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]
You Are The Light
Jens Lekman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So I used my one phone call
To dedicate
A song to you on the radio
Yeah I got busted
In custody
I imagined our melody
I saw your face in front of me
It was perfect clarity
I saw a light in the end of the tunnel
And it was you
Chorus:
'Cause you are the light by which I travel into this and that
You are the light
You are the light by which I travel into this and that
Yeah I got busted
I painted a dirty word on your old mans Mercedes-Benz
'Cause you told me to do it
Yeah I got busted
But soon they released me ‘cause the cops were sad
And they didn't know how to prove it
Ooh
I saw your face in front of me
It was perfect clarity
I saw a light in the end of the tunnel
And it was you
Chorus:
'Cause you are the light by which I travel into this and that
You are the light
You are the light by which I travel into this and that
It sounds so obvious, so obvious
Why would anyone need a map or a compass?
It's so beautiful
To be guided by you
'Cause you are the light
Chorus:
You are the light by which I travel into this and that
You are the light
You are the light by which I travel into this and that
You are the light light light light
You are the light
The lyrics in Jens Lekman's "You are the Light" are a tribute to the power of love and the way it can guide us even in the darkest of moments. The first verse sees the singer acknowledging that he has been arrested and is in custody, but he uses his one phone call to dedicate a song to his beloved on the radio. He imagines that the song will be played like a grand piano with perfect clarity, and he sees her face in front of him as he envisions a light at the end of the tunnel which is her.
In the second verse, we find out that the singer painted a rude word on his significant other's father's car because she told him to. He was subsequently arrested but released because the police couldn't prove it. Again, he sees her face and her light guiding him through his dark moment.
The song's chorus highlights the role of this person in the singer's life as a guiding light which allows him to navigate his way through even the toughest moments. He praises her as "the light by which I travel into this and that" and expresses gratitude that he is able to be guided by her.
Line by Line Meaning
Yeah I got busted
I was caught by the authorities for doing something wrong
So I used my one phone call
I made a call using the one chance I had
To dedicate
To express my affection by means of
A song to you on the radio
A melody played on the radio communicated my love to you
In custody
Being held in detention by law enforcement
I imagined our melody
I dreamed of our song
Being played on a grand piano
It was a grand experience like a piano played at full volume
I saw your face in front of me
I had a clear vision of your face visually in my mind's eye
It was perfect clarity
It was an unambiguous and distinctly visible image of you
I saw a light in the end of the tunnel
I visualized a source of hope or a way out of a problematic situation
And it was you
You were the ultimate source of my hope
You are the light by which I travel into this and that
You guide and direct me through everything I do
Yeah I got busted
I was caught doing something illegal once again
I painted a dirty word on your old mans Mercedes-Benz
I vandalized your dad's car with a vulgar term painted on it
'Cause you told me to do it
I committed the crime, foolishly, just because you dared me to
But soon they released me ‘cause the cops were sad
The cops let me go because they felt sorry
And they didn't know how to prove it
They didn't have the necessary evidence or proof to convict me
It sounds so obvious, so obvious
It's crystal clear and evident, an absolutely certain thing (to me)
Why would anyone need a map or a compass?
I don't require any other guidance as long as I have you
It's so beautiful
It's such an amazing and uplifting feeling
To be guided by you
Being led or directed by you is a wonderful experience
You are the light light light light
It can't be emphasized enough; you are the ultimate source of my guidance and direction
Lyrics © Capitol CMG Publishing
Written by: Jens Martin Lekman, Stefan Sporsen, LISA GUNGOR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@setrap5501
Yeah I got busted
So I used my one phone call
To dedicate
A song to you on the radio
Yeah I got busted
In custody
I imagined our melody
Being played on a grand piano
I saw your face in front of me
It was perfect clarity
I saw a light in the end of the tunnel
And it was you
Chorus:
Cause you are the light by which I travel into this and that
You are the light
You are the light by which I travel into this and that
Yeah I got busted
I painted a dirty word on your old mans Mercedes-Benz
Cause he told me to do it
Yeah I got busted
But soon they released me cause the cops were sad
And they didn't know how to prove it
Ooh
I saw your face in front of me
It was perfect clarity
I saw a light in the end of the tunnel
And it was you
Chorus:
Cause you are the light by which I travel into this and that
You are the light
You are the light by which I travel into this and that
It sounds so obvious, so obvious
Why would anyone need a map or a compass?
Its so beautiful
To be guided by you
Cause you are the light
Chorus:
You are the light by which I travel into this and that
You are the light
You are the light by which I travel into this and that
You are the light light light light
You are the light
Terjemahkan ke bahasa Indonesia
@Koshirozation
<3 <3 it was copied before but i have to it again, or rather, for myself, i'm sorry! <3
"Yeah, I got busted
In custody, I imagined our melody
Being played on a grand piano
I saw your face in front of me
It was perfect clarity
I saw a light at the end of the tunnel
And it was you
Cause you are the light by which I travel into this and that
You are the light
You are the light by which I travel into this and that
Yeah, I got busted
I painted a dirty word on your old man's Mercedes-Benz cause you told me to do it
Yeah, I got busted
But soon they released me cause the cops were sad
And they didn't know how to prove it
Oh, I saw your face in front of me
It was perfect clarity
I saw a light at the end of the tunnel
And it was you
Cause you are the light by which I travel into this and that
You are the light
You are the light by which I travel into this and that
It's all so obvious, so obvious
Why would anyone need a map or a compass?
It's so beautiful
To be guided by you
Cause you are the light
You are the light by which I travel into this and that
You are the light
You are the light by which I travel into this and that
You are the light, light
You are the light, light"
@amandasyakirah9506
Yeah I got busted
So I used my one phone call
To dedicate
A song to you on the radio
Yeah I got busted
In custody
I imagined our melody
Being played on a grand piano
I saw your face in front of me
It was perfect clarity
I saw a light in the end of the tunnel
And it was you
'Cause you are the light by which I travel into this and that
You are the light
You are the light by which I travel into this and that
Yeah I got busted
I painted a dirty word on your old mans Mercedes-Benz
'Cause you told me to do it
Yeah I got busted
But soon they released me ‘cause the cops were sad
And they didn't know how to prove it
Ooh
I saw your face in front of me
It was perfect clarity
I saw a light in the end of the tunnel
And it was you
'Cause you are the light by which I travel into this and that
You are the light
You are the light by which I travel into this and that
It sounds so obvious, so obvious
Why would anyone need a map or a compass?
It's so beautiful
To be guided by you
'Cause you are the light
You are the light by which I travel into this and that
You are the light
You are the light by which I travel into this and that
You are the light light light light
You are the light
@GoGoGoPirate
I just found this music Jens Lekman today and I have to say I'm utterly impressed. Every song I have gone to spectacularlly amazing. Well done with instrumentals, beautiful lyrics, and this voice, transcendent. I'm glad I saw his name on the related videos and decieded to click on it today. Every music I came through today, I just had to keep replaying over and over again. It's quite the lovely find indeed. What a treasure, I have stumbled upon. :)
@thewildmitchell
I've never watched this music video before, it's hilarious! I can never get sick of Jens <3
@jwgmail
Man, such an original sound in an era of trendy sameness. Just absolutely fantastic song writing.
@Yehamarin
One of the most amazing songwriter
@blue---monday
one of my most favorite songs of all time
@Yehamarin
+sixbeeofficialchann me too... and also Your arms around me. :D
@helenaalespereira6123
"It's all so obvious, so obvious
why would anyone need a map or a compass
It's so beautiful to be guided by you"
@CR-to8gw
This video made me smile big time - thank you!
@dengelke
Decade later and this is still good.
@milktvmilk
que voz linda!