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]
Maple Leaves
Jens Lekman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm walking home to my suburb
Rain falls hard on the city
On every homeless kitty
Oh please god bring relief
Even if it's only brief
That she says the dreamer just make-believe
So we talked for hours
And you cried into my sheets
You said you hated your body
That it was just a piece of meat, I disagreed
I think you're beautiful
But it's impossible
To make you understand
That if you don't take my hand
I lose my mind completely
Madness will finally defeat me
She said it was all make-belief
But I thought you said maple leaves
And when she talked about the fall
I thought she talked about the season
I never understood at all
I thought she said maple leaves
And when she talked about about the fall
I thought she talked about Mark E Smith
I never understood at all
I never understood at all
I never understood at all
The opening line of the song, "It's autumn in Gothenburg," sets the tone for an introspective and reflective journey that the singer goes on. The city is being pelted by rain and the singer is walking home to his suburb, observing the surrounding environment. As he encounters a homeless cat, he prays to God for relief, even if it's temporary. The following lines indicate that he's thinking about a woman, with whom he may have previously had a conversation about dreams and interpretation. The singer thinks he hears her say, "maple leaves," but in reality, she may have said something else entirely. These lyrics may suggest the theme of miscommunication and how easily we can misinterpret what others say.
The second half of the song focuses on a conversation between the singer and the woman he's thinking about. She cries as she expresses her dissatisfaction with her body, and while the singer tries to assure her that he thinks she's beautiful, he acknowledges that he may not be able to change her mind. He adds that he'll "lose my mind completely," if she doesn't take his hand. The line "She said it was all make-belief, but I thought you said maple leaves" highlights the miscommunication theme once again. The singer is left feeling as if he never fully understood what the woman was trying to say.
Line by Line Meaning
It's autumn in Gothenburg
The setting of the song is in Gothenburg during autumn season.
I'm walking home to my suburb
The singer is heading towards his residential area on foot.
Rain falls hard on the city
The precipitation of rain is intense and heavy in the city.
On every homeless kitty
The rough weather affects not only humans but also strays and wildlife.
Oh please god bring relief
The artist prays for relief from the harsh weather conditions.
Even if it's only brief
Even a short break from the rain would be appreciated.
That she says the dreamer just make-believe
Someone has claimed that dreams are not real and only exist in the imagination.
But I thought she said maple leaves
The artist misheard what was said and confused 'make-believe' with 'maple leaves'.
So we talked for hours
The artist had a long conversation with someone.
And you cried into my sheets
The other person was emotional and cried onto the artist's bedding.
You said you hated your body
The other person expressed dislike or disgust for their physical appearance.
That it was just a piece of meat, I disagreed
The other person felt like their body was only a physical object, but the artist disagreed with that viewpoint.
I think you're beautiful
The singer has a positive opinion on the other person's appearance.
But it's impossible
Despite the singer's compliment, the other person cannot accept their own beauty.
To make you understand
The singer has difficulties trying to convince the other person of their own worth.
That if you don't take my hand
If the other person does not accept the artist's help or love,
I lose my mind completely
The artist will become distressed or unstable mentally.
Madness will finally defeat me
If the situation continues to worsen, the singer may suffer from mental illness.
She said it was all make-belief
Someone denied the existence or validity of dreams again.
But I thought you said maple leaves
The artist mistakenly interjects with their own misunderstood phrase again.
And when she talked about the fall
Someone mentioned about the autumn season.
I thought she talked about the season
The artist believed that the conversation was only centered around seasonal changes.
I never understood at all
The singer could not comprehend the full meaning or intention of the conversation or remarks made.
I never understood at all
The artist still feels confused or uncertain about the discussion.
I never understood at all
The singer reiterates their own confusion and lack of understanding.
Lyrics © Spirit Music Group
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Dale Mark
The "when she talked about a fall, I thought she talked about Mark E. Smith" line has to be one of my favourite lyrics of all time.
J N
Hell yes
James Buckle
Why? I personally prefer the maple leaves thing. The mark e smith line sounds funny but the idea of replacing the word make believe with just this calming innocuous symbol is like superior imo.
Vincent Orteneau
Piece of nostalgia that still sounds great. This is the only song off the new record that I strongly prefer this older version of
HeyMorganHere
Oh God I found the new version on Spitify and I was like OMG WHY IS IT SO SLOW? I still vastly prefer this version.
Richey Rose
this song changed my life in 2005. listening to it now, over 12 years later... still beautiful, melancholy, and you can dance to it. fuck yeah
Marshall Trotter
Richey Rose same
L K
I'm right with you there
Sam Lambert
Absolutely. Just been digging through old tracks I used to listen to and came across this one. Takes me straight back.
Tinkeroftime
This is total brilliance. I can't even fathom how I could live without ever hearing this song. Such great vibes. Sort of lifts you off your feet and transports you to such a time you never knew ever to exist. Such brilliance.