The bands initial line-up featured Pär Wiksten (vocals, guitars), Christina Bergmark (keyboards, vocals), Stefan Schönfeldt (guitars) and his younger brother Frederick Schönfeldt (bass) with Gunnar Karlsson (drums) and Björn Malmquist (violin). Karlsson was later replaced by Erik Dahlgren.
Early influences included Australian band The Go-Betweens as well as The Sisters Of Mercy.
The band released six studio albums in their 21 year career including the commercially successful Be A Girl (1994) and Bagsy Me (1997).
Part-way through recording their seventh studio album the band officially announced their split in April 2009 with Pär Wiksten going solo.
2020 the band returned together and released the single Can't Kill The Musikk and will tour during 2021.
Friend or Foe
The Wannadies Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We'll make history
Seven years you lied to me,
So it's painful to see, but now I see
Oh no, not again, another friend, fucked me over
Oh no, what a blow, friend and foe,
And what's more
You don't even care,
Say it's not you,
You were supposed to be good
So damned unfair,
I scream and I swear
Say it's not you,
You were supposed to be good
Snowy days and ice cold nights,
The kind of lazy-azy high
Simple song and games we play,
No ones going to give yourself away
Who would have known
Oh no, not again, another friend, fucked me over
Oh no, what a blow, friend and foe,
And what's more
You don't even care,
I scream and I swear
Say it's not you,
You were supposed to be good
So damned unfair,
I scream and I swear
Say it's not you,
You were supposed to be good
Oh no, not again
Oh no, not again, another friend
Oh no
In the song Friend or Foe by The Wannadies, the band laments the betrayal of a supposed friend. The lyrics describe a seven-year friendship that was supposed to make history, but turned out to be all lies, leaving the singer in pain and frustration. The betrayal is so strong that the singer exclaims "Oh no, not again, another friend, fucked me over" and emphasizes the unfairness of the situation. The song also highlights the lazy days and simple games that the friends used to play, contrasting the happy memories to the current pain of being betrayed.
The lyrics of Friend or Foe address the universal feeling of betrayal, while also exploring the more nuanced emotions that come with it. The lyrics are relatable to anyone who has felt let down by someone they trusted. The song emphasizes the emotional toll betrayal can take on a person, and how it can shake their core beliefs and trust in others. As with many of The Wannadies' songs, the instrumentation and melody have a catchy, poppy quality that balances out the melancholic lyrics, making it easy to sing along to even when expressing negative feelings.
Line by Line Meaning
Seven years you said to me, unstained, We'll make history
You promised me seven years ago that we would create something remarkable together.
Seven years you lied to me, So it's painful to see, but now I see
However, for seven years you deceived me, and now the truth hurts me deeply.
Oh no, not again, another friend, fucked me over
Here we go again, another supposed friend who has betrayed me.
Oh no, what a blow, friend and foe, And what's more
This is a devastating turn of events, and I can't even discern if you were ever really my friend, or if you always had malicious intentions.
You don't even care, I scream and I swear
It's clear that you don't feel any remorse or concern for how you've affected my life, causing me to scream out in anger and frustration.
Say it's not you, You were supposed to be good So damned unfair, I scream and I swear
I can barely accept that you were capable of committing such wrongdoing, and it feels like a great injustice that someone I trusted and believed to be a good person would treat me this way.
Snowy days and ice cold nights, The kind of lazy-azy high Simple song and games we play, No ones going to give yourself away
We used to spend peaceful, carefree moments together, enjoying leisurely activities and simple pleasures without revealing too much about ourselves or our innermost thoughts.
Who would have known
It's impossible to anticipate when someone will turn on you, especially someone who seemed so close and familiar.
Oh no, not again, another friend, fucked me over
Again, the pain of betrayal resurfaces as someone else who I thought was a friend has hurt me greatly.
Oh no, what a blow, friend and foe, And what's more
The impact of your actions cuts me deeply, and I'm unsure whether you truly supported me or secretly wished for my downfall.
You don't even care, I scream and I swear
I'm left with the realization that you don't have any concern or regard for how your actions have impacted me, and I'm left fuming in frustration.
Say it's not you, You were supposed to be good So damned unfair, I scream and I swear
It's almost impossible to accept that someone I trusted and believed to be good would act in such an unscrupulous way, and I'm left feeling wronged and frustrated.
Oh no, not again
The pain of being betrayed by a supposed friend is piercingly familiar and seems to repeat itself, leaving me feeling cynical and wary of trusting new people.
Oh no, not again, another friend
Once again, someone who I thought was a true friend has turned out to be a deceitful liar who didn't have my best interests at heart.
Oh no
This is a heavy and upsetting situation, and I'm left feeling sad and despairing about the direction of my relationships.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Chris_34
The Wannadies are a criminaly underrated band.
@mikewoodell179
Could not agree more.
@cookslooking10
This was my 3rd favourite single of 1995.
I get that we all have different tastes and I understand why certain bands I like don't do well commercially, but the fact that this song didn't even get into the UK Top 50 is absolutely baffling. It's the perfect pop song.
@MrGwaldo
What were 1 and 2?
@cookslooking10
@Phil Wile Echobelly - King of The Kerb, Del Amitri - Here & Now
@MrGwaldo
@cooks looking it was a good time for music. Fake plastic trees, sorted for E’s and Wizz . . .
@darrenparker9262
I don't think they gave a fuck.......!
@Ronny-ew3vj
What ?surely u lie?!
@andrewpearce1723
Loved their tunes, wish they do more. Some say we live in a dreamworld we don't think so. Brilliant lyric.
@walterthompson9903
Love this song