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.
I'd Like You for Christmas
Nils Landgren Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Please make my wish come true
'Cause I'd dream trees and deck the hallways
if I knew you'd be mine for always
I won't be blue on Christmas
if old Saint Nick comes through
and he remembers that I'd like you for Christmas, New Year's, Easter too
She'd like you for Christmas
'Cause she'd dream dreams and deck the hallways
if she knew you'd be hers for always
I won't be blue on Christmas
if old Saint Nick comes through
and he remembers that I'd like you for Christmas, New Year's, Easter too
New Year's, Easter too
The lyrics to Nils Landgren's song "I'd Like You for Christmas" convey a heartfelt plea for love and companionship during the festive season. The singer expresses their desire for someone to be with them on Christmas, making their wish come true. They imagine themselves decorating trees and hallways with joy if they knew that person would be a part of their life forever. The mention of not being blue on Christmas reveals their longing for happiness and fulfillment that can only be achieved by having this special someone by their side.
The second half of the song introduces another perspective, that of a woman who also wishes for the same person. "She'd like you for Christmas," indicating that there is competition for this individual's affections. The repetition of the sentiments from the first verse reinforces the importance and intensity of the desire. The lyrics mention the hopes for not only Christmas but also New Year's and Easter, extending the longing for this person throughout multiple holidays, emphasizing the importance and depth of their feelings.
Overall, the lyrics of "I'd Like You for Christmas" capture the yearning for love and connection during the holiday season. It portrays the vulnerability and longing of individuals who desire to share their lives with someone special, hoping that their wish will come true and that they will not be left alone and blue during this festive time.
Line by Line Meaning
I'd like you for Christmas
I desire to have you as my Christmas present
Please make my wish come true
Grant my desire and make it a reality
'Cause I'd dream trees and deck the hallways
Because I would imagine decorating trees and hallways
if I knew you'd be mine for always
if I were certain that you would be mine forever
I won't be blue on Christmas
I will not feel sad on Christmas
if old Saint Nick comes through
if Santa Claus fulfills my wish
and he remembers that I'd like you for Christmas, New Year's, Easter too
and he remembers that I desire to have you not only for Christmas but also for New Year's and Easter
She'd like you for Christmas
She also desires to have you as her Christmas present
because she'd dream dreams and deck the hallways
since she would imagine dreams and decorate the hallways
if she knew you'd be hers for always
if she were certain that you would belong to her forever
New Year's, Easter too
Not only on Christmas, but also for New Year's and Easter
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind