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
Hold Me
The Cardigans Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Know me, never believe me
Stay here but don't get too near me
Leave me, leave me alone
But don't ever let me go
Show me, but don't ever teach me
Touch me, don't try to reach me
Baby, don't ever let me in
And don't let me win
'cause I leave myself to you
Yes, I release myself with you
I believe in me and you
So don't ever say you do
Love me, try not to need me
Need me but don't let the greed in
Feel free but don't ever leave me
Give in, don't ever let me
No, don't ever let me win
Hold me, don't ever leave me
Ask me but don't ever make me
Save me, don't ever forsake me
Call me but don't ever say my name
Know what you do
'cause I leave myself to you
Yes I release myself with you
I believe in me and you
So don't ever say you do
Don't let me win
Just hold me
And you say "nina nina ninana...."
Now how can I let you go?
Hold me, don't ever leave me
Love me but don't ever let me
No, don't ever let me win
The Cardigans' "Hold Me" is a song about relationship insecurity and the internal struggle that arises when one wants love but fears vulnerability. The singer asks for their lover to hold them close, but warns them not to get too close or to leave them alone. Their contradictory statements speak to the push-pull nature of many intimate relationships. The singer wants to feel loved but is afraid of being hurt or abandoned. They ask for touch but warn not to reach, asking to be held but not kept. They ask to be saved but not forsaken, showing their fear of being left alone. Despite this contradictory nature, the singer still seeks the comfort and intimacy that comes with a relationship. They want love but don't want to admit it, as seen in the lines "I believe in me and you / So don't ever say you do." Their fear of rejection causes them to hide their true feelings.
The chorus repeats "Don't ever let me win / Just hold me," showing that the singer wants to be held but doesn't want to be the one to come out on top in the relationship. They give themselves up to their lover and ask for their care, but also warn against greed and the dangers of wanting too much. They want love but don't want to become too attached or vulnerable.
Overall, "Hold Me" is a poignant look at the internal struggles that can come with romantic relationships. It shows the difficulty of letting oneself be vulnerable and the fear of being hurt that often comes with opening up to someone else.
Line by Line Meaning
Hold me, don't ever leave me
Stay by my side and do not abandon me
Know me, never believe me
Understand who I am, but do not trust everything I say
Stay here but don't get too near me
Stay in my life but do not invade my personal space
Leave me, leave me alone
Sometimes I need to be alone, so please respect my space
But don't ever let me go
Even though I may push you away, I still need you to be there for me
Show me, but don't ever teach me
I want to learn and understand things on my own, but you can still guide me
Touch me, don't try to reach me
I want physical affection, but I may withdraw emotionally
Hold me but don't ever keep me
Show me love and support, but do not control me
Baby, don't ever let me in
I may have walls up, but I still want you to be there for me
And don't let me win
Do not let me manipulate or control situations
'cause I leave myself to you
I trust you with my true self
Yes, I release myself with you
I am comfortable and vulnerable with you
I believe in me and you
I have faith in our relationship and the bond we share
So don't ever say you do
Do not make promises you cannot keep
Love me, try not to need me
Love me for who I am, not for what I can do for you
Need me but don't let the greed in
You can depend on me, but do not take advantage of me
Feel free but don't ever leave me
I want you to be independent, but I need you in my life
Give in, don't ever let me
Do not let me control or manipulate you
No, don't ever let me win
Do not let me have power over you
Ask me but don't ever make me
You can request things of me, but I want to make my own decisions
Save me, don't ever forsake me
I want your support and love, not abandonment
Call me but don't ever say my name
I want to be connected with you, but I also want my privacy
Know what you do
Understand the impact of your actions and decisions
And you say "nina nina ninana...."
Vocals with no specific meaning
Now how can I let you go?
I cannot imagine being without you
Love me but don't ever let me
Love and care for me, but do not let me control you
No, don't ever let me win
Do not let me have power or control over you
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: NINA PERSSON, PETER ANDERS SVENSSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Fatih Katmerci
Hold me, don't ever leave me
Know me, never believe me
Stay here but don't get too near me
Leave me, leave me alone
But don't ever let me go
Show me, but don't ever teach me
Touch me, don't try to reach me
Hold me but don't ever keep me
Baby, don't ever let me in
And don't let me win
'cause I leave myself to you
Yes, I release myself with you
I believe in me and you
So don't ever say you do
Love me, try not to need me
Need me but don't let the greed in
Feel free but don't ever leave me
Give in, don't ever let me
No, don't ever let me win
Hold me, don't ever leave me
Ask me but don't ever make me
Save me, don't ever forsake me
Call me but don't ever say my name
Know what you do
'cause I leave myself to you
Yes I release myself with you
I believe in me and you
So don't ever say you do
Don't let me win
Just hold me
And you say "nina nina ninana...."
Now how can I let you go?
Hold me, don't ever leave me
Love me but don't ever let me
No, don't ever let me win...
THANX FOR THIS GOOD SONG...