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
Over The Water
The Cardigans Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Because the blowing is dry
Walk away to the harbour
Before your ships will fly
Slip away and the pillow
Because it's falling off down
Trot away and around
Because your ships are found
Somewhere over the water
Next to a harbour
Someone's eager to listen
Turn away the collar
Because the blowing is dry
Walk away to the harbour
Before your ships will fly
Slip away and the pillow
Because it's falling off down
Trot away and around
Because your ships are found
Somewhere over the water
Next to a harbour
Someone to be in
The Cardigans' song "Over The Water" appears to be a reflection on change, letting go, and the unsettling feeling of starting anew. The opening lyrics, "turn away the collar, because the blowing is dry", suggest a need to shield oneself from the harshness of reality. It is as if the singer is telling himself to toughen up and face the future head-on. The line "walk away to the harbor before your ships will fly" reinforces the idea of moving on before it is too late. The metaphorical ships have yet to depart, but they will soon enough, and the singer must be ready to leave with them.
The lines "slip away and the pillow because it's falling off down" and "trot away and around because your ships are found" also express a sense of urgency and readiness to leave. The idea is that the singer must act quickly and decisively to avoid being left behind. The repetition of the phrase "somewhere over the water, next to a harbor, someone's eager to listen" throughout the song can be interpreted as a desire for a new beginning, a fresh start where someone is waiting to hear what the singer has to say.
Overall, "Over The Water" is a poignant song about making the difficult decision to leave behind what is familiar and embrace the unknown. It speaks to the universal human experience of feeling lost, scared, and uncertain, but also hopeful for what lies ahead.
Line by Line Meaning
Turn away the collar
Adjust your clothing, specifically the collar, to avoid the discomfort of the dry wind
Because the blowing is dry
The wind is dry, making it uncomfortable for those exposed to it
Walk away to the harbour
Move towards the harbor, possibly to seek refuge from the wind or to prepare to set sail
Before your ships will fly
Leave the harbor before your ships take off, implying an urgency to leave
Slip away and the pillow
Quietly leave while everyone else is sleeping, suggesting a feeling of sneaking away
Because it's falling off down
The pillow is slipping and losing position, creating a sense of unrest and instability
Trot away and around
Move away while trotting or running, perhaps to quickly escape a dangerous or uncomfortable situation
Because your ships are found
Hurry and leave because your ships have been located, and you need to take action
Somewhere over the water
The location being referred to is over the water, suggesting the desire for adventure, travel, or discovery
Next to a harbor
The location is close to a harbor, further emphasizing the theme of travel and seeking new experiences
Someone's eager to listen
Somebody nearby is ready and willing to listen, possibly implying the need for someone to confide in or share experiences with
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: MAGNUS SVENINGSSON, PETER ANDERS SVENSSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Peter Pumkinghead
on Erase Rewind
.