Nina Persson (born Nina Elisabet Persson September 6, 1974 in Örebro, Swede… Read Full Bio ↴Nina Persson (born Nina Elisabet Persson September 6, 1974 in Örebro, Sweden) is the lead singer and lyricist for the Swedish pop group The Cardigans. Originally, she was going to art school until she started with the The Cardigans. She has also worked as a solo artist, releasing two albums as A Camp and appearing on the tribute album to Serge Gainsbourg entitled Monsieur Gainsbourg Revisited. She has also worked with rock group Sparklehorse. She appears on the Manic Street Preachers song "Your Love Alone Is Not Enough" on the album "Send Away the Tigers". This track was voted "Track of the year" by Dutch radio station KXradio.

Persson is married to the American composer and musician Nathan Larson. She sung the lyrics to some of his songs on the soundtracks to Todd Solondz’ movie "Palindromes" and Australian movie "Little Fish".

Persson also made her acting debut in the movie "Om Gud vill" which was released in 2006.

She is currently working on her solo album.

www.cardigans.com

I can buy you
Nina Persson Lyrics

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A life of sanity and dignity
You know it takes two
And what's the use in being a millionaire
If i can't have you

I wanna buy you a home
I'll pay your friends if you're feeling alone
The pain of losing a guy like you

Is a bigger cost than paying your dues

I can buy you, oh yeah, oh yeah
But i can't make you do what you don't
And i can hire you, oh yeah, oh yeah
But i can't make you love me, i can't make you

You say i'd never go for a little
And i always need more
And you're a thousand-dollar playboy
That i just can't afford

But i guess you got me, oh oh
You got me hanging around for too long
I don't wanna stop it, oh no, oh no
I bet your life that it's with me you belong

And i can buy you, oh yeah, oh yeah
But i can't make you do what you don't
And i can hire you, oh yeah, oh yeah
But i can't make you love me, i can't make you care

So if i can't make you love me
If i can't make you care
What price can take me there in this world
Somebody told me cash is care

I didn't mean to force you, oh no
But i bet a fortune it's with me you belong

And i can buy you, oh yeah, oh yeah
But i can't make you do what you don't
And i can hire you, oh yeah, oh yeah
But i can't make you love me, i can't make you care

I can't take you there anymore...

Overall Meaning

The song "I Can Buy You" by Nina Persson talks about the desire of a person to have someone they cannot seem to have. The lyrics suggest that the person has tried to win them over with money or material things but to no avail. The song highlights the fact that money cannot buy love, and even though the persona has the means to provide a comfortable life, they still cannot have the one they want.

The first verse states, "A life of sanity and dignity, you know it takes two," suggesting that the persona values a healthy relationship built on mutual respect and understanding. The next lines, "And what's the use in being a millionaire if I can't have you? I wanna buy you a home; I'll pay your friends if you're feeling alone," reveal that the persona is willing to offer material things and help their love interest in any way they can. However, in the chorus, the persona acknowledges that they cannot make the person love them or do what they don't want to do, even if they can buy them.

In the second verse, the persona expresses that they like the love interest and can't help being drawn to them, even though they are a "thousand-dollar playboy" and the persona can't afford them. The bridge shows the persona's frustration as they say, "So if I can't make you love me, if I can't make you care, what price can take me there in this world? Somebody told me cash means care."

Overall, the song's message is that love cannot be bought, no matter how much money one has. Despite the persona's wealth and willingness to offer the love interest material things, they still cannot have them.

Line by Line Meaning

A life of sanity and dignity
Living a stable and respectable life is important

You know it takes two
A relationship requires equal effort from both parties

And what's the use in being a millionaire If i can't have you
Money is pointless without the person she desires

I wanna buy you a home I'll pay your friends if you're feeling alone The pain of losing a guy like you Is a bigger cost than paying your dues
She wants to provide for the person she loves and is willing to pay for support to keep them by her side

I can buy you, oh yeah, oh yeah But i can't make you do what you don't And i can hire you, oh yeah, oh yeah But i can't make you love me, i can't make you
Money can't buy someone's happiness or love

You say i'd never go for a little And i always need more And you're a thousand-dollar playboy That i just can't afford
She is willing to spend a lot of money to keep the person she wants, but they may not see her as worth it

But i guess you got me, oh oh You got me hanging around for too long I don't wanna stop it, oh no, oh no I bet your life that it's with me you belong
She's obsessed with the person and can't let go, convinced that they were meant to be together

So if i can't make you love me If i can't make you care What price can take me there in this world Somebody told me cash is care
She's desperate to win the love of the person and wonders if money is the only way to do so

I didn't mean to force you, oh no But i bet a fortune it's with me you belong
She doesn't want to manipulate or force the person, but is confident they were meant to be together

I can't take you there anymore...
She realizes that her efforts are futile and accepts that she can't force the person to love her

Contributed by Charlie W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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A life of sanity and dignity
You know it takes two
And what's the use in being a millionaire
If I can't have you
I want to buy you... a home
I'll pay your friends if you're feeling alone
The pain of losing a guy like you
It's a bigger cost than paying your dues
I can buy you oh yeah oh yeah
But I can't make you do what you don't
And I can hire you oh yeah oh yeah
But I can't make you love me
I can't make you
You say I never go for little
And I always need more
And you're a thousand dollar playboy
That I just can't afford
But I guess you got me oh oh
You got me hanging around for too long
I don't want to stop it oh no oh no
I bought you a life and it's with me you belong
I can buy you oh yeah oh yeah
But I can't make you do what you don't
And I can hire you oh yeah oh yeah
But I can't make you love me
I can't make you care
So if I can't make you love me
If I can't make you care
What prize can take me there
In this world?
Somebody told me cash is king
I didn't mean to force you oh no
But I bet you fortune it's with me you belong
And I can buy you oh yeah oh yeah
But I can't make you do what you don't
And I can hire you oh yeah oh yeah
But I can't make you love me
I can't make you care
I can't take you there
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