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
Plain Parade
The Cardigans Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Well, where is all the profit laid?
Plain parade
Well, maybe we have lost our way
Some are lone
Sickly running from
Something so wrong
Plain parade
Well, when will I be repaid
Plain parade
I might join you on another day
Some are lone
Sickly running from
Something so wrong
And nowhere to belong
All you've given me is sadness
Proof enough to feel I'm loveless
I wish that I could manage better now
And find a place that I can settle
Down
The lyrics of The Cardigans' song Plain Parade are characteristic of the band's signature melancholic, introspective style. The song deals with the feeling of being lost, disillusioned, and disconnected from the world, while also questioning the values and motives of society at large. The repeated refrain "Plain parade" creates a sense of dull monotony and robotic repetition, as if the characters in the song are unable to move beyond the superficiality of modern life.
The lines "Some are lone, Sickly running from, Something so wrong, And nowhere to belong" suggest feelings of alienation and fear, as if the singers are haunted by some unseen threat that they cannot escape. The repetition of these lines underscores the sense of urgency and despair that permeates the song, as if the characters are trapped in a cycle of hopelessness and despair.
In the final lines, the singer reveals that all she has been given is sadness, which has left her feeling loveless and unable to find a sense of stability or belonging. The lyrics suggest that the modern world can be a cruel and unforgiving place, with little room for compassion or empathy. However, the singer's desire to "manage better now" and "find a place that I can settle down" suggests that there may be hope yet for those who are lost and searching for meaning in their lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Plain parade
A simplistic and unremarkable display
Well, where is all the profit laid?
Questioning where the worth lies in this dull presentation
Well, maybe we have lost our way
Acknowledging the aimlessness and lack of purpose in this parade
Some are lone
There are those who are solitary
Sickly running from
Escaping from something unhealthy
Something so wrong
A situation that is fundamentally flawed
And nowhere to belong
Feeling out of place in one's surroundings
Plain parade
A repetitive and uninteresting spectacle
Well, when will I be repaid
Asking when there will be some kind of recompense for enduring this monotonous display
Plain parade
A bland and uninspiring performance
I might join you on another day
Considering taking part in this spectacle at a later time
All you've given me is sadness
Expressing disappointment at the negative emotions that this parade has evoked
Proof enough to feel I'm loveless
The parade has served as evidence and made one feel unloved
I wish that I could manage better now
Desiring to handle the situation differently
And find a place that I can settle down
Searching for a location where one feels secure and content
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: MAGNUS SVENINGSSON, PETER ANDERS SVENSSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
J S
Love it!
Hanif Nugraha
the cardigans below 1996 is the best, classic, a little bit of jazz, twee and smart
King Kenny
Recall seeing them play this at the Glasgow Arches a few years later, and at the time thought: Top Darts for playing a b-side. However, truth be told, it's a belter of a song......
greasy2007
Nice to c some energy frm that crowd; looked damn near dead during Celia inside (minus those 2 ppl in the front singing along)
C Smith
Hell yeah there’s no downvotes on this
Porpoise Power
That key change just kills me
James Ramos
Is the guitarist using a Roland amp?
Fer St.
i think it is a jazz chorus.
Ricky Mandala
ouwlala esta una pigking bonito lesbos, senor...como ? sisisi..no problemo, porque la musica es hermosa ))< jajajaja