Laleh Pourkarim (born June 10, 1982 in Bandar-e Anzali, Iran) is a Swedish … Read Full Bio ↴Laleh Pourkarim (born June 10, 1982 in Bandar-e Anzali, Iran) is a Swedish singer-songwriter & producer. She came to Sweden when she was 9 and grew up in Gothenburg. She produced and wrote her 2005 eponymous debut album, which she received seven nominations for at the 2005 Grammis awards and won three: Artist, Producer, and New Artist of the Year. She has cited Cat Stevens, The Police, Kate Bush, ABBA as influences.

Laleh now lives in Los Angeles where she mainly writes and produces music for other pop artists, working on her own music in parallel. She is driven by the fact that the pop industry is dominated by men, and wants to be an example for younger women getting into the pop world.

She studied music and drama at Hvitfeltska Gymnasiet.

She had a major acting role in the Swedish movie Jalla! Jalla!, directed by Josef Fares, which was a big success at the Swedish box office in 2000.

Forgive But Not Forget
Laleh Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Maybe see you later
Maybe catch you then
Now it's complicated
I've got a psychological defense

I hope my heart's resistant
You critical disease
If you pull my cover you will

Be infecting me, oh

Forgive but not forget
Let's start over, let's regret
Let's forgive we never tried
Let's start the fight inside

Forgive but not forget
Let's start over, let's regret
Let's forgive we never tried
Let's start the fight inside

Every one keeps falling (down)
Everywhere you go
Every one is nothing
Every one is lying on the floor
(Hey! Wake up!)

But I like it, like it
But I like it, love it
But I like it, liking to me
Do you like in me?

Forgive but not forget
Let's start over, let's regret
Let's forgive we never tried
Let's start the fight inside

Forgive but not forget
Let's start over, let's regret
Let's forgive we never tried
Let's start the fight inside

(Hold me now)
Hold me
Hold me now
Hold me
Hold me now
Hold me
Hold me
Hold me
Hold me now
(Hold me)
(Hold me)
Hold me
Hold me
Come on, hold me
(Hold me)
(Hold me)

Forgive but not forget
Let's start over, let's regret
Let's forgive we never tried
Let's start the fight inside

Forgive but not forget
Let's start over, let's regret
Let's forgive we never tried
Let's start the fight inside

(Forgive but not forget
Let's start over, let's regret
Let's forgive we never tried
Let's start the fight inside)

Forgive but not forget
Let's start over, let's regret

Let's forgive we never tried
Let's start the fight inside

Overall Meaning

In Laleh's song "Forgive But Not Forget," the lyrics speak of a complicated situation that involves psychological defense against potential harm. The verses imply a conflict in which the singer is guarded against a critical disease, which could be a symbol for emotional damage or harm from a relationship. The chorus suggests forgiveness as a way to start over and regrets the past. However, the lyrics also emphasize the importance of standing up for oneself and starting the fight within one's head.

The bridge in the song presents a shift in energy, with a call for everyone to wake up and rise after falling down. The repeated line, "But I like it," implies a degree of enjoyment for the current state of being guarded and cautious while also questioning if the guardedness is liked in return. The song ultimately suggests that forgiveness and starting over might not mean completely forgetting the past but rather accepting it and moving forward with a renewed stance and optimism.

Line by Line Meaning

Maybe see you later
There is uncertainty about whether we will meet again.

Maybe catch you then
If we do meet again, it will be at some future time.

Now it's complicated
Things between us have become difficult.

I've got a psychological defense
I am protecting myself from getting hurt.

I hope my heart's resistant
I hope my heart can withstand any emotional harm.

You critical disease
You are a danger to me.

If you pull my cover you will
If you expose me, you will

Be infecting me, oh
Hurt me and cause emotional harm.

Let's start over, let's regret
We should start again, but we should regret past mistakes.

Let's forgive we never tried
We should forgive ourselves for not having tried harder in the past.

Let's start the fight inside
We should fight for our relationship to work.