Profoundly inspired by a trip to Nashville, which included a slot at The Station Inn with Lucky Lips for Americanafest, Pettersen returned to Norway with several songs ready to record. Wanting to do something wholly different from the band sound of her debut, she recorded a mini album all-alone in the studio. Alonesome showcases Pettersen’s compelling – and at the same time fragile – voice and unique musicianship.
Citing Willie Nelson, Lucinda Williams and Ella Fitzgerald as some of her biggest influences, Pettersen effortlessly mixes country, blues, pop and even jazz in her music. As a songwriter she moves effortlessly between traditional love songs and complex observations on life itself.
The Ameripolitan nomination brought Pettersen back to Tennessee, and after the awards, she found time to record an entirely new album along with a handful of young Nashville cats, scheduled for 2020. But first up is the 6 song collection Alonesome.
Previously, Malin has enjoyed support slots for artists such as Sam Outlaw, Whitney Rose and Joshua Hedley, as well as playing shows with JP Harris and performing at Nashville’s famed Honky Tonk Tuesdays at the American Legion. Having both made waves and new friends in Nashville, Malin’s momentum is still building. Look out for new tour dates, but first of all Alonesome.
Weightless
Malin Pettersen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All I wanted
Was to be mysterious
To hide myself
Inside my head
And always act so serious
I wanted to get high
But I wasn't
And I didn't
Except for a couple of times
When I was young
I didn't see it
A couple of times I even tried to flee
I hid myself
Inside my head
And I was someone else instead
I wanted to be careless
I wanted to be weightless
But I wasn't
And you know,
You know that I ain't
People used to tell me still water was the deepest
I used to hope I'd lose my tongue
But know I'm older and I know better
And now I know that they were wrong
And now I wanna live
With everything that I've got
Cause everything I've got I have to give
And what I give I get in return
I wanted to get high
I wanted to be shy
Be weightless
But I wasn't and you know
You know that I ain't
And now I know that I ain't
Malin Pettersen's song "Weightless" is a reflective piece that delves into the singer's past desires to be perceived as mysterious, shy, and carefree. The opening lines reveal the perspective of a younger Malin who dreamt of keeping her thoughts and emotions to herself and putting up a facade of seriousness. She wanted to be enigmatic and often retreated within her head to become someone else.
Malin's desire for a different personality manifested in her aspirations to seem unfazed by the world and its happenings. She admits to the desire to flee from the real world a few times, indicating that the idea of escapism was alluring to her. She longed to be weightless, effortlessly flying through life without a care in the world.
As Malin grew older, she realized that being still and quiet did not make her mysterious, and attempting to hide her true self was fruitless. The line "people used to tell me still water was the deepest" suggests that others regarded her as deep and contemplative because of her quietness. She soon discovered that being open and vulnerable allows for personal growth and connections with others. She now desires to live her life giving her all and receiving the same in return.
Overall, "Weightless" is a song that explores the idea of self-acceptance and growth. Malin's realization that being true to oneself is more important than putting on appearances is relatable to many people who have struggled with authenticity in their lives.
Line by Line Meaning
When I was young
In my youthful days
All I wanted
My main desire
Was to be mysterious
To be enigmatic or hard to understand
To hide myself
To conceal my true self
Inside my head
In the recesses of my mind
And always act so serious
To portray a grave and sober demeanor
I wanted to be shy
I desired to be modest or timid
I wanted to get high
I longed to become intoxicated
But I wasn't
But it wasn't so
And I didn't
And I did not
Except for a couple of times
Only on a few occasions
When I was young
In my youthful days
I didn't see it
I failed to notice it
A couple of times I even tried to flee
On a few occasions, I attempted to escape
I hid myself
I concealed myself
Inside my head
In my thoughts and contemplation
And I was someone else instead
I pretended to be another person instead of myself
I wanted to be careless
I desired to be free from anxiety or worry
I wanted to be weightless
I wished to be without burden or heaviness
But I wasn't
But it was not so
And you know,
And you know
You know that I ain't
You know that I am not
People used to tell me still water was the deepest
Individuals commented that silently contained emotions were more profound
I used to hope I'd lose my tongue
I anticipated losing my ability to speak
But know I'm older and I know better
However, now that I am more experienced, I comprehend things better
And now I know that they were wrong
And I now know that their statements were incorrect
And now I wanna live
And now I desire to live life to the fullest
With everything that I've got
With all that I possess
Cause everything I've got I have to give
As everything I possess, I must give back
And what I give I get in return
And as I give, I expect to receive
I wanted to be shy
I desired to be modest or timid
I wanted to get high
I longed to become intoxicated
Be weightless
To lack burden or heaviness
But I wasn't and you know
But it wasn't so, and you know
You know that I ain't
You know that I am not
And now I know that I ain't
And now I recognize that I am not
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Malin Pettersen
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind