abuse was severe and needed police intervention to stop
Another girl was free to grow up as cynical writer
His friend's experience may have influenced her to become a writer with a cynical outlook on life
I wanna die right here
The beauty of the summer night on Hammer Hill makes him want to stay there forever, even if it means dying there
On a sweet summer's night on Hammer Hill
Repeating the idea that this memory is specifically from a summer night on Hammer Hill
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!