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
Live and Learn
The Cardigans Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And everything was gone
Oh what have I done
I dropped dead in the hallway
Cursing the dawn
Oh come on son
Why must I burn
I'm just trying to learn
I stared into the light
To kill some of my pain
It was all in vane
Cause no senses remain
But an ache in my body
And regret on my mind
But I'll be fine
Cause I live and I learn
Yes I live and I learn
If you live you will learn
I live and I learn
God kicked you in the head
So I started a fight
Cause I knew I was right
But I learned I was wrong
I remember a slaughter
I remember I fought
For the money I brought
I got blistered and burned
And lost what I earned
But I live and I learn
Yes I live and I learn
I got, I got it now
She's got, She's got it now
I came to one a corner
With some help from a man and goddamn
I don't see to have learn
That a lady in need is guilty indeed
So I paid and got laid in return
And I don't know what I've learned
Well you get what you give
And hell yes I lived
But if you live as you learn
I don't think I'd be learned
Oh with the sun in my eyes
Surprise, I'm living a life
But I don't seem to learn
No I don't think I can learn
The opening lines of The Cardigans’ song “Live and Learn” describe a scene of devastation, as the singer returns home to find that everything has been taken from him. The lyrics suggest that the singer may have been responsible for this situation, as the lines “Oh what have I done” and “Why must I burn / I’m just trying to learn” hint at some kind of personal failing or mistake that has led to his downfall. The singer seems to be struggling with feelings of regret and self-doubt, as he contemplates the consequences of his actions.
As the song continues, the singer reflects on his experiences and the lessons he has learned along the way. He describes staring into the light to numb his pain, but ultimately finds that this strategy is futile: “It was all in vain / ‘Cause no senses remain / But an ache in my body / And regret on my mind”. The rest of the song is a series of vignettes that describe the singer’s various attempts to navigate life’s challenges and learn from his mistakes. He describes getting into a fight because he was convinced he was right, only to realize later that he was wrong. He remembers working hard for money, only to lose it all in a “slaughter”. He also reflects on a sexual encounter that ended up costing him more than he anticipated. Despite all of these setbacks, the singer concludes that he is still “living a life”, even if he doesn’t always feel like he’s learning from his experiences.
Overall, “Live and Learn” is a song about resilience and the human capacity for growth and change. The singer has clearly faced some difficult obstacles, but he seems to be committed to learning from his mistakes and moving forward with his life. The chorus, which repeats the phrase “Yes I live and I learn”, underscores the idea that life is a process of trial and error, and that we are all capable of growth and transformation.
Line by Line Meaning
I came home in the morning
I returned home in the morning.
And everything was gone
All of my possessions were missing.
Oh what have I done
Expressing regret for one's actions.
I dropped dead in the hallway
Collapsing in the hall.
Cursing the dawn
Feeling angry about the arrival of a new day.
Oh come on son
Encouraging oneself to continue forward.
Why must I burn
Questioning why one must suffer.
I'm just trying to learn
Attempting to gain knowledge from one's experiences.
I stared into the light
Looking towards a light source.
To kill some of my pain
Attempting to alleviate emotional or physical pain.
It was all in vane
Efforts were unsuccessful.
Cause no senses remain
Lost the ability to feel or perceive things.
But an ache in my body
Feeling physical discomfort.
And regret on my mind
Feeling remorseful for past actions.
But I'll be fine
Believing that everything will be okay.
Cause I live and I learn
Undergoing experiences and gaining knowledge from them.
Yes I live and I learn
Continuing to grow and gain knowledge through life.
If you live you will learn
Implying one must experience things to gain knowledge.
God kicked you in the head
Feeling as though one has been negatively impacted by a higher power.
So I started a fight
Engaging in conflict or violence.
Cause I knew I was right
Believing one's actions were justified.
But I learned I was wrong
Realizing one's actions were incorrect or misguided.
I remember a slaughter
Recalling a violent or bloody event.
I remember I fought
Remembering participating in a fight or argument.
For the money I brought
Fighting for monetary gain or financial security.
I got blistered and burned
Suffering physical pain from the altercation.
And lost what I earned
Losing whatever financial gain was obtained from the fight.
I got, I got it now
Gaining an understanding of something.
She's got, She's got it now
Another individual gaining something for themselves.
I came to one a corner
Arriving at a street corner.
With some help from a man and goddamn
Receiving assistance from another person.
I don't see to have learn
Not understanding or retaining knowledge from past experiences.
That a lady in need is guilty indeed
A woman in a difficult situation may be viewed negatively.
So I paid and got laid in return
Paying for sexual favors.
And I don't know what I've learned
Uncertain of the knowledge gained from past experiences.
Well you get what you give
Receiving consequences based on one's actions.
And hell yes I lived
Acknowledging the wild and exciting experiences of life.
But if you live as you learn
Gaining knowledge and growing as a person through life experiences.
I don't think I'd be learned
Doubtful that one has truly gained knowledge from their experiences.
Oh with the sun in my eyes
Having difficulty seeing due to bright light.
Surprise, I'm living a life
Acknowledging the fact that one is alive and experiencing life.
But I don't seem to learn
Feeling as though one does not grow or learn from past experiences.
No I don't think I can learn
Feeling doubtful about one's ability to gain knowledge and grow as a person.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: NINA PERSSON, PETER ANDERS SVENSSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@DocStodden
Its fantastic to see all the people on this thread who love the Cardigans. They have been one of my top 3 Favorite Bands of all time for almost 30 years now. And nobody around me even likes them. I am happy that there are lots of people who still love their music. That warms my heart. :)
@Fibromatose
This song has always given me the power to go forward
@loud_at-4168
Amen
@CyberAlexMM
CAN YOU FEEL LIFE MOVING THROUGH YOUR MIND
@Beuwm
Ooh, looks like it came back for more!
@lailah4982
@@Beuwm YEAHHHHHH
CAN YOU FEEL TIME SLIPPING DOWN YOUR SPINE
@hirathemedicbird523
@@lailah4982 BUT YOU CAN HARDLY SWALLOW
YOUR FEARS AND PAINNSS
WHEN YOU CANT HELP BUT BORROW
IT PUTS YOU RIGHT BACK WHERE CAME....
@taybak8446
Hell yes!
@321gofast7
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH
@jools182
Nina's voice is amazing. Beautiful and melancholic. Gives me goose bumps every time