Their first release was a double-A-side 7" single on Off The Wall (later signed to Peacefrog) that had two tracks: "Twice" and "Test".
Nagano was born and raised in Göteborg to a Japanese father and American mother. She grew up listening to American folk, but always had an affinity for R&B. Keyboardist Wirenstrand spent his childhood in Småland before moving to Göteborg where listened to a lot of Swedish folk music before getting into electronic music. Bodin grew up listening to early hip-hop and jazz. Fredrik was influenced by experimental, noise and electro house.
Nagano and Bodin play live with José González. Bodin also drums with Peps Perrson, a Swedish blues/reggae artist. Swedish electronic jazz duo Koop's albums Waltz for Koop and Koop Islands feature Yukimi Nagano's vocals on several tracks.
The band collaborated with Gorillaz on two tracks ("Empire Ants" and "To Binge") from their 2010 released album, Plastic Beach. Little Dragon also collaborated with Maximum Balloon (the solo project of David Andrew Sitek, producer and member of TV On the Radio), for one track entitled "If You Return". In 2011, the band's collaboration with SBTRKT on "Wildfire" was released as the lead single from his self-titled début LP.
Please Turn
Little Dragon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Taking pills, and running with the steam
Love's so make believe
Swinging branches by your mission
And by the Porches, poles, and leopard skin,
Got you dancin' in
Turn, the winds are running round
Oh, if diamonds don't lift dark
Oh, the color's shift and cut
Staring down at the wonderin' faces
Watch your place
But on the paper you can shine and fly
But smilin' in the their eyes
Over land and over space
You take me to that unreal place that I had ever known
So don't you cry
Please, pull the string now
Turn, the winds are running round
Oh, diamonds don't lift dark
Oh, the color's shift and cut
Please!
Turn!
The lyrics to Little Dragon's song "Please Turn" are somewhat abstract and surreal, as is typical of the band's music. The opening lines, "With your clover, pickin' cherries / Taking pills, and running with the steam / Love's so make believe," suggest a sense of escapism and perhaps a desire to disconnect from reality through drugs or other means. The imagery of clovers and cherries suggests a pastoral, idyllic setting that is juxtaposed with the idea of taking pills and running with the steam, which may connote a frenzied or chaotic state of mind.
The next verse introduces more surreal imagery, with "Swinging branches by your mission / And by the Porches, poles, and leopard skin, / Got you dancin' in." Here, the images are more fragmented and disconnected, but still suggest a sense of movement and action. The reference to "mission" could be interpreted as a sense of purpose or direction, while the "Porches, poles, and leopard skin" suggest luxury and excess.
The chorus of the song, "Please, pull the string now / Turn, the winds are running round / Oh, if diamonds don't lift dark / Oh, the color's shift and cut," is even more abstract, with the imagery of a string being pulled and the winds running round both suggesting a sense of change or movement. The references to diamonds and shifting colors could be interpreted in a variety of ways, but overall, the song seems to be exploring themes of escapism, change, and the search for something more.
Line by Line Meaning
With your clover, pickin' cherries
You indulge in the simple pleasures of life like picking cherries with your good luck charm.
Taking pills, and running with the steam
You're reminiscent of the freedom a steam engine had while consuming drugs.
Love's so make believe
Your love seems like it's out of a fairy tale, too good to be true.
Swinging branches by your mission
You sway back and forth from your goals like a branch in the wind.
And by the Porches, poles, and leopard skin,
You're surrounded by luxury and opulence in your surroundings.
Got you dancin' in
This lavish life has you dancing with joy.
Please, pull the string now
You're requesting the universe to give you a sign and point you in the right direction.
Turn, the winds are running round
Life is changing with the times, and you're trying to keep up.
Oh, if diamonds don't lift dark
Even though you're surrounded by wealth, it can't take away the darkness in your life.
Oh, the color's shift and cut
Life is unpredictable and takes various turns.
Staring down at the wonderin' faces
You're looking at people around you, and they're in awe of you and your life.
Watch your place
You're conscious of your position and status in life.
But on the paper you can shine and fly
You express yourself through creativity and lose yourself in the arts.
But smilin' in their eyes
Your joy is visible to others and brings them happiness as well.
Over land and over space
With your creativity, you can transcend physical boundaries.
You take me to that unreal place that I had ever known
Your art takes you, and those who observe it, to another reality.
So don't you cry
Don't worry, because despite the chaos of life, everything will work out in the end.
Please!
An urgent request for a sign or signal from the universe.
Turn!
Hoping that the universe will show you which direction to go in next.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Erik Oskar Bodin, Fredrik Daniel Wallin, Hakan Wirenstrand, Yukimi Eleanora Nagano
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Elverse Knott
im so glad more people are finding out about Little Dragon... everyone needs to know how awesome they are
Yu Lee Ahn
man that guy on the synth is a mad genius
loversarelunatics
yukimi's voice is the sweetest sound my ears have ever had the pleasure of receiving
michelle brown
They can't make a bad song no matter how hard they try...this is the only band I listen to now.
Jaz Badhan
never posted a you tube comment this is amazing group of artists with a perfect sound thanks from my ears
D Ana Knw
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa me gusta tanto que me duele el cuerpo
GrandmasbabyNas
Pure and Utter Awesome Wickedness....
ManifestPanda
wow, and i was afraid the album might not kick ass, i can be so stupid sometimes.
h3k4n
God!!! I found myself in this tune!!! Zamazingo!!!!
Al Green
Synth at 1:58 blows my mind...