Roxette was a Swedish pop rock duo, consisting of Marie Fredriksson (vocals… Read Full Bio ↴Roxette was a Swedish pop rock duo, consisting of Marie Fredriksson (vocals and keyboards; born 30 May 1958 in Össjö, Sweden - died 9 December 2019 in Djursholm, Sweden) and Per Gessle (born 12 January 1959 in Halmstead, Sweden) (vocals and guitar) . Formed in 1986, the duo became an international act in the late 1980s, when they released their breakthrough album Look Sharp! Their third album Joyride, which was released in 1991, became just as successful as its predecessor. Roxette went on to achieve nineteen UK Top 40 hits and several US Hot 100 hits, including four US number-ones with "The Look", "Listen to Your Heart", "It Must Have Been Love", and "Joyride". Other hits include "Dangerous", "Fading Like a Flower", "Spending My Time", "How Do You Do!" and "Sleeping in My Car".

Before coming together to form the duo, Fredriksson and Gessle were already established artists in Sweden, with Fredriksson releasing a number of solo albums and Gessle being the lead singer and songwriter of Gyllene Tider, which had three No. 1 albums. On the advice of the managing director of their record label, they came together to record "Neverending Love", which became a hit single in Sweden.

After the release of Don't Bore Us, Get to the Chorus!, a greatest hits record, the duo took a hiatus before returning with the albums Have a Nice Day (1999) and Room Service (2001). They continued to chart in other territories, mainly in Europe and Latin America, where they earned various Gold and Platinum awards until the beginning of the new millennium. In 2002, the duo took a break from recording and touring when Fredriksson was diagnosed with a brain tumour. Gessle went on to release solo albums and reunited with Gyllene Tider before Roxette took to the stage together again for the first time in 8 years, in 2009, during Gessle's European Party Crasher tour. In 2011, they released Charm School, their first studio album in ten years, which was followed by Travelling in 2012. Their latest studio album, Good Karma, was released in 2016.

Their songs "It Must Have Been Love" and "Listen to Your Heart" continue to receive wide radio airplay, with both singles recently receiving awards from BMI for achieving five million radio plays. They have sold an estimated 75 million records worldwide, with over 10 million in certified units from Germany, the US and the UK, achieving gold and platinum certifications for Joyride and Look Sharp! in all three regions.

On 18 April 2016, an official statement was released, cancelling the last leg of the RoXXXette 30th Anniversary Tour due to concerns about Marie Fredriksson's health. As her doctors have advised her to refrain from playing live, she will no longer tour with Roxette. Fredriksson stated: "Sadly, now my touring days are over and I want to take this opportunity to thank our wonderful fans that has followed us on our long and winding journey." Gessle added: "The joyride on the road is over now – but we sure had fun, didn't we?" Roxette has also worked in the studio on their tenth studio album, Good Karma. They have worked with young producers from Sweden like Addeboy vs Cliff "to inject new blood into the Roxette sound". Remixes aside, this is the first time that they have allowed anyone outside of the Roxette canon to produce new music. On 8 April 2016, the lead single off the album, "It Just Happens", was released. The album followed on 3 June 2016.

Per Gessle toured Europe in October and November 2018 as "Per Gessle's Roxette" with a set that lent heavily on the band's back catalogue.

Beautiful Things
Roxette Lyrics

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Beautiful things
Are comin' my way
Beautiful things
I want them to stay
But after a while
My beautiful things
Don't seem beautiful at all

Terrible things
Like when you wake up
And all of your dreams
Seem to crack up
Like things you have done
Like breakin' my heart
For you it don't seem
Terrible at all

Is there someone I can talk to?
Someone on the line?
Does anybody want to hear
What's on my mind?

Beautiful things
Like leaves on a tree
Beautiful things
The sky and the sea
Since you've been gone
No beautiful things
Seem beautiful to me

Is there someone I can talk to?
Someone out there on the line?
Does anybody want to hear
What's on my mind?

Make the grass grow in the garden
When the rain is passin' by

Does anybody want to know
What's on my mind?

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Roxette's song "Beautiful Things" are an introspective reflection on the fleeting nature of beauty and the profound impact of heartbreak on one's perception of the world. The song opens with the singer expressing excitement and anticipation for the beautiful things coming their way, but as time passes, the beauty fades away, leaving the singer feeling empty and disillusioned. The lyrics touch on the duality of existence - the beautiful and terrible moments that are an inherent part of life. Even though life may present beauty at times, the pain of heartbreak can overshadow it all.

The second verse of the song explores the idea that even "terrible things" like heartbreak are subjective and are perceived differently by different people. The singer feels like the person who broke their heart does not understand the gravity of their actions nor the pain they caused. The chorus returns, expressing the singer's desire for someone to connect with, to help them make sense of all that they are feeling.

The final verse reinforces the idea that heartbreak can make everything lose its charm, even the most beautiful things like nature. The song ends with the same plea as before, asking if anyone cares enough to listen, to empathize, and to help. Overall, the lyrics of "Beautiful Things" paint a poignant picture of how deeply emotional pain can affect how we experience the world around us.

Line by Line Meaning

Beautiful things
Positive experiences and events

Are comin' my way
I am attracting good things in my life

Beautiful things
Positive experiences and events

I want them to stay
I hope that these good things last

But after a while
Over time

My beautiful things
Positive experiences and events

Don't seem beautiful at all
I no longer appreciate or enjoy them

Terrible things
Negative experiences and events

Like when you wake up
For example, when you wake up in the morning

And all of your dreams
Referring to goals and aspirations

Seem to crack up
Seem unattainable or unrealistic