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.
Scribbled Paper
Little Dragon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And when I saw dried paint and your scribbled initials
I acted like I could care less while my thumb press to the paper
I wanted to find your portrait, wanted to have it
Recalling a piercing voice in old dreams
And ghostly images of black trains
Now seeing every page is turned away
You and your scribbled paper makes me shiver so
You and your scribbled paper makes me shiver so
You and your scribbled paper makes me shiver so
You and your scribbled paper makes me shiver so
You and your scribbled paper makes me shiver so
You and your scribbled paper makes me shiver so
You and your scribbled paper makes me shiver so
You and your scribbled paper makes me shiver so
In "Scribbled Paper," Little Dragon's lead singer Yukimi Nagano sings about nostalgia and the desire to hold onto a piece of a person who is no longer around. The opening verse shows her searching for a trace of something left by the person she longs for. She finds dried paint and their initials written in a scribbled manner, which she wants to possess. Her thumb presses to the paper as if grasping for something tangible. The following verse paints a haunting picture - Nagano recalls a voice from old dreams and ghostly images of black trains. However, she notes that every page she turns is turned away from her - as though she cannot quite grasp the object of her desire.
Naturally, the repetition of the phrase "You and your scribbled paper makes me shiver so" is a prominent motif in the song. It shows the intensity of the emotion that Nagano feels. The paper stands in as a memento of sorts, making her shiver with the thought of the person who once held it - a poignant moment that would tug on the heartstrings of any listener.
Overall, "Scribbled Paper" is a beautifully haunting track about the search for something or someone that is simultaneously physically present and emotionally distant. The lyrics are shrouded in vivid imagery that transcends the physical world and transports the listener to a place of raw feelings and longing.
Line by Line Meaning
'Cause I went looking for a trace of something that you left
I searched for any remnants of your presence
And when I saw dried paint and your scribbled initials
I found evidence of your art, marked with your signature
I acted like I could care less while my thumb press to the paper
I pretended not to be interested while secretly examining the page
I wanted to find your portrait, wanted to have it
I longed to possess an image of you, to keep close to me
Recalling a piercing voice in old dreams
Remembering a voice that had haunted my dreams for years
And ghostly images of black trains
Vague and eerie memories of trains passing through the night
Now seeing every page is turned away
Realizing that every page is blank, devoid of your art
I wanted to own your portrait, wanted to have it
I still yearned for a likeness of you, to keep as my own
You and your scribbled paper makes me shiver so
Your art, even in its simplicity, still affects me deeply
You and your scribbled paper makes me shiver so
Your art holds power over me, causing a physical response
You and your scribbled paper makes me shiver so
Your creativity, captured on paper, continues to affect me
You and your scribbled paper makes me shiver so
The mere thought of your art sends shivers down my spine
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Erik Oskar Bodin, Fredrik Daniel Wallin, Hakan Wirenstrand, Yukimi Eleanora Nagano
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind