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]
If I Could Cry
Jens Lekman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It would feel like this
If I could cry
It would feel like this
Oh If I could cry
If I could cry
If I could cry
It would feel like this
If I could cry
It would feel like this
If I could cry
It would feel like this
If I could cry
If I could cry
If I could cry
If I could cry
It would feel like this
Jens Lekman's "If I Could Cry" is a hauntingly beautiful song that speaks to the power of tears and their ability to release pent-up emotions. The repetition of the phrase "if I could cry" throughout the song underscores the singer's sense of frustration and longing. The use of the conditional tense suggests that the singer is unable to cry, perhaps because they have been repressing their feelings for too long or because they are unable to access their emotions for some reason.
Despite the repetition, the song feels surprisingly rich and nuanced. Lekman's voice is gentle and melancholic, and the sparse instrumentation provides a sense of space and openness that allows the lyrics to breathe. The repeated line "it would feel like this" is particularly poignant, as it suggests that the singer has some sense of what crying might be like - that they can imagine the release, the catharsis, the vulnerability. But they are still unable to access those feelings for themselves.
Overall, "If I Could Cry" feels like a powerful meditation on the ways in which we can sometimes feel disconnected from our own emotions. It speaks to the importance of vulnerability and the ways in which tears can help us connect with and process our feelings, even when the act of crying itself feels impossible.
Line by Line Meaning
If I could cry
I wish I could cry.
It would feel like this
I imagine the emotional release of crying would feel like this.
Oh If I could cry
I am deeply yearning for the ability to cry right now.
If I could cry
Reiterating my desire to be able to cry.
If I could cry
I am emphasizing the importance of the act of crying for me.
If I could cry
Continuing to express my wish to be able to cry.
If I could cry
Reflecting on my current inability to cry.
If I could cry
Acknowledging that crying is cathartic and would be helpful for me.
If I could cry
My desire to cry remains strong.
If I could cry
I am consumed by my desire to cry, to release my emotions.
If I could cry
The importance of crying for me cannot be overstated.
If I could cry
I am fully aware of how much I need to cry right now.
It would feel like this
I am still imagining the emotional relief that crying would bring me.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Jens Martin Lekman
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind