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]
Julie
Jens Lekman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh Julie, I'm gonna buy you a wedding ring
Eating french fries by the dock of the bay
Lots of ketchup and mayonnaise
You said this town's too big for our hearts
You can't tell where it ends or starts
Oh Julie, the ticket inspector's out of sight
What will you do when you graduate
If you stay here you'll suffocate
And all your friends are moving to London
While the cherry trees are still in blossom
Oh Julie
Oh hold me, hold me trough the sweet hereafter
Being with you can be very fatal
Somehow we forget to pray for the angels
Then the angels make sure that our hearts are devoured
Make us jump from the Eiffel Tower
Oh Julie, you know that I ain't for hire
But you can have me, you can trade me for your cigarette lighter
Take a step from the humdrum
Tearing down the Colosseum
They said we'd hit the bottom
But the cherry trees are still in blossom
Julie, you know that I ain't for hire
But you can have me, you can trade me for your cigarette lighter
Oh Julie
"Julie" by Jens Lekman is a catchy indie-pop song that tells the story of a young couple named Julie and the singer. The song starts with the singer asking Julie to meet him by the vending machine, where he is going to buy her a wedding ring. The couple is eating fries by the dock, and Julie expresses her discontent about the size of their town. She says that their hearts are too big for the town as they cannot tell where it starts or ends. The singer tells her that the future could be bright if they escape this town, and for once, the ticket inspector is out of sight.
They both dream of moving to London, but Julie worries about their future. She asks the singer what he would do if he graduated, and he replies by telling her that he would stay there with her. She doesn't want that; she wants to leave and escape the suffocating atmosphere. They both acknowledge that being together can be dangerous, and they forget to pray for the angels. They eventually decide to take a step from the humdrum and tear down the Colosseum, disregarding the fact that their friends are leaving for London. The song ends with the singer confessing that he would give up anything to be with Julie, even his life.
The song is full of metaphors and symbolism, with Julie representing the singer's longing for something more in life. The vending machine could represent the consumer-driven society that they both want to escape. The cherry trees in blossom, which are mentioned twice in the song, symbolize the beauty of life that the couple wants to embrace. The Eiffel Tower and the angels represent the dangers of being in love and the risks that they are both willing to take to be together.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh Julie, meet me by the vending machine
Meet me by the vending machine Julie, I want to have a conversation with you.
Oh Julie, I'm gonna buy you a wedding ring
Julie, I'm planning our future together and want to buy you a wedding ring.
Eating french fries by the dock of the bay
We are eating french fries by the sea.
Lots of ketchup and mayonnaise
The food is covered in ketchup and mayonnaise.
You said this town's too big for our hearts
You believe this town is too big for our love.
You can't tell where it ends or starts
It's hard to tell where the town begins or ends.
Oh Julie, the future could be so bright
We have a bright future ahead of us, Julie.
Oh Julie, the ticket inspector's out of sight
We can travel without worrying about the ticket inspector, Julie.
What will you do when you graduate
What are your plans after you graduate?
If you stay here you'll suffocate
You will feel suffocated if you stay here.
And all your friends are moving to London
Your friends are moving to London.
While the cherry trees are still in blossom
The cherry trees are still blooming.
Oh Julie
Julie.
Oh hold me, hold me trough the sweet hereafter
Hold me now and forever, Julie.
Being with you can be very fatal
Being with you can be dangerous to my wellbeing.
Somehow we forget to pray for the angels
We forget to ask for protection from the angels.
Then the angels make sure that our hearts are devoured
The angels devour our hearts to keep us safe.
Make us jump from the Eiffel Tower
They will make us go to extreme lengths.
Oh Julie, you know that I ain't for hire
I'm not for sale, Julie.
But you can have me, you can trade me for your cigarette lighter
But I'm willing to give myself to you, Julie.
Take a step from the humdrum
Let's break free from monotony.
Tearing down the Colosseum
Let's rebel against the rules and tear down the establishment.
They said we'd hit the bottom
They thought we were down and out.
But the cherry trees are still in blossom
But there's still hope, the cherry trees are still blooming.
Julie, you know that I ain't for hire
Julie, you know I'm not for sale.
But you can have me, you can trade me for your cigarette lighter
But you can have me, Julie.
Oh Julie
Julie.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Jens Martin Lekman
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind