She was born in Ystad, Skåne; her mother, Kärsti Stiege, was a photographer, and her father, Johan Zachrisson, is a member of the Swedish punk-reggae band Dag Vag. Her younger brother, Zacharias Zachrisson, is also a musician. The family moved to Stockholm when Zachrisson was a toddler and when she was six moved to a mountaintop in Portugal where they lived for five years. The family also spent time in Lisbon and Morocco, and winters in Nepal and India. She moved to Brooklyn, New York City, for three months when she was 19. She returned when she was 21 to record her album.
Breaking Up
Lykke Li Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
If you're crossing the street I might be there
If you're going abroad I can't help you
If you're crossing the street I might be there
If you're going abroad I can't help you
If you're crossing the street I might be there
If you're going abroad I can't help you
If you give it a minute, it's wrong
If you give it a minute, it's gone
If we're just waiting a second too long
Darling, I'll leave and you won't come along
So give me the reason to stay
Give me the reason to wait
You know I don't look to get caught
Cause darling, we're here but my true love is not
Breaking it up before it's on
Breaking it up, it's already gone
Breaking it up, I didn't mean to fraud
Breaking it up
I might be there
If you're going abroad I can't help you
If you're crossing the street I might be there
If you're going abroad I can't help you
If you're crossing the street I might be there
And I call you baby, I will and I do
Persuade you in though I know that we're through
I let you think that I'm yours when I'm not
Keep you here though I'm ready to drop the last line here
Breaking it up before it's on
Breaking it up, it's already gone
Breaking it up, I didn't mean to fraud
Breaking it up
I might be there
If you're going abroad I can't help you
If you're crossing the street I might be there
If you're going abroad I can't help you
If you're crossing the street I might be there
If you're going abroad I can't help you
If you're crossing the street I might be there
If you're going abroad I can't help you
If you're crossing the street I might be there
Breaking it up
Breaking it up
Breaking it up
I might be there
If you're going abroad I can't help you
If you're crossing the street I might be there
If you're going abroad I can't help you
If you're crossing the street I might be there
If you're going abroad I can't help you
If you're crossing the street I might be there
If you're going abroad I can't help you
If you're crossing the street I might be there
Lykke Li's song, "Breaking it Up," is a poignant reflection on a girl's struggles to move on from a past relationship. The song starts with a series of paradoxes, "If you're going abroad I can't help you/If you're crossing the street I might be there." These lines epitomize the girl's feelings of uncertainty, as she's caught between moving on and holding on to the past.
Throughout the song, the girl expresses her desire to stay, but her words reveal that she has already moved on. She says, "Give me the reason to stay/Give me the reason to wait," indicating that she wants to stay but needs a valid reason to do so.
The line "Breaking it up before it's on/Breaking it up, it's already gone," speaks to the girl's struggle to let go of a relationship that's already ended. She feels like she's breaking up with someone who's not even there, and the line "Breaking it up, I didn't mean to fraud," further emphasizes her feelings of guilt and self-blame.
Overall, the song portrays an honest depiction of the girl's journey towards self-discovery and acceptance of her past relationship. It's a beautiful and melancholic song that's relatable to anyone who's been through a breakup.
Line by Line Meaning
If you're going abroad I can't help you
I have limited control over your decisions and actions, particularly if you're moving away
If you're crossing the street I might be there
However, I may still be present and involved in some way, even if it's just crossing paths with you in passing
If you give it a minute, it's wrong
If you wait too long to make a decision or take an action, it may end up being the wrong choice
If you give it a minute, it's gone
Alternatively, if you wait too long, the opportunity may pass you by entirely, leaving you with nothing
If we're just waiting a second too long
Even just a small delay could have significant consequences
Darling, I'll leave and you won't come along
If you don't act quickly or decisively, I may move on without you
So give me the reason to stay
I need a compelling justification to stick around and keep investing in this relationship or situation
Give me the reason to wait
Likewise, I need a good reason to hold off on making a decision or taking action, rather than just rushing into something foolishly
You know I don't look to get caught
I don't want to be tied down or trapped in a situation that doesn't feel right for me
Cause darling, we're here but my true love is not
Despite physically being present, I may not be fully invested in this relationship or situation, and my heart may lie elsewhere
Breaking it up before it's on
I would rather end things early than let them develop into something that won't work out in the end
Breaking it up, it's already gone
Sometimes, it may already be too late to salvage something that's broken beyond repair
Breaking it up, I didn't mean to fraud
I didn't intend to mislead anyone or make them invest in something that wasn't genuine or sincere
And I call you baby, I will and I do
Even if I don't have genuine feelings for you, I may still use terms of endearment to maintain the illusion of a meaningful connection
Persuade you in though I know that we're through
I may still try to convince you to stay or work things out, even if I know deep down that it's not going to work out
I let you think that I'm yours when I'm not
I may allow you to believe that I am more invested in this relationship than I actually am, leading to disappointment or heartbreak later on
Keep you here though I'm ready to drop the last line here
I may continue to string you along and maintain this relationship, even when I know it's not going to last and I'm ready to move on
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BJOERN YTTLING, LYKKE LI ZACHRISSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
JazzTKO
Lykke Li is honestly amazing.
kbo cutz
SOOOOOOOOO GOOOOOOOOD. cant get enough of this girl, her voice, her moves, her looks. Grimes and Lykke Li and Bjork are the girls in my life keeping me sane.
thomm o
all 3 are genuis, well spotted
Sir Cartier ♪
Wow, a comment from 9 years ago, These three Women mean so much to me, I have always thought that my taste was very odd, but it seems like Grimes, Li, and Bjork are loved my many simultaneously ! I would have never thought I would find someone with the same sort of opinion as me... My three favorite female artists ever.
Anderson Miller II
Lykke li marcou um período muito gostosa da Minha vida ! Devo muito as música dela! É uma divaaaaaa! Parabéns pelos 10 anos desse álbum lindíssimo! 👏👏👏💖💖💖💖💖💖♪✌
eekcarlos
I love this woman, she is just doing her thing. No manufactured gimmicks to look hot or "weird", she's so talented she doesn't need any help standing out <3
altgirl stuck in kpopland
I know she herself doesn't like this album... but I absolutely love this.
There's something sweet and paradoxically dark and primal about it.
Siren From Jupiter
she's the only person in this world who doesn't like this album. this album is my life.
Lucas Paulo de Lima
why se doesnt like it?
altgirl stuck in kpopland
@IWannaBeTheGuy with that i'm talking about her, her voice tone and overall vibe and its dissonance with the topic of the song. Her soft singing "I let you think that I'm yours when I'm not" sums that deception.