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]
Friday Night at the Drive-In Bingo
Jens Lekman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Two acres of field and a gas station
Riding on my moped, looking for fun
Staring into the blood red sun
On the country road is a boulevard
With neon lights and night open bars
In my jacket a pack of playing cards
My heart is beating, beating like Ringo
As I pull into the drive-in bingo
Why do the people in the country wanna look like the people in the city?
When the people in the city aren't the slightest pretty I want the people in the country to wear flannel shirts and saggy jeans all covered in dirt
I want the people in the country to be open and kind
But most times I've met those with a narrow mind
With a big black dog to bite your behind
If they ever find out you're not one of their kind
All these thoughts as I open up a zingo
Friday night at the drive-in bingo
So this is what they do out here for fun?
They play bingo and let their engines run?
Tonight's jackpot is a pig, hey that's criminal!
G-42! ooh, I'm going diagonal!
I'm gonna gather up a few of my friends
As many fits into an army tent
Just bring our savings and a bottle of wine
To the Friday night's reversal of time!
This little south-west village shouldn't cost that much
Maybe a handful of silver or a hundred bucks
We could have wild wild parties in that big old lodge and the windmill's perfect for movies and such
We could fake our deaths to get insurance money and take on hippie names
I'd be Snowphish you'd be Sunny, we could start a little farm with little white bunnies
Just cause watching them copulate is very funny
There's a cow and an ostrich just waiting for you!
A glass of apple cider just waiting for you!
The smell of 1952 just waiting for you!
And all I'm doing here is just waiting for you
A daydream, I'm caught up in limbo
Friday night at the drive-in bingo
The lyrics of Jens Lekman's song Friday Night at the Drive-In Bingo describe the experience of a young man on a moped in a small southern Swedish country town. He is looking for fun and finds it in the form of a drive-in bingo. The first verse is about his journey to the bingo, on a country road which leads to a boulevard with neon lights and night open bars. He carries a pack of playing cards with him.
The second verse is more introspective, with the singer wondering why people in the country want to look like people in the city when the people in the city aren't particularly pretty. He wants the people in the country to be themselves, to wear flannel shirts and saggy jeans all covered in dirt. The singer also touches on the idea of narrow-mindedness in the country, particularly when it comes to outsiders. Despite these thoughts, he still enjoys the novelty of the drive-in bingo, feeling his heart beating like Ringo as he enters.
The final verse has him daydreaming about bringing his friends to the country village. He envisions wild parties, film nights in the windmill, and even faking their deaths to start a farm with little white bunnies. The final lines describe the atmosphere of the bingo, with a cow and ostrich waiting, along with apple cider, and a scent of 1952.
Line by Line Meaning
In a tiny tiny southern Swedish country town
The song is set in a small town in southern Sweden.
Two acres of field and a gas station
The town only has two acres of land, and the only business is a gas station.
Riding on my moped, looking for fun
The singer is searching for something fun to do.
Staring into the blood red sun
The sun is setting and the sky is red.
On the country road is a boulevard
The small country road is lined with neon lights and bars.
With neon lights and night open bars
The neon lights and bars are open late at night.
In my jacket a pack of playing cards
The singer has a pack of playing cards in his jacket.
Just jacks, jokers, and the queen of hearts
The pack of playing cards only contains jacks, jokers, and the queen of hearts.
My heart is beating, beating like Ringo
The singer's heart is beating quickly, like Ringo Starr's drums.
As I pull into the drive-in bingo
The singer arrives at the drive-in bingo.
Why do the people in the country wanna look like the people in the city?
The singer questions why people in the country want to emulate the city-dwellers.
When the people in the city aren't the slightest pretty
The singer thinks that the people in the city are not attractive.
I want the people in the country to wear flannel shirts and saggy jeans all covered in dirt
The singer wants country people to wear casual, dirty clothes.
I want the people in the country to be open and kind
The singer desires for people in the country to be friendly and welcoming.
But most times I've met those with a narrow mind
The singer has encountered closed-minded people in the country.
With a big black dog to bite your behind
Some people in the country are hostile, and may have guard dogs.
If they ever find out you're not one of their kind
If the people in the country realize that the singer isn't from there, they may treat him differently.
All these thoughts as I open up a zingo
The singer contemplates these thoughts as he opens his pack of playing cards.
Friday night at the drive-in bingo
The song takes place on a Friday night at the drive-in bingo.
So this is what they do out here for fun?
The singer is surprised that bingo is a popular activity in the country.
They play bingo and let their engines run?
While playing bingo, people also leave their car engines running.
Tonight's jackpot is a pig, hey that's criminal!
The prize for winning bingo that night is a pig, which the singer finds unusual.
G-42! ooh, I'm going diagonal!
The singer is playing bingo, and has a spot that will complete a diagonal line if he gets the matching letter and number called.
I'm gonna gather up a few of my friends
The singer plans to gather some friends to join him.
As many fits into an army tent
He plans to invite as many friends as can fit in an army tent.
Just bring our savings and a bottle of wine
The group will bring their savings and a bottle of wine to the event.
To the Friday night's reversal of time!
They are excited to relive old times on Friday night.
This little south-west village shouldn't cost that much
The singer thinks that the town they are in isn't expensive.
Maybe a handful of silver or a hundred bucks
He thinks that it will only cost a small amount of money.
We could have wild wild parties in that big old lodge and the windmill's perfect for movies and such
The group has plans to have parties and watch movies in the town's big lodge and windmill.
We could fake our deaths to get insurance money and take on hippie names
The group jokes that they could fake their deaths and take on new identities.
I'd be Snowphish you'd be Sunny, we could start a little farm with little white bunnies
The singer and his friend would change their names and start a farm with bunnies.
Just cause watching them copulate is very funny
He thinks that it would be hilarious to watch the bunnies reproduce.
There's a cow and an ostrich just waiting for you!
The town has a unique cow and an ostrich for the singer to see.
A glass of apple cider just waiting for you!
There is apple cider waiting for him to drink.
The smell of 1952 just waiting for you!
When he smells the town, it reminds him of 1952.
And all I'm doing here is just waiting for you
Despite all the exciting things to see and do, the singer is really just waiting for his friend to arrive.
A daydream, I'm caught up in limbo
The singer is caught up in a daydream and feels stuck in it.
Friday night at the drive-in bingo
The song concludes with a reminder that it is Friday night at the drive-in bingo.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Jens Martin Lekman
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@CuzDud
[C Am F G x2]
In a [C]tiny tiny side of Swedish country town
two [Am]acres of field and a gas station
[F]riding on my moped, looking for fun
]G]staring into the blood red sun
Oh, the [C]country road is a boulevard
with [Am]neon lights and nights open bars
[F]in my jacket a pack of playing cards
just [G]jacks, jokers, and the queen of hearts
[F]my heart is beating, [Em]beating like Ringo
[Dm]as I pull into the [G]drive-in bingo
[C Am F G x2]
why do the [C]people in the country wanna look like the people in the [Am]city?
when the people in the city aren't the slightest [F]pretty I want the people in the country to wear flannel shirts and [G]saggy jeans all covered in dirt
I want the [C]people in the country to be open and kind
but [Am]most times they've met us with a narrow mind
with a [F]big black dog to bite your behind
if they [G]ever find out you're not one of their kind
[F]all these thoughts as I [Em]open up a zingo
[Dm]Friday night at the [G]drive-in bingo
[C Am F G x2]
[Dm]so this is what they do out [G]here for fun
[C]they play bingo and let their [F]engines run
[Dm]tonight's jackpot is a pig, hey that's [G]criminal!
[C]G-42! ooh, I'm going [F]diagonal!
[F]I'm gonna gather up a few of my [G]friends
as many fits into an army [Em]tent
just bring our savings and a bottle of [E]wine
to the Friday [F]night's reversal of [C]time! [Am]
this little [C]south-west village shouldn't cost that much
maybe a [Am]handful of silver or a hundred bucks
we could have [F]wild wild parties in that big old lodge and the [G]windmill's perfect for movies and such
we could [C]fake our deaths to get insurance money and take on [Am]hippie names
I'd be Snowfish, you'll be Sunny, we could [F]start a little farm with little white bunnies
just cause [G]watching them copulate is very funny
there's a [C]cow and an ostrich just waiting for you!
a glass of [Am]apple cider just waiting for you!
the smell of [F]1952 just waiting for you!
and [G]all I'm doing here is just waiting for you...
a [F]daydream, I'm [Em]caught up in limbo
[Dm]Friday night at the [G]drive-in bingo
[C Am F G x4]
@Koshirozation
jens lekman lyric a day
"jens lekman - friday night at the drive-in bingo
25/11/2018
"Why do the people in the country want to look like the people in the city?
When the people in the city aren't the slightest pretty
I want the people in the country to wear flannel shirts and saggy jeans all covered in dirt
I want the people in the country to be open and kind
But most times I've met those with a narrow mind
With a big black dog to bite your behind
If they ever find out you're not one of their kind"
@666m4ya
This was me and my Dad's favorite song when I was little. We would dance to it and he would swing me around. I love my dad, and I wish we could do that again. :)
@clarkemunson6575
Uncool man. Roll a joint or make some Mexican food or something. Just... chill.
@Koshirozation
this is so lovely! my dad also introduced me to jens with this song
@mikeatkins2251
This is one of my favorite youtube comments of all time. I hope you're well, maya
@ikecalle
♥️ the quirky neo-50s nostalgic vibe
@superdragonslayer69
so many years have past and i've never thought til this very night to research what 'zingo' means. ah! a swedish drink! how fitting. that's genius. love ya even more now jens.
@Cid3605
Me encanta las canción, la melancolía de la musica, la voz, el instrumento con el que empieza la canción.
@EC10X83490N
this song is awesome, one of the greatest in my opinion
@cameron0701
Makes me imagine a summers day during the 60/70s
@zasddsaf
SAX RIFF THE ONLY KIND OF RIFF WE REALLY NEED