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.
You Don't Understand Me
Roxette Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Seems like nothin' I say gets through.
How did this old bed fit a world between me and you.
We said "Goodnight" but the silence was so thick
You could cut it with a knife.
We've hit the wall again and there's nothin' I can do.
You're the one, yea, I've put all my trust in your hands.
C'mon and look in my eyes, here I am, here I am
You don't understand me, my baby.
You don't seem to know that I need you so much.
You don't understand me, my feelings,
The reason I'm breathin', my love
The mornin' comes and you're reaching out for me
Just like everything's the same
And I let myself believe things are gonna change.
When you kiss my mouth and you hold my body close,
Do you wonder who's inside?
Maybe there's no way we could feel each other's pain.
Tell me why it gets harder to know where I stand.
I guess loneliness found a new friend, here I am
You don't understand me
You don't seem to get me, my baby.
You don't really see that I live for your touch.
You don't understand me, my dreams or the things I believe in, my love.
You don't understand me. You don't understand me. Understand me.
The lyrics of Roxette's "You Don't Understand Me" express the frustration and loneliness that can arise in a relationship when partners fail to communicate effectively. The singer describes feeling like they are talking to a wall, that their words and emotions are not getting through to their partner. They lament the distance that has grown between them, wondering how two people who used to be so close can now feel so far apart. Even physical intimacy fails to bridge the gap between them, and the singer questions whether their partner truly knows them at all.
The chorus emphasizes this theme of misunderstanding and lack of connection, with the singer pleading with their partner to try to see and hear them more clearly. They emphasize how important their partner is to them, how much they need their love and understanding, but feel as if their partner is blind to their feelings and struggles. The repetition of "you don't understand me" drives home the sense of frustration and desperation in the singer's voice.
Overall, "You Don't Understand Me" is a poignant exploration of the challenges that can arise in relationships when communication breaks down. The lyrics have resonated with many listeners who have experienced similar struggles in their own lives.
Line by Line Meaning
I've been up all night, you've been puttin' up a fight.
I have been awake all night, while you have been resisting our conversation.
Seems like nothin' I say gets through.
It seems like whatever I say to you does not resonate or make sense.
How did this old bed fit a world between me and you.
I can't believe how emotionally distant we are given that we share the same bed.
We said 'Goodnight' but the silence was so thick You could cut it with a knife.
Last night, when we said 'Goodnight', the awkward silence that followed was thick and palpable.
We've hit the wall again and there's nothin' I can do.
We seem to have reached a dead-end in our relationship and I feel helpless.
You're the one, yea, I've put all my trust in your hands.
You are the one that I have trusted most with my heart and my life.
C'mon and look in my eyes, here I am, here I am
Please look into my soul, I am here for you, wanting to connect.
You don't understand me, my baby.
You don't comprehend my thoughts or feelings, my dear.
You don't seem to know that I need you so much.
You appear to be oblivious to how much I depend on you.
You don't understand me, my feelings,
You are unable to comprehend the depth of my emotions.
The reason I'm breathin', my love
You are the reason that I exist, my love.
The mornin' comes and you're reaching out for me Just like everything's the same.
In the morning, you reach for me as if everything is normal, unchanged.
And I let myself believe things are gonna change.
Despite our emotional distance, I convince myself that things will improve.
When you kiss my mouth and you hold my body close, Do you wonder who's inside?
When we embrace physically, do you think about who I really am, deep down?
Maybe there's no way we could feel each other's pain.
Perhaps we are not capable of understanding or empathizing with each other's suffering.
Tell me why it gets harder to know where I stand. I guess loneliness found a new friend, here I am
Explain why it's challenging to comprehend my position in this relationship. I suppose I'm becoming friends with loneliness, and I'm still here.
You don't seem to get me, my baby.
You don't seem to comprehend who I am, my dear.
You don't really see that I live for your touch.
You don't grasp how much I crave your physical affection.
You don't understand me, my dreams or the things I believe in, my love.
You are not capable of understanding my aspirations, beliefs, and values, my love.
You don't understand me. You don't understand me. Understand me.
You do not comprehend me, and I wish you did. Please try to understand me, deeply and fully.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DESMOND CHILD, PER GESSLE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Dalton Betega
Só quem entende a intensidade e a singularidade de Roxette consegue compreender a perfeição e a profundidade com que as músicas deles tocam nossos sentimentos.
Nazri Buang
Lies again? Donuts Chinese
Rafael Fernandes
Exatamente,perfeita sua colocação.
NandãoXJ6
Está música me faz viajar em emoções
Daniel Lucena
As experiencias da vida ajudam a isso cara!!
Rachel Tavares
Verdade eu nao entendia nada de ingles na epoca mas viajava nessa música
Victor Martins
Eu conheci Roxette através da minha irmã mais velha, o maior legado que ela me passou, sensibilidade, arte e emoção. Ouvir isso me lembra uma parte incrível da minha infância e aquece meu coração ❤❤
Rachel Macêdo
Essa continua sendo até hoje a minha música preferida, é difícil de acreditar que você se foi, Marie! Uma cantora maravilhosa, com uma voz e interpretação únicas! Suas músicas fizeram parte não só da minha adolescência, mas de toda uma geração. Descanse em paz e que você continue brilhando como você sempre fez! ✨🙏🏼
Valter Abibo Jose Mabuie
Essa música ate hoje quando eu escuto me doi porquê voce se fui nos deixar com essas músicas k nos partem corações
Valter Abibo Jose Mabuie
Ela se fui