Loney Dear is the moniker used by multi-instrumentalist and home-recording … Read Full Bio ↴Loney Dear is the moniker used by multi-instrumentalist and home-recording phenomenon, Emil Svanängen (born 29 March 1979 in Jönköping, Sweden).

Until 2009 Svanängen recorded and released four records as Loney, dear. In 2009 he slightly changed this name, skipping the comma and becoming Loney Dear. All albums are now listed under Loney Dear on streaming platforms. but Loney, dear still exists on Last.fm.

Released as Loney, dear:
The Year Of River Fontana (2003)
Citadel Band (2004)
Sologne (2006)
Loney, Noir (2007)

Released as Loney Dear:
Dear John (2009)
Hall Music (2011)
Loney Dear (2017)
A Lantern and a Bell (2021)
Atlantis (live, 2022)
All Things Go (2024)

In either his tiny Stockholm studio apartment or the basement of his parents’ house, and with a dedication bordering upon manic, Emil discreetly builds Loney Dear songs using a modest home studio set-up. The music of Loney Dear has been aptly described as “soulful indie folk with a powerful mini orchestra.”

Layer upon layer, adding instrumentation and vocals, these songs seem to bloom like time-lapse photography, depicting glimpsed scenes of modern disaffection and timeless yearning. When performing live, Loney, dear becomes the band Emil conjures alone in his home studio, and mutates into a full, five-member band complete with guitar, sax, drums, organ and clarinet, shouts and claps.

My Heart
Loney Dear Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

My heart
What have I done to you?
Sadness, no disappointments
If I want to own you
If I want what yours
If I always want to own you

No sadness

No disappointments
No tiredness
Could get through my skin
And I woke up
Was crying in my sleep
And the bitterness
Was littered under my skin

Ah-- Oh---

My heart
The game is yours(?),
I'm too late
I want what I asked for
Want what I asked for

And my heart
What have I done to you?
And sadness, no contributions
And sadness, no disappointments

I want what I asked for
I want what I asked for

Overall Meaning

The opening line of Loney Dear's "My Heart" sets the tone for a sad and introspective song: "My heart, what have I done to you?" The singer is speaking directly to his own heart, as if to a separate entity that he feels guilty towards. He wonders what he has done to cause himself so much pain and sadness. The lyrics suggest that owning his heart would give him some measure of control over his emotions, but at the same time, the singer seems resigned to the fact that he can't always have what he wants.

Throughout the rest of the song, the theme of disappointment and unfulfilled desires continues. The singer talks about waking up crying in his sleep, and feeling bitter and worn down. He describes his heart as a "game" that he has lost, and he laments the fact that he can't change the past. The repetition of the lines "I want what I asked for" suggests that the singer is aware of his own shortcomings, but he can't help but wish things were different.

The haunting quality of the music helps to emphasize the melancholy tone of the lyrics, with a simple piano melody and layered vocals building to a crescendo of emotion. "My Heart" is a song about regret and missed opportunities, but it also has a sense of acceptance and resignation. It's a poignant and introspective track that will resonate with anyone who has struggled with their own feelings.

Line by Line Meaning

My heart
Addressing the singer's own heart

What have I done to you?
Reflection on past actions and their effects on the singer's heart

Sadness, no disappointments
Acknowledgement of emotional struggle despite lack of tangible setbacks

If I want to own you
Desire for control over one's own emotions

If I want what yours
Desire for emotional connection with another person

If I always want to own you
Reiteration of the desire for control over one's emotions

No sadness
Hope for a lack of negative emotions

No disappointments
Hope for a lack of setbacks or unfulfilled expectations

No tiredness
Hope for physical and emotional energy

Could get through my skin
Nothing could penetrate the artist's emotional defenses

And I woke up
Revelation of an emotional breakthrough

Was crying in my sleep
Expression of deep-seated emotions even while unconscious

And the bitterness
Recognition of negative emotions

Was littered under my skin
Despite appearances, the negative emotions were still present beneath the surface

The game is yours(?),
Uncertainty regarding the state of a personal relationship

I'm too late
Regret for not acting sooner

I want what I asked for
Desire for things to have gone according to the artist's plans

And sadness, no contributions
Sadness without apparent cause or stimulus

And sadness, no disappointments
Sadness without unmet expectations

I want what I asked for
Reiteration of the desire for things to have gone differently

Writer(s): Emil Svanangen Copyright: Sony/ATV Music Publishing (Scandinavia) Kb

Contributed by Juliana O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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