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
Changes
The Cardigans Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I feel so sad
I've lost the best friend
That I ever had
She was my woman
I loved her so
But it's too late now
I'm going through changes
I'm going through changes
We shared the years
We shared each day
In love together
We found the way
But soon the world
Had it's evil ways
My heart was blinded
Love went to strain
I'm going through changes
I'm going through changes
It took so long
To realize
And I can still hear
Her last goodbye
Now all my days
Are filled with tears
Wish I could go back
And change theese years
I'm going through changes
I'm going through changes
The Cardigans' song "Changes" is a heartbreaking tale of losing someone you love and the emotional turmoil that comes with it. The lyrics paint a picture of a person who feels unhappy and sad after losing their best friend and lover. The singer reminisces about the good times they shared and the love they had for each other. However, their relationship was not built to resist the harshness of the world, and soon love started to fade away, leaving the singer heartbroken and unable to let go.
The chorus, "I'm going through changes," is a powerful and honest line that captures the essence of the song. It expresses the singer's struggle to come to terms with the loss and the changes that they are going through. It is a feeling that everyone can relate to, as we all go through changes in life, and sometimes they are painful.
The song's lyrics are powerful and relatable, and the melodic tune complements the emotions expressed beautifully. The Cardigans' unique musical style blends seamlessly with the lyrics and adds to the melancholy of the song. Overall, "Changes" is a powerful, heartfelt song that resonates with anyone who has ever experienced heartbreak.
Line by Line Meaning
I feel unhappy
I am experiencing a deep sense of unhappiness and discontentment.
I feel so sad
I am overcome with immense sorrow and grief.
I've lost the best friend
I have said goodbye to the person who was closest and dearest to me.
That I ever had
Who I cherished the most out of all my relationships.
She was my woman
She was my love, my partner and my confidant.
I loved her so
I had profound feelings of love, devotion, and admiration for her.
But it's too late now
However, it is now beyond my control to salvage the relationship.
I've let her go
I made a conscious decision to end the relationship and move on.
I'm going through changes
I am currently processing and struggling to adapt to the new reality that I have created for myself.
We shared the years
We spent several years together as companions and lovers.
We shared each day
We spent every day together sharing experiences, laughter, and emotional struggles.
In love together
We were united by a strong bond of love and affection for each other.
We found the way
Together, we navigated difficult situations and arrived at solutions that suited both of us.
But soon the world
Unfortunately, problems and challenges in the environment around us slowly began to affect us negatively.
Had it's evil ways
The world showed hostility and acted cruelly towards our endeavours and good intentions.
My heart was blinded
I was emotionally numbed and unable to recognize what was happening in the relationship.
Love went to strain
Our love for each other became strained as we struggled to balance and deal with outside forces.
It took so long
It was only after an elongated period of time that I fully grasped what had transpired in the relationship.
To realize
I came to understand and accept the sad truth about the past.
And I can still hear
I can still vividly recall the sound of her voice and words when she said goodbye.
Her last goodbye
The farewell message given by her before she left, knowing it would be the last.
Now all my days
Currently, my life is characterized by sadness and regret, and I cannot seem to shake off the negative emotions.
Are filled with tears
My days are spent in sorrow, and I find myself often weeping for the lost love.
Wish I could go back
I deeply desire to travel back in time to correct my mistakes and right the wrongs of the past.
And change these years
I want to undo the decisions that led to the breakup and salvage the relationship with her.
I'm going through changes
I continue to struggle with accepting the reality of my current situation and am trying to find a way to move forward.
Writer(s): Glenn Hughes Copyright: Ponce Songs
Contributed by Cole E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Peter Pumkinghead
on Erase Rewind
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