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
For What It's Worth
The Cardigans Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hey baby come round
Keep holding me down
And I'll be keeping you up tonight.
The four letter word got stuck in my head
The dirtiest word that I've ever saidIt's making me feel alright.
For what it's worth I love you
And what is worse I really do
Oh what is worse I'm gonna run run run
'Till the sweetness gets to you
And what is worse I love you!
Hey please baby come back
There'll be no more loving attack
And I'll be keeping it cool tonight.
The four letter word is out of my head
Come on around get back in my bed
Keep making me feel alright.
For what it's worth I like you
And what is worse I really do
Things have been worse
And we had fun fun fun
'Till I said I love you
And what is worse I really do!
For what it's worth I love you
And what is worse I really do.
Oh
For what it's worth I love you
And what is worse I really do.
Oh
For what it's worth I love you
And what is worse I really do.
The Cardigans’ song “For What It’s Worth” opens with a countdown and a catchy rhythm, leading into lead singer Nina Persson’s intimate delivery. The song’s lyrics, while simple, effectively express the feelings of love and desire that can be both exciting and terrifying. The singer of the song is torn between wanting to express her love and fearing the consequences. The refrain “For what it’s worth, I love you / and what is worse, I really do” highlights the singer’s self-awareness that loving someone can be both beautiful and painful.
The chorus’s closing line, “‘Til the sweetness gets to you,” adds another layer of meaning to the track. It suggests that the sweetness and intensity of love can be so overwhelming that it might be difficult for the object of the singer’s affection to handle. While some might interpret this as a warning, others might see it as an invitation to dive in.
Overall, “For What It’s Worth” is a powerful song that explores the complexities of love and intimacy. The slow and steady build of the song’s instrumentation draws the listener in and perfectly complements the impassioned lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
One, two, three, four
The song is about to start.
Hey baby come round
The singer is inviting someone over.
Keep holding me down
The singer wants their partner to stay close to them.
And I'll be keeping you up tonight.
The singer will make sure their partner has an enjoyable night.
The four letter word got stuck in my head
The singer has been thinking about a certain word.
The dirtiest word that I've ever said
The word in question is vulgar.
It's making me feel alright.
Despite the vulgarity, the word makes the singer feel good.
For what it's worth I love you
The singer expresses love for their partner, but unsure if it means anything.
And what is worse I really do
The singer confirms that they truly love their partner.
Oh what is worse I'm gonna run run run
The singer is conflicted and considering running away.
'Till the sweetness gets to you
The singer is waiting to see if their partner responds positively.
Hey please baby come back
The singer wants their partner to return.
There'll be no more loving attack
The singer promises not to be overly affectionate.
And I'll be keeping it cool tonight.
The singer will be more reserved in their actions tonight.
The four letter word is out of my head
The singer is no longer fixated on the vulgar word.
Come on around get back in my bed
The singer wants their partner to come back to bed with them.
Keep making me feel alright.
The singer wants their partner to keep doing things that make them happy.
Things have been worse
The singer reflects on past struggles in their relationship.
And we had fun fun fun
Despite the struggles, the couple has had enjoyable moments together.
Till I said I love you
Saying 'I love you' may have complicated things.
And what is worse I really do!
Despite the complications, the singer truly loves their partner.
For what it's worth I love you
The singer reiterates their love for their partner.
And what is worse I really do.
Again, the singer confirms their true love for their partner.
Oh
An interjection to express emotion - likely frustration or exasperation.
For what it's worth I love you
The song ends with the singer reiterating their love for their partner one last time.
And what is worse I really do.
The final confirmation of love.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: NINA PERSSON, PETER ANDERS SVENSSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@ronaldojspaulo
I spent 17 years looking for this song... I just listen this song once or twice when I was 13 or 14 old and just remembered the harmonica (I didn't speak English). Very times I looked for it, tonight I finally find and worthed effort ... Beautifull song, Thanks for the post!!
@kakapofan6542
How'd you search for it?
@gunnarmiranda
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvQ-rWyqzO0
@angelamon1102
It's a great song and the video too
@MrSvante88
Well done man, I’ve only looked for a song four years once so you beat me there. And it’s a really nice tune.
@joberstan7667
Love this and many of their other songs...
@lindsey.keiseb1901
I'm still here in 2024. Thank you Cardigans for giving us songs that will forever inspire. 💙💙💙💙🇳🇦🇳🇦🇳🇦
@dtikvxcdgjbv7975
One of best Cardigans' songs. Very underrated. Very romantic.
@humanafterall2259
Indeed ☺️
@cpinga5
I was hooked instantly.