Lundell made his debut in 1975 with the LP "Vargmåne" and was immediately hailed as "Sweden's Bob Dylan". In 1976 his first novel, the autobiographical "Jack" was published. Lundell was influenced by musicians such as Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Neil Young and writers such as Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg and other beat poets.
Lundell is one of the central figures in Swedish rock music and he is one of the most important influences on Swedish musicians writing and singing in Swedish.
His biggest hit up until today is "Öppna landskap" from 1982, a song once proposed to be Sweden's new national anthem.
Apart from the obvious link to Bruce Springsteen, Lundell has also let himself be influenced by artists like U2 and especially The Edge and his special guitar sound. The references to U2's "Achtung Baby" are very present in Lundell's releases in the years after "Achtung Baby".
Another link to U2 is the fact that U2-photographer Anton Corbijn is the man behind the camera on Lundell's albums "Man Utan Kvinnor" (1996) and "Club Zebra" (2002).
His latest release is the massive collectors box: Under Vulkanen 1972-2007. (14 CD's of unreleased material plus 2 DVD's containing b-sides, songs from compilations and other material. 104 of the songs included in the box are so-called "never heard before"-items.)
He also published his latest novel "Vädermannen" (The Weatherman) in the spring of 2008.
Desperado
Ulf Lundell Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Why don't you come to your senses
You've been out riding fences for so long now
Oh you're a hard one
But I know that you've got your reasons
These things that are pleasing you will hurt you somehow
Don't you draw the queen of diamonds boy
The queen of hearts is always your best bet
Well it seems to me some fine things
Have been laid upon your table
But you only want the things that you can't get
Desperado
you know you ain't getting younger
Your pain and your hunger are driving you home
And freedom, oh freedom
Well that's just some people talking
Your prison is walking through this world all alone
Don't your feet get cold in the wintertime
Sky won't snow and the sun won't shine
It's hard to tell the night time from the day
You're losing all your highs and lows
Ain't it funny how the feeling goes away
Desperado
Why don't you come to your senses
Come down from your fences
Open the gate
It may be raining
But there's a rainbow above you
You better let somebody love you
Let somebody love you
Before it's too late
The song "Desperado" by Ulf Lundell is about a man who has been living a lonely and reckless life for a long time. The singer is pleading with the Desperado to come to his senses and see that there is more to life than just the dangerous and wild lifestyle he has been living. The song talks about how he has been riding fences for a long time, which is a metaphor for taking risks and living on the edge. The singer acknowledges that the Desperado is a hard person and has his reasons for living the way he does, but warns him that the things that he finds pleasing will eventually hurt him.
The song warns the Desperado not to draw the queen of diamonds, as she will beat him if she's able, but to go for the queen of hearts, who is always his best bet. The singer acknowledges that the Desperado has had some fine things in his life, but laments that he only seems to want the things he can't have. He warns the Desperado that he's not getting any younger, and that his pain and hunger are driving him towards a life of loneliness and misery.
The song continues to describe the Desperado's life of loneliness, where he's walking through the world all alone, with only his pain and regrets for company. The singer implores him to come down from his fences and open his heart to love before it's too late. He assures him that there's a rainbow above him, even though it may be raining, and that he needs to let somebody love him before the feeling goes away.
Overall, the song "Desperado" portrays a warning to those living a reckless and lonely life. It tells them that there's more to life than just taking risks and living on the edge, and that they need to open themselves up to love and the possibility of being happy.
Line by Line Meaning
Desperado
Addressing the person who is lost in life and seeking to find a way out of their misery
Why don't you come to your senses
Asking the person to rethink their actions and make better choices
You've been out riding fences for so long now
You have been living a life of uncertainty for too long
Oh you're a hard one
You are a tough person to crack
But I know that you've got your reasons
I understand that you have your own motives for your actions
These things that are pleasing you will hurt you somehow
Things that give you pleasure might turn on you and cause you harm eventually
Don't you draw the queen of diamonds boy
Do not get yourself into a situation that is greater than your capacity
She'll beat you if she's able
The excessive desire for success might lead you to a dangerous path of failure
The queen of hearts is always your best bet
The pursuit of true love and relationships is more important than anything else in life
Well it seems to me some fine things
It looks like you have been blessed with good fortune
Have been laid upon your table
You have achieved a lot in life and have everything, but still something seems amiss
But you only want the things that you can't get
You are still longing for things that you cannot have
Desperado, you know you ain't getting younger
Time is running out, and you need to act fast
Your pain and your hunger are driving you home
Your suffering and ambition are urging you to find a place where you belong
And freedom, oh freedom
You believe in the idea of being free from everything, but that is just an illusion
Well that's just some people talking
The concept of freedom is not as simple as people make it out to be
Your prison is walking through this world all alone
You are your own prisoner as you wander through life alone
Don't your feet get cold in the wintertime
You are so distanced from reality that you are not aware of the harsh winter around you
Sky won't snow and the sun won't shine
Nothing seems to brighten up your life anymore
It's hard to tell the night time from the day
Your life is a blur of what is right and wrong
You're losing all your highs and lows
You are unable to experience any emotions to their fullest
Ain't it funny how the feeling goes away
It is strange how emotions tend to fade away over time
Desperado, Why don't you come to your senses
The person is being urged to see logic and make better choices in life
Come down from your fences
The person is asked to come out of their protective shell
Open the gate, It may be raining
The time is right to embrace change, even if things look grim
But there's a rainbow above you
Do not be discouraged by hardships, and keep the hope for the future alive
You better let somebody love you
You should allow someone to love you and not push them away
Let somebody love you before it's too late
The chance to be loved is not always there, so act now before it's too late
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Glenn Lewis Frey, Don Hugh Henley
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind