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
Country Hell
The Cardigans Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What a way to be
I couldn't stay in here
And it's not right to leave
I couldn't tell you how
But all the things I feel
Have their qualities
If you fall apart
One uneasy morning
Doesn't make me leave
Such a simple thing
What a way to say
I couldn't help myself
For my foolish ways
You couldn't tell me how
But all the things you feel
Have their qualities
The Cardigans is a Swedish pop rock group known for their unique sound, catchy lyrics, and the powerful voice of lead singer Nina Persson. The song "Country Hell" is a standout track from their fourth album, "Long Gone Before Daylight," released in 2003. The lyrics express conflicting emotions, with the singer torn between staying and leaving a situation. They acknowledge the qualities of their feelings without being able to fully articulate them, suggesting a sense of complexity and depth. The chorus offers comfort to another person, inviting them to fall apart and seek support in the singer's arms. The repeated phrase "what a way to be" suggests a resignation to the difficulties and imperfections of life.
Line by Line Meaning
Such a foolish thing
The situation at hand is incredibly unwise and illogical.
What a way to be
This situation is not an ideal way to exist.
I couldn't stay in here
Remaining within this situation is not an option for me.
And it's not right to leave
Despite my desire to leave, it would be wrong for me to do so.
I couldn't tell you how
I'm unable to explain my reasoning for feeling this way.
But all the things I feel
My emotions are complex and hard to define.
Have their qualities
Each of my emotions has unique characteristics that make them what they are.
If you fall apart
In the event that you break down or fall apart emotionally,
Fall into my arms
I will be here to support and comfort you.
One uneasy morning
Even though we may face difficult times in life,
Doesn't make me leave
I won't abandon you because of a single moment of unease.
Such a simple thing
The current situation is actually quite straightforward and uncomplicated.
What a way to say
The language we use to describe our emotions can be misleading.
I couldn't help myself
I didn't have control over my actions in this situation.
For my foolish ways
My actions were unwise and imprudent.
You couldn't tell me how
You're not able to clearly articulate the reasons behind your feelings.
But all the things you feel
Your emotions are just as complex and nuanced as mine.
Have their qualities
Each of your emotions has unique characteristics that make them what they are.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: MAGNUS SVENINGSSON, PETER ANDERS SVENSSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jay Ham
okay kids. let's disco dance to the one and only cardigans..
ITZ GHOST
You good
Ramunas Bruzas
Thank you :)