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.
What Have I Become?
Loney Dear Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Things never go the way the should
It's not sad but it's not ok
I turn into what I am
As if nothing else could hurt me
And everything I want to do
And in a land with a thousand seasides
I really wanted to
And when the music comes over the houses
And I thought
And now I really don't care no more
Efforts never made a change here
And high hopes made it worse
And I turn into what I am
As if nothing else could reach me
And in a house with a thousand windows
And if I only knew why I was drawn to this
It is sad and it's not ok
And when the music comes over the houses
Sadness never was a choice here
The lyrics to Loney Dear's song What Have I Become? uncover the sorrowful detachment of the singer's character as he reflects upon his life. He begins by expressing apathy towards the world, suggesting that things have continuously gone wrong and that he is no longer affected by it, neither by sadness nor joy. The use of repetition in the phrase "I really don't care no more" highlights the singer's numbness towards life. However, he acknowledges that even though he is not sad, he is not okay either, implying that his emotional detachment is not something to revel in.
He then proceeds to explore the themes of failure and missed opportunities. He uses the metaphor of not being able to swim despite living in a land with a thousand seasides, emphasizing his inability to achieve the things he wants. He wants to learn to swim, yet he never does, suggesting that fear or apathy holds him back, leading to missed opportunities. The singer expresses regret about not learning to swim, which could have been a metaphor for other chances he missed in life.
The song closes by highlighting the singer's melancholy, and how he is affected by music that drifts from other houses. He describes the feeling of sadness as one that never was a choice, emphasizing his inability to control his emotions entirely. Overall, the lyrics to Loney Dear's What Have I Become? showcase the themes of detachment, failed opportunities, and melancholy, all of which lead to a mournful and introspective character.
Line by Line Meaning
And now I really don't care no more
I have given up and lost hope
Things never go the way they should
Life has been full of disappointments and setbacks
It's not sad but it's not ok
I am in a state of emotional ambiguity
I turn into what I am
I have accepted who I have become
As if nothing else could hurt me
I have become numb to pain
And everything I want to do
My passions and desires no longer matter to me
And in a land with a thousand seasides
My environment has always offered opportunities, but I haven't taken advantage of them
I never really learned to swim at all
I have missed out on experiences due to my own limitations and fears
I really wanted to
I have regrets about missed opportunities
And when the music comes over the houses
External stimuli still affects me
And I thought
It triggers introspection
Efforts never made a change here
I have tried to improve things, but to no avail
And high hopes made it worse
My optimism has been crushed by repeated failures
And if I only knew why I was drawn to this
I have a sense of longing or attachment to something that is unclear
And in a house with a thousand windows
My living situation is full of possibilities, yet I am still unsatisfied
It is sad and it's not ok
I am in a state of emotional distress
Sadness never was a choice here
My emotions are out of my control
Contributed by Brody T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.