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.
In My Own Way
Roxette Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
An ocean of teardrops
A castle of break-ups
To hide myself in
I've waited a lifetime
For someone to find me
For someone to reach me
Now I'm a woman
I can tell by the look in your eyes
We're no strangers
I can tell by the way that you smile
I've painted the sunsets
The dawnings I've missed you
The hours I've kissed you
To keep my heart alive
It's the heat of your breathing
The way you are whispering
The urge of your wanting
I can't leave you behind
Now I'm a woman
I can tell by the look in your eyes
We're no strangers
I can tell by the waves in the night
You bring a little hope, bring a little love
I don't want to own you
I don't want to lead you
I just want to love you
In my own way
The lyrics of Roxette's song "In My Own Way" speak about the emotional journey of a woman who has been hurt and scarred by past relationships. She has created a fortress of emotional barriers around her, gathering mountains of tears, oceans of heartache, and a castle of break-ups to protect herself. However, she has also yearned for connection and someone to love her for who she is.
She expresses her longing for someone to reach her and find her, to help her begin the process of healing and letting go of her past. The chorus speaks to her newfound self-awareness as a woman who can recognize when someone is not a stranger and can tell when they truly care. She describes the moments she has painted images of the good times with her loved one, from sunsets to dawns, to keep her heart alive.
The woman then speaks about the power of her loved one's presence, the heat of their breathing, and the urge they have of wanting her. She acknowledges her desire for connection but also expresses that she does not want to own or lead her loved one, only love them in her own special way.
Line by Line Meaning
I gathered a mountain
I have accumulated a lot of emotional baggage.
An ocean of teardrops
I have cried a lot due to all the pain I've gone through in relationships.
A castle of break-ups
I have built up walls to protect myself from further heartbreaks.
To hide myself in
I use my past experiences to avoid getting hurt again in new relationships.
I've waited a lifetime
I have been longing for love for a very long time.
For someone to find me
I hope to be loved and appreciated by someone who truly knows and understands me.
For someone to reach me
I have always wanted to be pursued and fought for by someone who values me.
Somewhere to begin
I am looking for a fresh start where I can build a healthy relationship with another person.
Now I'm a woman
I have grown mature and confident with time.
I can tell by the look in your eyes
I can sense familiarity and comfort when I look at you.
We're no strangers
We have a connection that goes deeper than just knowing each other's name.
I can tell by the way that you smile
I see joy and acceptance in your eyes when you look at me.
I've painted the sunsets
I have captured beautiful moments and memories in my mind.
The dawnings I've missed you
I have been longing for your company in the early mornings.
The hours I've kissed you
I cherish every moment I spend with you, especially the intimate ones.
To keep my heart alive
I need love to sustain my emotional well-being and happiness.
It's the heat of your breathing
I feel passion and love in the warmth of your breath.
The way you are whispering
Your tender voice and soft words make me feel comforted and secure.
The urge of your wanting
Your desire for me is palpable and makes me feel wanted.
I can't leave you behind
I am afraid to lose you because you bring so much light into my life.
You bring a little hope, bring a little love
You give me hope that I can overcome my fears and doubts and experience true love again.
I don't want to own you
I don't want to possess you or control your actions in any way.
I don't want to lead you
I don't want to manipulate you or influence your decisions in any way.
I just want to love you
I want to give you my heart and trust you with all my being.
In my own way
I want to love you in a way that feels authentic and true to myself.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: PER HAKAN GESSLE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind