The band has cultivated its frenetic sound for over a dozen years. Three guys, friends since they were kids in the small town of Harjavalta, have welded into a tight-knit unit. Every piece holds the others together. Lapko's perfect trio of Malja (guitar and vocals), Anssi Nordberg (bass) and Janne Heikkonen (drums) first pricked ears with energetic live shows. Then the release of the EP Your Special K.O. (2003) and debut album The Arms (2004) introduced a hungry band.
The music's evolution from punk to explosive yet heart-wrenching rock still continues. The basics remain: sharp drumming and tight basslines are the steady spine with dizzying guitars and desperate vocals branching out like the nervous system. Second album Scandal (2006) took LAPKO to number two in the Finnish album charts. The reputation as a fierce live band continued to grow in Finland, around Europe and in the US. Third album Young Desire (2007) added more depth and vulnerability to Lapko's aggressive melancholy.
In 2009 Lapko crossed the Atlantic and set camp in Woodstock, New York Producer D. James Goodwin was trusted with focusing the trio's buzzing inspiration and ambition to create A New Bohemia (2010), and a year after this fruitful cooperation the band returned to Woodstock record their next album, the hard hitting LOVE (2012).
In 2013, the band’s founding member & drummer Janne Heikkonen moved on to play the guitar and the band recruited Jussi Matikainen to play drums, and so LAPKO MK2 was born.
After 5 top ten albums, countless live shows and a new member in the band, LAPKO camped at the E-Studio in Helsinki to record their new album with producer David Bottrill (TOOL, Placebo, Muse), and enlisted D. James Goodwin again to mix the new album called Freedom, which will be out in spring 2015.
LAPKO
Ville Malja (guitar and vocals)
Anssi Nordberg (bass)
Janne Heikkonen (guitar)
Jussi Matikainen (drums)
Links:
www.lapko.com
www.facebook.com/lapkolapko
www.twitter.com/lapkomusic
www.instagram.com/lapkogram
i shot the sheriff
Lapko Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Kind of black and white
Kind of proud and shy
I need them to make me whole
Another one to make me smile
Another suicide
Tried to find a way out
I shot the sheriff
I cut off all those ties tonight
I shot the sheriff
To set myself straight for the ride
I shot the sheriff
I cut off all those ties tonight
I shot the sheriff
To set myself straight for the ride
Two me's inside of me
Another one to make me smile
Another suicide
I want to walk the line and keep the faith
But still s***w it up and run away
I just want to leave everything
For a minute when I need it
Like a weekend lover
I shot the sheriff
I cut off all those ties tonight
I shot the sheriff
To set myself straight for the ride
Again and again I killed myself
Tried to find a way out
I shot the sheriff
I cut off all those ties tonight
I shot the sheriff
To set myself straight for the ride
I shot the sheriff
I cut off all those ties tonight
I shot the sheriff
To set myself straight for the ride
Again and again I killed myself
Tried to find a way out
The lyrics to Lapko's song "I Shot the Sheriff" delve into the concept of duality within oneself. The opening lines, "Two me's inside of me / Kind of black and white / Kind of proud and shy", convey the idea that there are two different sides to the singer's personality, one that is confident and one that is more reserved. The line "I need them to make me whole" implies that both of these sides are necessary for the singer to feel complete.
The chorus, "I shot the sheriff / I cut off all those ties tonight / I shot the sheriff / To set myself straight for the ride" can be interpreted in a few different ways. It could be a metaphor for the singer breaking free from the constraints that have held them back, or it could be a literal act of violence against someone who was preventing the singer from being their true self.
The repeated line "Another suicide / Again and again I killed myself / Tried to find a way out" adds an element of self-destructiveness to the song's themes. It suggests that the singer has struggled with their inner demons for a long time and has resorted to extreme measures to try and find relief.
Overall, the lyrics to "I Shot the Sheriff" explore the complex nature of human identity and the lengths that some people will go to in order to feel whole and free.
Line by Line Meaning
Two me's inside of me
There are two conflicting sides within me
Kind of black and white
One side is more rational and logical while the other side is more emotional and subjective
Kind of proud and shy
One side is confident and assertive while the other side is reserved and timid
I need them to make me whole
Both sides are necessary for my completeness and personal balance
Another one to make me smile
I need another version of myself to lighten up the mood and find happiness
Another suicide
This happy version of me is like a temporary escape from my inner conflicts and struggles
Again and again I killed myself
I continuously battle and struggle with my internal contradictions
Tried to find a way out
I am constantly searching for a solution to my inner conflicts
I shot the sheriff
I metaphorically killed my negative side and cut off all ties with it
I cut off all those ties tonight
I took action to separate myself from my negative side
To set myself straight for the ride
I did this to regain personal balance and move forward in life
I want to walk the line and keep the faith
I want to stay true to my values and beliefs
But still s***w it up and run away
However, I sometimes fail to live up to these values and end up escaping from them
I just want to leave everything
At times, I desire to escape from everything in my life and start anew
For a minute when I need it
This desire comes up in moments of intense stress or emotional turmoil
Like a weekend lover
This escape is like a temporary, fun fling
Again and again I killed myself
I constantly battle with my internal contradictions
Contributed by Alyssa N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@wibily1981
Oh my, I stumble across this song... And I watched in stunned amazement. Absolutely Beautiful!
@michaelkinasiewicz2888
It's a sewing machine...a sewing machine....IT'S A SEWING MACHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
@Tanthalas79
mahtava biisi! nostaa odotuksia tulevasta levystä entisestään.
@tuicastro4431
I wonder how "flamboyant kid" came across this band and acted so angry! He's meant for the big and cheerful musicals!
Love you, Eddie! ❤️
@sankarirotta
Oh god this sounds good! I never thought that Finnish could make good music in English. :P
@tondo123hu
cool song, cool vocals
@Fnirr
Sweet track!
@SocoAmarettoLime87
Lapko's number one scottish fan!
@ValDemari
siis ehkä hiukan mahtava biisi
@ryydii
on kyl hyvä biis o/