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
Happy Meal II
The Cardigans Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Make up some nice stories to amuse you
Make things look smart and easy
Shape up the place
Hungry for the meeting
The dinner we'll be eating
Wine that we'll be drinking
And kinky thoughts I'm thinking
And now I've found a partner
No one can be happier than I am
And now I've found a new friend
No one can be happier than me
Prepare a meal with candles
Sweet wine and strings chosen for the purpose
Then take a bath with bubbles
Shape up my face
Eager for the meeting
The dinner we'll be eating
Wine that we'll be drinking
And kinky thoughts I'm thinking
All because of you
The Cardigans' song "Happy Meal II" is a romantic, intimate song that delves into the emotions and actions of someone deeply in love. The opening lyrics "Arrange my books in order, make up some nice stories to amuse you, make things look smart and easy, shape up the place" suggest that the singer is preparing for a special occasion or for someone they care about. The song's narrator is doing all of these things for their partner or love interest to make them happy, to please them and to create the perfect evening. It seems like it's about trying to make everything perfect for someone they care about, and in doing so, the singer is willing to go to great lengths.
The chorus, "And now I've found a partner, no one can be happier than I am, and now I've found a new friend, no one can be happier than me," emphasizes the joy and happiness that the singer feels due to this relationship. The bridge "Prepare a meal with candles, sweet wine, and strings chosen for the purpose, then take a bath with bubbles, shape up my face" shows further attention to detail, the singer focusing on soothing the senses and making themselves desirable for the dinner party.
Overall, "Happy Meal II" is a song about love and dedication, about trying to make that special someone happy, and about the joy that comes with finding and treasuring a romantic partner.
Line by Line Meaning
Arrange my books in order
I am preparing my home for you and want everything to be perfect.
Make up some nice stories to amuse you
I want to entertain you and make you happy.
Make things look smart and easy
I want everything to look effortless and perfect for you.
Shape up the place
I am sprucing up my surroundings to impress you.
Hungry for the meeting
I am eagerly anticipating our time together.
The dinner we'll be eating
I have planned a special meal for us.
Wine that we'll be drinking
I have chosen a special wine for us to enjoy.
And kinky thoughts I'm thinking
I am excited by the prospect of intimacy with you.
All because of you
I am doing all of these things to impress and show my love for you.
And now I've found a partner
I am grateful to have found someone to share my life with.
No one can be happier than I am
I am overjoyed with where my life is at the moment.
And now I've found a new friend
In addition to being partners, I am happy to have found a new friend.
No one can be happier than me
I am truly content with where my life is right now.
Prepare a meal with candles
I am creating a romantic atmosphere for us to enjoy our meal together.
Sweet wine and strings chosen for the purpose
I have chosen the perfect wine and music to accompany our meal.
Then take a bath with bubbles
I am preparing for intimacy and want to be clean and relaxed.
Shape up my face
I am making myself look as attractive as possible for you.
Eager for the meeting
I cannot wait to be with you again.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: LYNETTE SIBONGILE THENJIWE KOYANA, MAGNUS SVENINGSSON, NINA PERSSON, PETER ANDERS SVENSSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Peter Pumkinghead
on Erase Rewind
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