He is a world-class soloist and artist with heart and soul: Nils Landgren.
Jazz and church music shaped his childhood. As cornetist, Nils Landgren's father brought US jazz into the house. The traditional Swedish chorales and songs came from his grandfather, who was a preacher. Nils Landgren was born in 1956. He began playing drums at the age of six. At 13 he layed his hands and lips on the trombone and was hooked for life.
Between 1972 and 1978 Nils studied classical trombone at the music college in Karlstad with David Maytan and at the university in Arvika with Ingemar Roos. During this time he also met the legendary Swedish Folk-Jazz pioneer Bengt-Arne Wallin and the fantastic tromboneplayer and proffessor of the Graz Conservatory in Austria, Eje Thelin. These two men completely changed the way for Nils to go; from a strict classical player to an improviser with his own idea of what to play and why. After his graduation Nils moved to Stockholm to work as a professional tromboneplayer. First the life of a struggling jazz musician, making no money but gaining loads of experience. Then the call that totally changed his life: an offer to go on tour with Sweden's most successful pop star of that time Björn Skifs who at that time was at #1 in the US pop charts with "Hooked on a feeling". The money was ok, the vibes were cool and the band was simply great! Ever since that time Nils Landgren has been involved in a variety of music styles and projects. These include jazz, rock, soul, hip hop, big band’s, studio sessions, and by his own reckoning, at least 500 albums. Mostly, for natural reasons with Swedish artists but also with such internationals stars as ABBA, The Crusaders, Eddie Harris, Bernard "Pretty" Purdie and Herbie Hancock. Nils even plays on the first Wyclef Jean solo album, titled "Carnival".
In 1981 Thad Jones invited the Swede into his new Bigband project "Ball of Fire", to take the lead-trombone chair. The band was built up around such great musicians as Jerome Richardson, Jerry Dodgion, Tim Hagans, Bobby Burgess, Roger Kellaway, Sahib Shihab, Dusko Goykovich, and Benny. "A fantastic band, sad that it did not work out in the end", Nils says about that expreience. Two years later Nils debut album "Planet Rock" was released, followed by "Streetfighter" in 1984, "You are my Nr 1" in 1985, "Miles from Duke" with Bengt-Arne Wallin in 1987, "Chapter Two 1", in 1987, "Chapter Two 2" and "Follow your heart" in 1989. Between 1985 and 1987 Nils also performed as actor, singer, trombonist, and dancer in over 360 performances of the Swedish "play of the year", SKAEL, as well as appearing in several TV-films as an actor.
1992 saw the first performances and recording of the Nils Landgren Unit; the recording was called "Red Horn", and was mixed by the legendary sound engineer Bruce Swedien. (re-release 2001 as "The First Unit", ACT 9292-2). That same summer the band performed at the "Playboy Jazzfestival" in Los Angeles, hosted by the great Bill Cosby. The final breakthrough outside of Scandinavia came first in 1994: it was at the Jazz Baltica Festival in Germany that the "Unit" became the "Funk Unit". The album "Live in Stockholm" (ACT 9223-2) with guest star Maceo Parker was released that year and was the foundation for the collaboration with Siegfried Loch and his young ACT label.
Broken Wings
Nils Landgren Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Why we can't just hold on to each other's hands
This time might be the last I fear
Unless I make it all too clear
I need you so
Take these broken wings
and learn to fly again
And when we hear the voices sing
the book of love will open up and let us in
So take these broken wings
Baby I think tonight
we can take what was wrong and make it right
Baby it's all I know
that you're half of the flesh
and blood that makes me whole
So take these broken wings
and learn to fly again
And learn to live so free.
And when we hear the voices sing
the book of love will open up and let us in
So take these broken wings
Baby I think tonight
we can take what was wrong and make it right
Baby it's all I know
that you're half of the flesh
and blood that makes me whole
So take these broken wings
and learn to fly again
And learn to live so free
And when we hear the voices sing
the book of love will open up and let us in
So take these broken wings
and learn to fly again
And learn to live so free
And when we hear the voices sing
the book of love will open up and let us in
The lyrics of Nils Landgren's song "Broken Wings" are about a couple who are struggling to hold onto their relationship. The singer expresses his confusion about why they can't just hold each other's hands and come together. He fears that this might be their last chance to fix things and make it work. He expresses the necessity of the other person's presence in his life and declares that they complete him as a human being.
The chorus of the song is about taking the broken wings and learning to fly again. The broken wings represent the broken relationship and the need to mend it. The singer wants to learn to live so free and be able to fly away from their troubles, and when they hear the voices sing, they will be able to open the book of love and start anew.
The final verse of the song reiterates that the couple can make things right and fix what was wrong before. The singer wants the other person to understand that they are half of his being and that together they make up a whole. The last chorus ends with the same sentiment about taking the broken wings and learning to fly again, but this time there is a more hopeful tone as the book of love will open up and allow them to start again.
Line by Line Meaning
Baby I don't understand
The singer is confused and doesn't comprehend the reason for the separation.
Why we can't just hold on to each other's hands
The singer questions why they can't work out their differences and stay together.
This time might be the last I fear
The singer is worried that their relationship may not survive this problem.
Unless I make it all too clear
The artist wants to communicate their feelings directly so they can resolve the issues between them.
I need you so
The artist acknowledges that they rely on the other person and cannot imagine life without them.
Take these broken wings
The singer is offering their wounds to the other person.
and learn to fly again
The singer wants the other person to heal and feel free again.
And learn to live so free
The artist wants the other person to experience life without being weighed down by their problems or struggles.
And when we hear the voices sing
The artist imagines a moment in the future when they are reunited and happy.
the book of love will open up and let us in
The artist believes that, when they are together again, their love will be stronger and more fulfilling than before.
Baby I think tonight
The singer is feeling hopeful and romantic about their shared future.
we can take what was wrong and make it right
The artist believes that they can fix their problems and build a better relationship.
Baby it's all I know
The singer is expressing how important the other person is to them.
that you're half of the flesh and blood that makes me whole
The singer feels that the other person completes them and makes them feel whole.
So take these broken wings
The singer repeats their offering of comfort and support to the other person.
And when we hear the voices sing
The artist repeats their vision of a happy future together.
the book of love will open up and let us in
The artist repeats their belief that their love will become stronger and more fulfilling after overcoming their struggles.
So take these broken wings
The singer repeats and emphasizes their offer of comfort and support to the other person.
and learn to fly again
The singer repeats their desire for the other person to heal and feel free again.
And learn to live so free
The artist repeats their desire for the other person to experience life without being weighed down by their problems or struggles.
And when we hear the voices sing
The artist repeats their vision of a happy future together.
the book of love will open up and let us in
The artist repeats their belief that their love will become stronger and more fulfilling after overcoming their struggles.
Writer(s): STEVE GEORGE, RICHARD PAGE, JOHN LANG
Contributed by Gianna Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.