In the fall of 1999 at a lunch canteen of the university outside of Uppsala, Sweden, Markus was humming to a Belle & Sebastian song so that David could hear him. It was enough to convince that the chasm between an indie-nerd who didn't care enough and a vegan who wanted only to demonstrate could in fact be bridged. Later they moved in together and formed LAAKSO. The name LAAKSO and the fact that the band exclusively sang in Finnish when they first formed is due to David's both parents and Markus' mother all coming from Tornedalen (Tornionjokilaakso, Laakso meaning valley).
After resolutely searching amongst the students of Uppsala they found Micke, a dungeons and dragons fanatic from Gotland (an island on the East coast of Sweden) who liked Guns & Roses and loved to play bass; and Jonathan, the drummer. Jonathan developed stage fight and was replaced a few days before the recording of their debut EP - Long Beach EP - by Lars, a carefree lad with passion for funk.
Things developed at a steady pace and LAAKSO made new friends. David and the Citizens and The Concretes were probably the most meaningful meetings. The first indirectly lead to a recording contract with a small independent Adrian Recordings and Luger to become their booking agency. The second meeting lead to a love affair between Laakso and producer Jari Haapalainen (Ed Harcourt, Moneybrother, Kristofer Åström, The Concretes and Nicolai Dunger).
Since then Jari had accompanied guys into the studio for all their recordings - from Long Beach EP via LAAKSO's debut album I Miss You, Im Pregnant and a single Aussie Girl to their second release My Gods and finally to an album Mother, Am I Good Looking?.
Worst Case Scenario
Laakso Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Looking for reasons to live
Waiting at your doorstep another night
Scared to death of you sleeping around
Call you in the morning crying on the phone
Glad to hear your voice but your voice has turned ice cold
It was that very moment that I made up my mind
Looking for trouble and reactions all the time
Like a teenage kid it makes me feel alive
Ask my mother: Does peace come along with age?
"No restlessness grows worse day by day"
I can't control my hope I can't control my dreams
I can't eat I can't sleep I can't do anything
Call you in the morning crying on the phone
Glad to hear your voice but your voice has turned ice cold
Leaving lods of messages, leaving you notes on your locked up door and your shut off phone
It was that very moment that I made up my mind
There's no longer no use for me to try
The worst case scenario is what we've been through
Worse than anything I can relate to
I've never moved on, I've always been stuck
Left so much behind without building it up
So long since I wished to get up in the morning
So longe since anything but singing had a meaning
The worst case scenario is what we've been going through
I can't control my hope I can't control my dreams
I can't eat I can't sleep I can't do anything
The lyrics of Laakso's song "Worst Case Scenario" explore the feelings of a person who is struggling to move on from a past relationship. The singer is looking for reasons for what they did, and for reasons to live. They are haunted by the idea that their ex-partner might be sleeping around, and this fear consumes them. They are desperate for any kind of reaction from their ex, leaving messages and notes despite the fact that their calls go unanswered. Ultimately, the singer comes to the realization that there is no reason for them to try to fix the relationship. They are stuck in a rut, unable to control their emotions, their dreams, or even their basic bodily functions.
The singer of the song is clearly struggling with depression and anxiety. They describe themselves as feeling restless all the time, desperately seeking trouble and reactions as a way to feel alive. They ask their mother whether peace comes with age, but her answer is discouraging: restlessness only grows worse over time. The singer is consumed by their own thoughts and feelings, unable to focus on anything else. They can't eat, they can't sleep, they can't do anything.
In essence, "Worst Case Scenario" is a song about the pain of unrequited love and the difficulty of moving on from a relationship. The singer is stuck in a cycle of despair, unable to find meaning in anything outside of their own anguish.
Line by Line Meaning
Looking for reasons for what I did
Searching for justification for my actions
Looking for reasons to live
Trying to find motivation and purpose in life
Waiting at your doorstep another night
Sitting outside your house, hoping to see you
Scared to death of you sleeping around
Terrified of the possibility of you being unfaithful
Call you in the morning crying on the phone
Dial your number in tears, hoping for comfort
Glad to hear your voice but your voice has turned ice cold
Relieved to speak to you, but your disinterest hurts me
It was that very moment that I made up my mind
Realized my efforts were futile and decided to move on
There's no longer no reason for me to try
There is no longer any purpose in attempting to reconcile
Looking for trouble and reactions all the time
Seeking conflict and attention constantly
Like a teenage kid it makes me feel alive
Excitement from behaving recklessly and impulsively
Ask my mother: Does peace come along with age?
Questioning if maturity brings tranquility
'No restlessness grows worse day by day'
Advised that agitation can worsen with time
Leaving lods of messages, leaving you notes on your locked up door and your shut off phone
Desperately trying to contact you to no avail
The worst case scenario is what we've been through
Our relationship has experienced the most dire outcome
Worse than anything I can relate to
Even worse than any other unfortunate experience I've had
I've never moved on, I've always been stuck
Unable to move forward from the relationship
Left so much behind without building it up
Abandoned many aspects of my life without improving them
So long since I wished to get up in the morning
It's been a long time since I've felt motivated to start the day
So longe since anything but singing had a meaning
Music is the only thing that brings me happiness and fulfillment
Contributed by Katherine N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Lisa Manic
❤️💕💕