Biography
Johnson is from the small town of Ängelholm in the south western part of Sweden, but the surroundings and the media compare her with the biggest stars in the music business. By the age of four, she had decided that she wanted to become an artist. She was highly encouraged by her local choir leader.
She now lives in a hunting lodge in the Western Gothlandic woods of Sweden, but also has a home in Stockholm.
As a 12-year old, she started off as vocalist in a Country & Western band, Tomboola Band, touring in Norway and Denmark. She signed eventually with EMI-Medley in Denmark and recorded an album, produced by top producer Paul Bruun. The title-track, Sugar Tree, became a hit in Denmark. In 1996, she had her first Swedish hit with Kommer tid, kommer vår”, a duet with Jan Johansen.
In 1998, she performed Kärleken är at Melodifestivalen, winning the Swedish finals and going on to represent Sweden in the Eurovision Song Contest. This established Johnson as one of the prime Swedish artists. The success was followed by the hit album När hela världen ser på and a successful tour.
In mid 1999, Johnson went to L.A. to look for material for her second album. At home, she worked with Andreas Carlsson (ASCAP Writer of the Year 2000), who is known for several massive hits, the biggest , so far, being Celine Dion's That's the Way It Is. She also tried out a few local new-comers and the album Daughter of Eve was released in early 2000. It was very well received and Johnson was compared with some of the world's best artists.
In 2000, she received a platinum-record in Denmark for the sound-track Promise To Love from the Danish block-buster, "Eneste Ene". Later that year, Johnson started to collaborate with other songwriters such as Jenny Orenstein, Charlie Stefl, Mary Green [Biem Writer of the Year 2001]. This resulted in her receiving a Publishing contract in Nashville Tennessee. Consequently, in 2002 Johnson's album entitled "Good Girl" came to be with the help of producer Scott Bagget and some of Nashville’s top musicians. This album secured Johnson's artistic sound and style and once again she was extremely well received by the press in their reviews where she was described as an artist of International calibre.
In the Swedish finals of the Eurovision Song Contest 2003 she qualified at fourth place (out of 32 entries) but and her song “Crazy in Love" became a hit and received a great deal of radio play and was followed by a successful tour.
Johnson's collective "Discography" CD was released in late March 2003. It contains the 20 most popular songs since her debut in 1995. This Cd went straight into the sales charts for best selling CDs in Sweden. The single “Crazy in Love” stayed at No 1 in the Swedish Top Charts (Svensktoppen) 12 weeks consecutively and No 2 for 15 weeks. "Discography" sold Gold in Sweden and Johnson also got a Grammy for this album.
The new album "Roots and Wings" was released in November 2003, recorded and produced by Amir Aly in Sweden and by Scott Baggett in Nashville, USA. "Roots and Wings" sold gold in less than two weeks and platinum a few months later. The album "Being who you are" was released in Sweden in late March 2005 and sold gold in only a few weeks. Johnson was the host of the 2005 Swedish finals of the Eurovison Song Contest in Stockholm
I Should've Left Sooner
Jill Johnson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We didn’t start out like this
So from one heart to another
Is there something that I’ve missed
You were so desperately patient
All you could do was drag it out
Now all I see is time we wasted
I should’ve left sooner
Cause you would’ve stayed forever
You and your stormy weather
I guess I could’ve spared us both the pain
I should’ve left sooner
You made it look like a surrender
So I am left with all the blame
Keep your pride and be the winner
But it eneded just the same
I should’ve left sooner
Cause you would’ve stayed forever
You and your stormy weather
I guess I could’ve spared us both the pain
I should’ve left sooner
All your rain and thunder
Almost took me under
I may have let go just in time
Cause you would’ve stayed forever
You and your stormy weather
I guess I could’ve spared us both the pain
I wish I could’ve spared us both the pain
I should’ve left sooner
I should’ve left sooner
"I Should’ve Left Sooner" is a melancholy ballad by Jill Johnson that revolves around the theme of regret for not leaving someone sooner. In the opening lines of the song, Johnson acknowledges the decline of a relationship and questions what has happened between them that has led to this place. She wonders if there is something she's missed that might have saved the relationship.
Throughout the song, Johnson reflects on the moments she ignored her instincts and stayed in the relationship longer than she should have. She laments the time they wasted and the pain they both endured. Johnson acknowledges that her partner was patient, but the relationship still ended in the same way it would have if she had left earlier. She should have been the one to leave sooner because it would have saved them both from a lot of heartache.
In the chorus, Johnson acknowledges that her partner would have stayed with her forever, but she regrets not sparing them both from the pain of a drawn-out breakup. She wishes she could have left sooner and avoided the emotional turmoil that came with staying in a doomed relationship. The song ends with Johnson acknowledging that her partner's stormy weather almost took her down, but she managed to let go just in time.
Overall, "I Should’ve Left Sooner" is a poignant reminder that staying in a relationship past its expiration date will only lead to pain for both parties involved. It's a universal theme that many can relate to, making it a timeless song loved by many.
Line by Line Meaning
What have we done to each other
What actions or behaviors have we engaged in that led us down this path
We didn’t start out like this
Our relationship did not begin with the negative qualities it now exhibits
So from one heart to another
Speaking sincerely from one emotional being to another
Is there something that I’ve missed
Have I overlooked something that could have saved our relationship
You were so desperately patient
You exhibited extreme patience, clinging to the hope that things would improve
All you could do was drag it out
Your efforts to hold onto the relationship only prolonged our struggles
Now all I see is time we wasted
In hindsight, I realize that we spent too much time trying to fix something that was beyond repair
And I know without a doubt
I am completely certain
I should’ve left sooner
I should have ended the relationship earlier
Cause you would’ve stayed forever
You were committed to the relationship and would have continued trying to make it work indefinitely
You and your stormy weather
Your turbulent emotions and difficult personality made our relationship unstable
I guess I could’ve spared us both the pain
If I had ended the relationship earlier, we would have avoided a great deal of emotional pain
You made it look like a surrender
You portrayed my decision to leave as a failure or defeat
So I am left with all the blame
As a result, I am solely responsible for the end of the relationship
Keep your pride and be the winner
Hold onto your ego and maintain the moral high ground
But it ended just the same
Despite our efforts, the end result was still the same
All your rain and thunder
Your negative emotions and behaviors (comparing them to a storm)
Almost took me under
They almost caused me to give up or break down completely
I may have let go just in time
Ending the relationship was the right decision, even if it was difficult
I wish I could’ve spared us both the pain
I regret that our relationship had to end in so much emotional turmoil
I should’ve left sooner
Once again emphasizing her regret for not ending the relationship earlier
Writer(s): Liz Rose, Lori Mckenna, Jill Johnson
Contributed by David F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Karen Hudson
Looks like fun