The five-piece met as teenagers in Jönköping, Sweden, a town whose only distinguishing feature is its 52 churches. In October 1992, bonded by their mutual love of hard rock and folk music (they listed Nick Drake and Iron Maiden as their two biggest influences by 1994), guitarist Peter Svensson and bassist Magnus Sveningsson conceived The Cardigans. As their hometown was hardly a Mecca of musical enterprise, the group packed up and moved to the somewhat more central fishing port of Malmö, Sweden's third largest city, to seek their fortune. With Peter writing most of the music and the band as a whole composing the lyrics, the quintet set out to find a deal.
After an early recording of "Rise & Shine" appeared on a local independent label in 1994, The Cardigans were swiftly signed to Stockholm Records. The same year the band made their debut for the label with Emmerdale and later won the accolade of "Best Album of 1994" from Slitz, at the time Sweden's leading music magazine. The rise of The Cardigans has since been gradual, allowing them the time to develop naturally as their sales and positive exposure grew with each release. Their second long-player, Life, which followed in 1995, featured the hit singles "Carnival" and the re-recorded "Rise & Shine", and witnessed the band's first international chart success. Prior to the First Band on the Moon album in September 1996, The Cardigans released "Lovefool". Although the first response to the single was very positive and landed them in the Top 40, it achieved nowhere near the impact that awaited it the following Spring.
It was in 1997 that The Cardigans were first catapulted towards international superstardom. "Lovefool"'s inclusion on the blockbuster Romeo and Juliet film soundtrack that Spring pushed them past the boiling point. The single not only reached No. 1 on both the United Kingdom and United States airplay charts but also debuted at No. 2 on the United Kingdom national chart, where it remained top five for five weeks. All in all, the album reached more than 2.5 million sales worldwide, achieving Platinum status in the United States and Japan, but only achieving Gold in the United Kingdom. The promotional activities supporting the worldwide success of "Lovefool" and First Band On The Moon were never ending. The band not only performed a year long world tour complete with endless radio sessions and press and television interviews, but even ended up making guest appearances on Beverly Hills 90210 and the David Letterman Show.
It was because of the sheer exhaustion resulting from such a schedule, that The Cardigans since took some well deserved time off at home in Malmö to recuperate their artistic juices and write new material. During their time off, however, the band was by no means dormant. In the beginning of 1999 they contributed a new track, "War", to the A Life Less Ordinary soundtrack, a live recording of "Been It" to the Lilith Fair compilation and "Deuce", featured on The X-Files: The Album, an X-Files soundtrack album. Their break also included experimentation with various solo projects.
In June 1998, the group, who are very loyal to their roots, once again joined long-time producer Tore Johansson at his studio, Country Hell, located beside the picturesque Svaneholm Castle in Malmö and recorded the album, Gran Turismo.
The first single "My Favourite Game", was a major hit in many territories. The video for "My Favourite Game" was directed by Jonas Åkerlund. The song was also included in the soundtrack of the hit Playstation racing game, Gran Turismo 2, were it was the intro theme. The second single "Erase/Rewind" was released in January 1999, and this single also turned out to be a major hit around the world.
Gran Turismo reached more than 2.5 million sales worldwide.
The album Long Gone Before Daylight was released in February 2003 and from the album the singles "For What It's Worth" and "You're The Storm" were taken. The album received great reviews and the band spent most of 2003 touring Europe and North America.
In Fall 2005, the band released, Super Extra Gravity.
Official site: http://www.cardigans.com
Been It
The Cardigans Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Your face is pretty and your life's a toy
Master man
I'm never better than your latest plan
Poor donee
what are you gonna try to be
where are you gonna go without me now
who can ask me for more
I've been your sister I've been your mistress
maybe I was your whore
who can ask me for more
Superstar
I've tried to educate your childish heart
I made your bed
and I was in it when your faith was dead
poor donee
what are you gonna try to be
where are you gonna go without me now
Sweetiepie
I'm you personal pro, you know
you know what number to try when to cry
The Cardigans' song "Been It" is a haunting and enigmatic exploration of a complicated relationship between a powerful and manipulative figure and their subservient partner. The lyrics describe the dynamic between a male "baby boy," who is described as having a "pretty face" and a life that's a "toy," and a female narrator who has played many roles in his life, including mother, father, sister, mistress, and maybe even his whore. The singer is deeply invested in the life of the baby boy, having made his bed and even been in it when his faith was dead. She's tried to educate him and be his personal pro, but it's unclear whether this is a loving or controlling relationship. The repeated refrain of "poor donee, what are you gonna try to be, where are you gonna go without me now" suggests a complicated power struggle that may soon be coming to an end.
One possible interpretation of the song is that it's about a prostitute who has formed an intense bond with one of her clients. She's played many roles in his life over the years, and has been deeply invested in his well-being, perhaps even to the point of falling in love with him. However, the client is ultimately in control of the relationship, and the singer fears that without him, she won't know who she is or where to go.
Another possible interpretation is that the song is about a codependent relationship between two people, one of whom is more powerful and dominant than the other. The singer may be afraid of losing her identity and purpose if she can no longer play a role in the other person's life.
Overall, "Been It" is a complex and fascinating exploration of power, control, love, and identity, and its enigmatic lyrics leave plenty of room for interpretation and reflection.
Line by Line Meaning
Baby boy
Addressing the listener as a young and immature boy
Your face is pretty and your life's a toy
Commenting on the listener's physical appearance and carefree life
Master man
Addressing the listener as a controlling and dominating figure
I'm never better than your latest plan
Acknowledging the listener's ability to always come up with new ideas and plans, while feeling inferior to them
Poor donee
Addressing the listener as someone who receives gifts or benefits
what are you gonna try to be
Questioning the listener's future goals and aspirations
where are you gonna go without me now
Indicating the importance of the singer in the listener's life, while questioning their ability to function without them
I've been your mother I've been your father
Comparing the artist's role in the listener's life to a parental figure
who can ask me for more
Boasting about the extent of their involvement in the listener's life
I've been your sister I've been your mistress
Comparing the artist's role in the listener's life to a sibling and a lover
maybe I was your whore
Admitting the possibility of being viewed as a prostitute in their relationship
Superstar
Addressing the listener as a person who is famous and admired
I've tried to educate your childish heart
Attempting to teach the listener about life and love, while feeling frustrated with their immaturity
I made your bed
Claiming responsibility for their actions and decisions
and I was in it when your faith was dead
Being present and supportive during a difficult and challenging time in the listener's life
Sweetiepie
Addressing the listener as a term of endearment
I'm you personal pro, you know
Asserting their role as a professional and expert in the listener's life
you know what number to try when to cry
Indicating that the listener knows the singer's phone number and when to call them for comfort
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: NINA PERSSON, PETER ANDERS SVENSSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@enriquediazocampo9267
Baby boy
Your face is pretty and your life's a toy
Master man
I'm never better than your latest plan
Poor donee
what are you gonna try to be
where are you gonna go without me now
I've been your mother I've been your father
who can ask me for more
I've been your sister I've been your mistress
maybe I was your whore
who can ask me for more
Superstar
I've tried to educate your childish heart
I made your bed
and I was in it…
@BigPaulyCee
Most underrated band I can think of
@rockocosta8578
She ain’t sell her soul for no fuck boi shiiiii 😛
@Elliottcharlesking
Right??!!
@mrshawnism
I can’t agree more
@eliot8664
ok hear me out they have a few popular songs ok
@Toddobvious
Yeppers (except for XTC)
@mchoneyofficial4761
Unreal song. Great melody and loved the heavy parts too. This band is so underrated!
@rickmcquillis6626
Always love this group, Nina Pearson and the Cardigans. Awesome video, great song, and as always Nina, you are so beautiful ❣️
@xTheOxx
One of the hardest riffs in an accessible pop song ever. Their Black Sabbath fetish showed every once in a while, and that's a shining example.
@denzil4
In my opinion the best band of the 90's