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]
I Don't Wanna Die Alone
Jens Lekman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All the people I see have clouds in their minds,
But me I am alone,
Having a little party on my own.
The loneliness is not my issue,
I still remember the night that I kissed you,
And there's been plenty more since that,
I don't wanna die alone,
In a home somewhere humming on a song of my own.
It's just me and my budgies
I'll enter heaven with no heavy luggage.
In Jens Lekman's song "I Don't Wanna Die Alone", the singer is riding on tram number nine on a Friday night. He observes the people around him seemingly lost in their own thoughts, but he is content being alone and having a little party by himself. He reflects on his experiences with love and kissing, admitting that he has been a "spoilt little brat" when it comes to indulging in romantic encounters. However, even with these experiences, he expresses his fear of dying alone in a home, with only his pet budgies as company. He hopes to enter heaven with "no heavy luggage," implying that he wants to live a light-hearted and joyful life without any regrets.
Overall, the song captures the singer's acceptance of being alone while also acknowledging his desire for love and companionship. He recognizes that he has had experiences that others may envy, but ultimately longs for a deeper connection with another person. The song depicts a bittersweet mixture of contentment and longing, highlighting the complexity of human emotions.
Line by Line Meaning
It's Friday night on tram number nine,
The setting is a tram on a Friday night.
All the people I see have clouds in their minds,
The people around the singer seem to be burdened with problems.
But me I am alone,
The singer is alone and not bothered by it.
Having a little party on my own.
The artist is enjoying his solitude by having a party on his own.
The loneliness is not my issue,
The artist is not affected by loneliness.
I still remember the night that I kissed you,
The singer has fond memories of kissing someone.
And there's been plenty more since that,
The singer has kissed many more people since that night.
When it comes to kissing I've been a spoilt little brat.
The artist has been lucky when it comes to kissing.
I don't wanna die alone,
The artist expresses a fear of dying alone.
In a home somewhere humming on a song of my own.
The artist fears being alone in a nursing home, humming to himself.
It's just me and my budgies
The singer lives with his budgies as his companions.
I'll enter heaven with no heavy luggage.
The artist feels at peace with his life and has no regrets.
Contributed by Tyler G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Segi gise
oh dan the man, thank you thank thank you! i looked everywhere for this song by jens! so human and so tender, and such humanity and empathy in his music, his words, his poetry! this is brave honesty above all, this song! thank you!!!! <3
Dan the Man
You're welcome - glad you like it
Segi gise
jens lekman lyric a day
jens lekman - i don't wanna die alone
17/1/2019
"The loneliness is not my issue,
I still remember the night that I kissed you,
And there's been plenty more since that,
When it comes to kissing I've been a spoilt little brat."
Brett Davis
Is there an alternate version of this song? I made a compilation years ago and it seemed to be a little different with a few different lyrics.
Dan the Man
Can you share that version please?