Carnival
The Cardigans feat. Tom Jones Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

I will never know
'Cause you will never show
Come on and love me now
Come on and love me now
I will never know
'Cause you will never show
Come on and love me now
Come on and love me now
Come on and love me now

Carnival came by my town today
Bright lights from giant wheels
Fall on the alleyways
And I'm here
By my door, waiting for you

I will never know
'Cause you will never show
Come on and love me now
Come on and love me now
I will never know
'Cause you will never show
Come on and love me now
Come on and love me now
Come on and love me now

I hear sounds of lovers
Barrel organs, mothers
I would like to take you
Down there just to make you
Mine in a merry-go-round

I will never know
'Cause you will never show
Come on and love me now
Come on and love me now
I will never know
'Cause you will never show
Come on and love me now
Come on and love me now

Come on and love me now
Come on and love me now
Come on and love me now
Mmm, come on and love me now
Come on and love me now
Come on and love me now
Come on and love me now





Ooh, ooh, ooh, oh

Overall Meaning

The Cardigans' hit 'Carnival' is a love song that is deceptively sad. The lyrics express a sense of longing and frustration as the singer waits for her love to come to her. She hears the sounds of the carnival in town and wishes her love would come and take her there. However, she knows that her wish will never come true as her love never reciprocates her feelings.


The catchy chorus, "I will never know 'Cause you will never show Come on and love me now Come on and love me now" is a repeated plea for the love she so desperately craves. The use of the carnival as a metaphor for love is fitting as both are fleeting and temporary. The bright lights and excitement of the carnival appeal to our senses and can be alluring but ultimately it's a temporary thrill.


The song's melancholic mood is reflected in the slow and dreamy tempo, which creates a wistful atmosphere. The beauty of this song lies in its simplicity, from the lyrics to the melody, it all comes together to create a touching and evocative love song.


Line by Line Meaning

I will never know
The singer feels like they will never be able to understand their situation


'Cause you will never show
They believe they will never know because the person they are waiting for will never reveal their true feelings


Come on and love me now
The singer is frustrated and wants the person they are waiting for to finally show their love


Carnival came by my town today
The artist is using the image of a carnival coming to their town as a symbol of hope and excitement for their own love life


Bright lights from giant wheels
The carnival rides are described in detail to evoke a sense of wonder and excitement, which the artist is hoping to experience in their love life


Fall on the alleyways
The carnival lights illuminate the normally dark and mundane alleyways, making them seem more magical and exciting


And I'm here
The singer is still waiting for the person they love


By my door
The artist is physically waiting outside their door for the person they love to show up


Waiting for you
The artist is still waiting for the person they love


I hear sounds of lovers
The artist is hearing the sounds of people in love at the carnival, which makes them feel more alone and desperate for love


Barrel organs, mothers
The specific sounds the singer hears at the carnival are mentioned to create a vivid image of what they are experiencing


I would like to take you
The artist is imagining being with the person they love at the carnival and enjoying the experience together


Down there
The singer is referring to the carnival as a separate world from their own, where they can escape their problems and be with the person they love


Just to make you mine
The singer's motivation for wanting to take the person they love to the carnival is purely romantic, as they want to make the person theirs


In a merry-go-round
The merry-go-round is a classic image associated with romance and nostalgia, which the singer is hoping to experience with the person they love at the carnival




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Magnus Sveningsson, Nina Persson, Peter Anders Svensson

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@Parknest

Nina has a fantastic voice and Sir Tom is an absolute legend. I'm sure David Byrne is proud of this cover version.

@rngod2121

I am a Talking Heads purist, but oh mah GAWD! I can't believe I have lived this long, without seeing this video. Brilliant!

@Glenn_3

I'm curious to hear what you think of the Paramore version that just releases then

@rngod2121

@@Glenn_3 😍 Thank you for the recommendation! I listened to that, then the Wet Leg version of "C'est Comme Ça", which led me to Paramore's "This is Why", (which had me cranking up my McIntosh Amp...  
And now I am perusing the Paramore greatest Hits. I have a feeling it is going to keep me busy for a bit! 🙂

@Glenn_3

@@rngod2121oh my god, really?! That makes me so happy to hear Paramore is my favourite band ever and it makes me happy to have introduced someone to Paramore for the first time and them seeing how good it is. There is a lot to go through so you have a lot to look forward to. Feel free to keep me updated, I'd love to hear your opinion ☺️

@philfromkali

Right, I didn't know this existed

@anthonylesley982

Yeah

5 More Replies...

@DarkHorse-bp3xf

This is great. I love it that Tom Jones stays relevant by teaming up with current artists. His voice is one of few of the old guard that has survived beautifully.

@scottbieser

Whoever thought to pair up Jones and the Cardigans to cover this song is a freakin' genius.

@markpetersen2469

They had hallucinations from the heart ❤

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