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.
Shorty
The Wannadies Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm so sad to say
you're nice and all,
But you're too tall,
I have to go now
It always happens to me, always
They feel attracted to me, Shorty
If you go, I go with you
If you stay, I'll wait
If you don't know,
I consider this a date
I stayed and she waited for me,
No chance to get away
I tried to think,
Another drink, might help me
It always happens to me, always
They feel attracted to me, Shorty
Always, they say
If you go, I go with you
If you stay, I'll wait
If you don't know,
I consider this a date
Stuck in the bar,
I couldn't get far,
She was still there smiling
"It's not me being tall, it's you,
You're small, I like that"
It always happens to me, always
They feel attracted to me, Shorty
Always, they say
If you go, I go with you
If you stay, I'll wait
If you don't know,
I consider this a date
The Wannadies' song "Shorty" is a lighthearted, alt-rock track about the singer's experiences with women being attracted to him despite his height. The lyrics are playful and humorous, with the singer initially lamenting the fact that the woman in question is "nice and all" but "too tall." However, despite this initial hesitation, he ultimately decides to stay and chat with her, being pulled in by her attraction to him.
Throughout the song, the singer sees himself as the object of desire, with women always feeling attracted to him. He plays into this narrative, offering to go wherever the woman wants and waiting if she decides to stay. However, when the tables turn and the woman in the bar expresses her own attraction to the singer, he is surprised and taken aback. She reveals that, to her, it's not the singer's height that matters, but rather his personality and character – in fact, she finds his small size appealing.
Overall, "Shorty" is a fun and light-hearted song that plays with traditional gender roles and expectations in relationships. While the singer initially sees himself as the object of desire, his encounters with women ultimately teach him that there is more to attraction than just physical appearance. The song is characterized by catchy, upbeat guitar riffs and a catchy refrain, making it a great addition to any alt-rock playlist.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh god how fun to be the one,
It's enjoyable to be the desired one in a relationship.
I'm so sad to say
Unfortunately, there is some bad news to share.
you're nice and all,
I appreciate your good qualities.
But you're too tall,
However, your height is a dealbreaker for me.
I have to go now
I must leave this situation.
It always happens to me, always
This is a recurring pattern in my life.
They feel attracted to me, Shorty
People often find me attractive because I am shorter than them.
If you go, I go with you
I'm willing to follow your lead.
If you stay, I'll wait
I'll be patient for you to make a decision.
If you don't know,
If you're unsure about what to do,
I consider this a date
I view this as a romantic outing.
I stayed and she waited for me,
I remained with her and she remained interested in me.
No chance to get away
I was stuck in the situation.
I tried to think,
I attempted to come up with a solution.
Another drink, might help me
I considered drinking more alcohol to alleviate the situation.
Stuck in the bar,
I was confined to this location.
I couldn't get far,
I was unable to leave easily.
She was still there smiling
The woman was still present, happy and interested.
"It's not me being tall, it's you,
The reason she found me attractive wasn't due to my height but rather hers.
You're small, I like that"
She found my smaller stature appealing.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CHRISTINA BERGMARK, FREDRIK SCHONFELDT, PAR WIKSTEN, STEFAN SCHONFELDT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
John Doe
I Am genuinely crying with nostalgia. I would give anything to be in that time again
Cornel Samoila
awsome band !!!
seeligsilence
Beautiful........:)
Olof Antonsson
Wav. Do you have other performances from the same show on video? Visit my "channel" for two highly rare Pär Wiksten interviews.