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.
New Life
The Wannadies Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I stand still stepping on the shady streets
And I watch that man to a stranger
You think you only know me when you turn on the light
Now the room is lit with danger
Complicating, circulating new life, new life
Operating, generating new life, new life
So the time will pass more slowly
Your features fuse and your shadow's red
Like a film I've seen now show me
Complicating, circulating new life, new life
Operating, generating new life, new life
Your face is hidden and we're out of sight
And the road just leads to nowhere
The stranger in the door is the same as before
So the question answer's nowhere
Complicating, circulating new life, new life
Operating, generating new life, new life
I stand still stepping on the shady streets
And I watch that man to a stranger
Think you only know me when you turn on the light
Now the room is lit, red danger
Complicating, circulating new life, new life
Operating, generating new life, new life
The Wannadies’s cover of Depeche Mode’s “New Life” is a passionate and compelling song that features a mesmerizing beat and soothing vocals. The lyrics to the song are symbolic of rebirth and change, as the singer finds himself in a state of transition and change. The first verse describes the singer standing on shady streets and watching a man turn into a stranger. The second verse talks about how his features and shadow are red, and he is becoming like a film the singer has seen before.
The lyrics of the song suggest that there is something new and exciting coming, and the singer is excited by the prospect. The chorus is a repetition of the phrase, “complicating, circulating new life, new life; operating, generating new life, new life”, which reinforces the idea of change and transformation. The singer is confident that this new life will be better and more exciting than the old one, and he is eagerly anticipating the arrival of the new life.
The song’s lyrics are poignant and thought-provoking, and they capture the essence of change and transformation perfectly. It is a great song that will connect with anyone who is looking to start a new chapter in their life.
Line by Line Meaning
I stand still stepping on the shady streets
I am motionless, walking along the dark and gloomy streets
And I watch that man to a stranger
I see a man who is unknown to me
You think you only know me when you turn on the light
You believe that you understand me only when you are aware of everything about me
Now the room is lit with danger
The room is now filled with a sense of risk
Complicating, circulating new life, new life
Making complex and revolving around the creation of something new
Operating, generating new life, new life
Activating and bringing to life something brand new
Transition to another place
Moving on to a different location
So the time will pass more slowly
Hoping that time can slow down, feeling like there's not enough of it
Your features fuse and your shadow's red
Your characteristics blend together as your shadow becomes red
Like a film I've seen now show me
It all feels like a movie I have seen before, now prove it to me
Your face is hidden and we're out of sight
Your face is nowhere to be seen; we are invisible
And the road just leads to nowhere
The path ahead seems to have no clear purpose or direction
The stranger in the door is the same as before
The unknown person at the door is the same person as before
So the question answer's nowhere
So the answer to the question is not clear
Complicating, circulating new life, new life
Making complex and revolving around the creation of something new
Operating, generating new life, new life
Activating and bringing to life something brand new
Contributed by Ella H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.