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
In The Afternoon
The Cardigans Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Falling in rows and covering the lane
Morning shone on my windows today
Passing the time I slumber away
To kill all the day
Stumbling up at once
And put the kettle on
In the afternoon I put the tv on
But where's the drama gone?
In the afternoon
And time is all that passes
Someone came by my bedroom today
Swaying around then silently away
Someone left home and my bedroom today
Left by the time I slumbered away
To kill all the day
Some people don't hurry
Don't you worry they say
One day I'll be older
So much colder I say
This fear won't appear
The lyrics to The Cardigans' In The Afternoon reveals a story of a person's mundane routine, where they're waking up to find winter has arrived, but they're only slumbering the day away. The first verse narrates the arrival of winter, falling in rows and covering the lane, while the morning shone on their windows. The singer then tries to kill time by drinking coffee and putting on the television, but finds the coffee missing and unable to find a good drama to watch.
The second verse introduces somebody who came by the singer's bedroom, swaying around and silently leaving. This person left before they woke up entirely to pass out the day. The song then takes an introspective turn, where the singer contemplates their current situation, while people around them tell them not to worry because one day, they'll grow old. The singer disagrees that their fear won't appear and realizes that they're living in a banal existence.
The song's melody, slow tempo, and Nina Persson's dreamy vocals complement the lyrics' mundane theme. The lyrics suggest someone living in a state of ennui, where they're only existing, not living. They acknowledge that others tell them not to worry about time passing by and that it's a part of life. But they feel the fear of time slipping away and only growing old while being lonely.
Line by Line Meaning
Winter came by my bedroom today
The feeling of loneliness is slowly creeping in.
Falling in rows and covering the lane
The isolation is overpowering, almost like a snowstorm hitting.
Morning shone on my windows today
The world continues to move and progress, even if the person feels stuck.
Passing the time I slumber away
Trying to escape reality by sleeping and avoiding responsibilities.
To kill all the day
The day feels like a burden that needs to be eliminated.
Stumbling up at once
Trying to wake up and face the day, but struggling to do so.
And put the kettle on
Trying to find comfort in routine tasks.
But where's the coffee gone?
Realizing that even the simplest pleasures are not available or fulfilling.
In the afternoon I put the tv on
Trying to find entertainment and distraction from the reality of the day.
But where's the drama gone?
Realizing that even entertainment is lacking excitement and emotion.
In the afternoon
The emptiness and monotony of the day continues.
And time is all that passes
Nothing significant or noteworthy is happening.
Someone came by my bedroom today
A fleeting encounter with another person, highlighting the lack of social interaction and human connection.
Swaying around then silently away
The interaction was brief and unremarkable.
Someone left home and my bedroom today
A loved one or family member has left, further emphasizing the feeling of loneliness and emptiness.
Left by the time I slumbered away
The person slept through the departure, further highlighting their disconnection from the world.
To kill all the day
The day is still a burden to be eliminated.
Some people don't hurry
Others seem content with a slower pace of life.
Don't you worry they say
These people try to reassure the person who is struggling.
One day I'll be older
A future time when things might be different and better is imagined.
So much colder I say
The fear that things might not get better is acknowledged.
This fear won't appear
Trying to convince oneself that the fear and sadness will eventually go away.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: MAGNUS SVENINGSSON, PETER ANDERS SVENSSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Peter Pumkinghead
on Erase Rewind
.