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Roxette Dictionary
281 replies
lawyer said on July 11, 2004 18:46:
Comment removed by author
Kiwein1 said on July 11, 2004 19:07:
About Sleeping Single:
Marie sings “Toujours l’amours” and that means: “love forever” or kind of “the big love”.. :)
colinvdbel (moderator) said on July 11, 2004 22:08:
Hmm...Sinatra is like one of the most famous male singers EVER. Look him up on google ;)
Rich-UK said on July 11, 2004 22:10:
Frank Sinatra - singer - 1915 to 1998 - http://www.franksinatra.com/
misteryman00 said on July 11, 2004 22:37:
’toujours l’amour’....means ’it’s always love’....that the righ translation for the song...
Kiwein1 said on July 12, 2004 04:53:
Thank you! :) It’s a pity to say that I can’t remember any French, though I’ve learned it for five! years..but doesn’t that “it’s” miss?? Il est?
m-cvk said on July 12, 2004 09:27:
I wonder what Per means with ’Silver blue’. OK, I know the colours (:-)) but what does he REALLY mean with it? I guess that he was ’gold’ first and fades to ’silver’ and with ’blue’ he means ’sad’, so he turns from ’shining and happy’ to ’less shining and sad’? Is that right or do you think he means something else?
ncurran said on July 12, 2004 14:17:
I think its a challenge to fathom many of Gessle’s lyrics, or any songwriter. in fact different people will make different interpretations of songs, and that is the beauty of music. No-one really knows what was going through the songwriters mind when they wrote the song. I think where Per is concerned, sometimes it can be just a play on words to make them rhyme. One example is Lies, where the words dont mean much of anything, and i think they were pretty much written to fit an already written piece of music
Sometimes however Per is capable of writing something a bit deeper, and there are some songs where i think the lyrics are really great. Breathe is a recent example, apart from the english grammar mistake “just like rain, it swept away”, should be “it was swept away”. There are another few examples of either incorrect english or wrong pronunciation in roxette songs, but i wont go into that.
With regards to Silver Blue, i love that song, and it is pretty hard to decipher what the meaning is, but i think it is about a couple who are in the early stages of falling in love, because the lyrics are a mixture of sadness, anxiety and joy. There is the fantastic feeling of falling in love but also the great nervousness that goes with it. Listen to the lyrics and i think you’ll understand what i’m talking about. The actual phrase “Silver Blue” I’m not too sure about, but as most people will know, blue is another word for feeling sad, where as silver is a precious metal, so it may be joining these 2 words together to show the feeling of the mixture between sadness and joy. there is the anxiety and nervousness of the falling in love but also the great excitement. i may be totally wrong, but thats what I get from it.
ncurran said on July 12, 2004 14:21:
oh and i forgot to say “toujours” can be translated as both always and forever, so I think “toujours l’amour” in this sense means “Forever love”
Ferdan said on July 12, 2004 16:13:
ncurran, come on... point out their grammar mistakes and that. I´m really bad at english grammar.
yoona said on July 12, 2004 16:23:
@Lawyer?
Are you serious?
I can´t belive that there are people who never ever heard about Sinatra...
ncurran said on July 12, 2004 16:42:
well ferdan, its just a little niggling thing that annoys me. Although per speaks near perfect english, he is not a native speaker so he is obviously going to make mistakes that native speakers would not. It would seem sensible to me that if he is writing english lyrics, they should be proofread by native speakers. I know even native speakers make mistakes sometimes, but it would iron out some of the obvious mistakes that just dont sound right. Pronunciation is also a problem. Listen to Never is a Long time from tourism. Marie sings “softly angels bow and cry”, and she says bow with an “oh” sound instead of an “ou” sound and this has a totally different meaning in English (as in bow and arrow). I just think when you are a band that sells millions of albums in english and english is not your first language, you should pay someone a few hundred pounds to check that there are no obvious grammar or pronunciation errors....hell, i would have done it for free! It’s not really a big deal, i agree, but it takes away a certain amount of professionalism from the whole thing, and this is a bit silly when it could be so easily avoided.
StillFar said on July 12, 2004 18:04:
lawyer, I envy you, wish I would have never heard of Sinatra...
Starrox said on July 12, 2004 18:17:
Well, as far as grammar correction is concerned I’d start with native speakers! Why should they be allowed to make mistakes in their lyrice (e.g. do instead of does) and someone who only learned English as a foreign language isn’t?
ChrisWilliams said on July 12, 2004 18:39:
As for Never Is A Long Time, I think Marie’s pronunciation is correct on “bow” (as in “coat”) sound) - She’s explaining that angels are falling apart apart and crying: Bowing.
Of course, she could also say “bow” (as in “about”), in which case the angels are doing something completely different...
In “Breathe” the line “it swept away”, if not grammatically correct, still makes sense and fits with the music perfectly.
I think Per’s always been careful about his grammar. Just listen to the demo of Listen To Your Heart :-)
ncurran said on July 12, 2004 18:41:
starrox, i understand your point but i don’t agree. Maybe I used the wrong wording in my first post. Grammar in itself is not the most important thing. What I probably should have said is natural sounding english. Indeed many english speakers do not use correct english grammar in their day to day lives. we dont speak from a text book. A songwriter is not writing a newspaper report, he is writing down feelings, emotions and experience. Therefore, it is more important that what he writes sounds like natural english. However I have yet to meet a native english speaker who would pronounce bow wrong or write “it swept away”.
It just sounds really unnatural, and it would be obvious to a native speaker. Unfortunately there are no exceptions made for songwriters whose second language is english. I have hundreds of CDs, and have never heard lyrics with such obvious mistakes as the ones in some Roxette songs. I never even meant this as a big criticism, I love most of Pers lyrics. Its just something I would have expected them to do, to get someone to check the words over who is a native speaker.
And Chris, bow with an “oh” sound does not work in this context at all. A person (or angel) can’t bend into the shape of a bow, they bow (ou sound) down and cry. I am sure thats the meaning per had in his mind when he wrote the song. It doesnt make sense otherwise. And while I can kind of understand what he was trying to get at with “it swept away”. The “it” is the love. But you have to say “It was swept away”, because “it swept away” means the absolute opposite, it means the love swept something, and even in this sense it is not correct because what did the love sweep away?
helle18 said on July 12, 2004 19:15:
I just wanna say that Per doesn’t always use 100 %correct grammar in all Swedish songs either. I don’t have any good example t the moment, but there are a few GT songs that have a bit odd lyrics. It might not be totally wrong but he sometimes uses words in an funny way. I’ve always just assumed that this is to match the lyrics with the music. Instead of adding an extra beat or accutally change a word that doesn’t fit, he just uses a slightly wrong or wierd form of the word.
Roxfever said on July 12, 2004 21:23:
I’m a victim of many grammar lessons (I know, it didn’t really help :0)) and a few weeks ago we talked about verbs (how interesting, *yaaaawn* ;-)and one of the examples was to sweep away. If I remember it correctly it is a monotransitive verb which means that it has to be followed by an object otherwise the senstence is not complete. Provided I remember it correctly ncurran seems to be right when he/she (?) says that there is something missing in “it swept away” (the direct object) but it wouldn’t make sense in the song anyway. That’s why it should be the passive “it was swept away” leaving out the “by-agent”; so in the active voice it would mean that something (the subject of the sentence) swept it (the love) away.
Hm, i guess that’s enough confusion for today by someone who will keep making mistakes in grammar for the rest of her life;-)
Strest said on July 12, 2004 22:42:
How can someone NOT have heard of Sinatra?
My way?
New York New York?
Strangers in the night?
The rat pack?
Robbie Williams - Swing when you’re winning? (loads of old Sinatra-classics)
Married with children? (the theme song)
The movie Ocean’s Eleven (starring Clooney, Damon, Roberts etc) is a remake of an old movie with the same name with Sinatra in the leadrole (yep, he was also an actor)
regn said on July 13, 2004 23:50:
C’mon the world is far Big, so its easy possible that someone doesn’t know something ’bout that man.
Roxer93 said on July 14, 2004 04:39:
ncurran- If you were to look in ANY English dictionary, you would find that BOW, as used in “So Far Away” IS A WORD. It means to bend one’s body in respect, to submit, to be subdued. Do you get it now????
Roxer93 said on July 14, 2004 04:43:
While we’re on the subject of meanings in Rox songs, perhaps someone could enlighten me as to the meaning of “Inganakee Leo Yo”. :)
tavo said on July 14, 2004 12:51:
such an interesting topic. this is the sort of thing i´ve always wanted to ask. i´m not a native speaker, but i´m studying english as my major. so what you guys have been saying is of much help to me. thanx a lot!
ncurran said on July 14, 2004 13:06:
roxer, yes it is a word, but check the phonetic pronunciation in the dictionary too. You dont pronounce it like that. When you use the word meaning to bow down in respect the pronunciation is bow with an ow/ou sound....not OH....get it!
Bow with an oh sound is either a bow (bow and arrow) or bending a material or piece of fabric (as in a bow in your hair-ribbon, etc)
I say again the pronunciation in this song is wrong and it doesnt make any sense. Go back to your dictionary!
ncurran said on July 14, 2004 13:25:
Just to clear this up once and for all, anyone who doesnt believe me or still wants to argue go to the link below. Here you find all the meanings of bow. Click on the phonetic pronunciation for each meaning, and you will find that the pronunciation in the song in the context it was used was wrong. This pronunciation can only mean bow as a weapon (noun), the bow used to play string instruments (noun), a tied ribbon (noun), then there is also the compound noun bow tie, etc. In fact bow with an “oh” sound does not even exist as a verb.
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/results.asp?dict=B&searchword=bow
I am sure the meaning intended in this song was “when you bend your head or body forward, especially as a way of showing someone respect or expressing thanks to people who have watched you perform”
The pronunciation of this verb is Bau...as in ouch!
Roxer93 said on July 14, 2004 13:38:
Yeah, it’s a bugger of a language, even for us native speakers!!!
Anyway, I don’t care how people put things, as long as the point that one wants to make gets across!!!!
I don’t wish to argue.
ncurran- It’s just art, sometimes it’s not surposed to make sense.
Roxer93 said on July 14, 2004 14:01:
One word which does annoy me however, is from “Here Comes The Weekend”. The line: Every shape of every word you say that breaks the silence of an ordinary day. The word ’ordinary’ would have actually fit, if he’d pronounced it the English-English way (ordin-ry) as opposed to the American-English way (ordin-ary).
ncurran said on July 14, 2004 17:03:
yeah, thats fine roxer. i didnt want to argue either, and i agree it is a pretty trivial thing but it bugs me a bit when there are stupid little mistakes that could be corrected. Maybe its because i’m a virgo, we’re supposed to be perfectionists! Also I think in fan forums people often lose there objectivity. They jump on anyone who makes even the slightest criticism of the artist concerned, thats maybe why i sounded a bit defensive. I dont put u in that category, but i’m just saying that it happens. Some people can’t accept that the object of their fandom is anything less than perfect. Thats why even though i am a big fan of roxette and am also a fan of some other artists, i dont tend to post that much, even though i visit the websites and read what is being said....but i thought the other day...why not? i have a lot of time on my hands nowadays so i might post msgs a bit more.
Roxer93 said on July 15, 2004 00:34:
http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=bow
(Definition 1.) A bit vague, but it’ll do for me.
I hope it puts your mind at ease as well. :) :) :)
Zerot said on July 15, 2004 14:28:
As for “sweep”, Per used it correctly in other songs:
“...they´re sewpt away and nothing is what is seems..”
“...and there is something that sweeps the dark, a lover´s dart...”
ncurran said on July 15, 2004 15:20:
D’oh, whats that supposed to mean. I’m saying the meaning that u are pointing out is a noun and per uses it as a verb in the song. the verb to bow is pronounced differently and it is listed further down the page.
bow2 ( P ) Pronunciation Key (bou)
v. bowed, bow·ing, bows
v. intr.
To bend or curve downward; stoop.
To incline the body or head or bend the knee in greeting, consent, courtesy, acknowledgment, submission, or veneration.
To yield in defeat or out of courtesy; submit
ncurran said on July 16, 2004 20:42:
D’oh.... i know what it means, i was talking about your attitude.
zaine said on July 17, 2004 11:29:
it’s not just a song, but poetry.
words do not have to make any sense, or even be real, let alone be in the right order or used grammatically correct.
Ferdan said on July 17, 2004 12:14:
ncurran, you just tasted a little sample of the feelings you’d have if you knew spanish and listened to Baladas en Español :)
AURYTE said on July 17, 2004 13:46:
Actaully even professional translators admit that ARTISTS ARE ALLOWED TO MAKE MISTAKES OF GRAMMAR OR PRONOUNCATION.
erweetiran said on July 19, 2004 17:42:
I think the point that ncurran is trying to make and everybody is looking pass is that everyone makes mistakes but this is something professional and if you are in a professional business like this you should act professional...these type off errors are the cause of one thing 1. Layziness
@ Ncurran, The bow as you say is ideed pronounced wrong by Marie, you are totally right.
The point is, you can’t hide mistakes behind “ART” and lyrics is only so long so mistakes should be easy to find...So in a bussiness like this this type of thing should not exist...but if you think that you are doing something right when you are not there is nothing you can do about it.
Another one: Things will never be the same: LIKE A MAN ALWAYS DO. Should have been does.
sfchemist said on July 20, 2004 10:04:
The one that’s always concerned me is from Voices, the line is “I’ve closed the last picture and painted the window inside and out.”
Per has said that alot of the material was translated straight from Swedish so I always just assumed it was a mistake in the translation but now I wonder. Any other opinions?
Kiwein1 said on July 20, 2004 10:09:
“Another one: Things will never be the same: LIKE A MAN ALWAYS DO. Should have been does.”
I have noticed that, too, but on the other hand a lot of artists make a DO out of a DOES or a HAVE instead of a HAS.
Zargo said on July 20, 2004 10:15:
I always assumed it meant:
“but you hurt like a man - (you) always do”
As in the person the song is directed at always hurts her like a man... not like “men always do.”
AURYTE said on July 20, 2004 12:24:
I don’t understand one thing. So you guys would like to see ROXETTE sitting in the studio & correcting mistakes!? “MARIE, how should we pronounce bow?,says PER. MARIE: “Let ME think for a while...”
You must be crazy!!!
ncurran said on July 20, 2004 14:19:
erweetiran got exactly the point i was trying to make in the first place...it was never meant as a big criticism, and i never intended to start a huge discussion or argument, but I’ll know better next time, because it seems that some people don’t like it when you make even the slightest criticism. Roxette are only human, they are not perfect!
It is just pure laziness....it wouldn’t take a lot of time to get someone to look over the lyrics. Well its either laziness or arrogance....maybe per thinks he can speak and write perfect english...who knows.
I’ll say again, it isnt a big deal, but it is something that shouldnt happen. Yes other singers do sometimes use incorrect grammar intentionally, but mostly this is within natural usage, as even native speakers do not use perfect english all the time. However with Roxette it seems to be mistakes that are because of lack of english skills rather than intential adaptations of the language to fit the song.
Marie wrote the lyrics to little girl and there are no grammar mistakes. Yes the lyrics are perhaps simpler than some of Pers, but I am pretty sure that she would get someone to check over her writing before the song is recorded as her english isnt nearly as good as Per’s. So why can’t per do the same?
jobarth said on July 20, 2004 22:50:
Another mistake in “Fingertips”?
“Fish are jumping too, next to you.” Must be “Fishes”?
or in “Keep me waiting”?
“Then came you”. Must be “Then you came”?
Or in “Here comes the weekend” he sings: “When I will I see you again?” and in the booklet it’s printed: “When will I see you again?
Please tell me, I’m not an English native speaker.
m-cvk said on July 21, 2004 08:09:
About the ’fish’ > Just like with ’sheep’, ’fish’ is also plural (I mean: 1 sheep, 2 (or more) sheep and 1 fish, 2 (or more) fish). So, that part is correct.
That’s what I learned at school, and I’m not a native speaker as well.
About the ’when will I’, I don’t think it sounds like you said, but it’s more ’when euh / eh’ > euh / eh is not a real word, but it indicates that some one is thinking or being shy. You can hear it a lot when some one is talking to a big crowd (speech).
edit: I like the way Per plays with words and grammar (correct or incorrect) as it sounds great!
AURYTE said on July 21, 2004 08:27:
@ncurran I have nothing against criticism. But, I think, you don’t understand what it means music criticism. You can say that you like the intro of THE LOOK or you hate it cos... Or think that HOW DO YOU DO & REAL SUGAR are too similar.
P.S. Where have you got the idea thay MARIE uses translator or someone else to look through the lyrics??? MARIE’s lyrics are quite simple. so you can’t make mistakes. PER does’t make mistakes in every song.
@jobarth. Your examples (HERE COMES THE WEEKEND & KEEP ME WAITING) are typical ones where you have to make mistakes to match the rhythm.
sfchemist said on July 21, 2004 10:40:
But surely the mistakes are part of the charm of Roxette and I’d rather listen to a few minor grammatical mistakes than to all the American (and recently English) bands that pronounce “you” as “chew”. Now that drives me up the wall.
Plus it gives us something to talk about when there’s no real news.
Roxer93 said on July 22, 2004 07:24:
@sfchemist & zaine: I totally agree!!! That “chew” business really gets on my nerves too!!!
Another point: Maybe they get their grammar wrong every now and then but, at least you’ll never see an explicit lyrics warning on a Roxette CD.
ncurran said on July 22, 2004 11:10:
yes i dont want to argue, the discussion could go on for ever, and i cant bothered, so i think it is time for me to “bow” out of this discussion....pardon the pun.
Ferdan said on July 22, 2004 11:30:
oh well, anyway grammar isn’t important as long as you make some sense and it sounds good (in music)...
and especially with english, it´s a very “loose” language when it comes about words and grammar, that´s why it´s difficult to learn it if you dont talk to native speakers. i never really paid attention to english grammar, that should look obvious... especially in my older posts :)
ljus said on July 22, 2004 15:22:
my favourite is Marie’s pronunciation of z (voiced s) as /s/ like in in frozen... it’s so Swedish, but lovely
watercoulors in the rain:
ending up on a froSen morning
Roxfever said on July 22, 2004 16:11:
Well, the voiced sounds (like the second s in sounds*g*) are not that easy to produce if you don’t have them in your native language. In German for example there is a voiced s but in the dialect of the part of Germany I’m from there isn’t. You’ll hardly find anybody with this dialect who pronounses words like language or frozen correctly because they somehow can’t produce the voiced sounds unless they really concentrate on it when speaking, then it works :0)
ncurran said on July 23, 2004 02:29:
lawyer...Never is a long time is about a broken relationship i think, and the fact that the character is realising that they can never be together again, wondering how they can deal with the pain that it seems like will last forever.
as for i breathed your love, as we know breathing is something we all have to do to live, and i think was is meant here is being so deep in love that their whole life is consumed by the relationship, breathing the love, as if every moment of being alive was devoted to being with this person and again they are heartbroken because it has come to an end.
But as with all art, poetry and music, people make their own interpretation, so no one really knows what was in Pers mind when he wrote the songs.
xuseam said on July 29, 2004 03:17:
new ask:
Anyone plz tell what’s meaning of “Better Off On Her Own”, I cant look it up in my dictionary.
Don’t laugh at me asking such a question, my English is really poor. It’s a good topic, I will still ask many “silly” questions in the future.
xuseam said on July 29, 2004 03:31:
new ask too:
I was raised the northern way and my father had a northern name...from The Rain.
I can read each word, but I don’t know what dose this whole sentence actually mean. I don’t think it is just “I was raised the northern way and my father had a northern name”, the sentence must have deeper meaning.
1Why “I was raised”, not “I raised”, uses passive.
2Here ? My father = my dad
3”North name” represents what?
ncurran said on July 29, 2004 05:21:
Better off on her own means in english that things will be better without another person. In this song, the chorus goes, “Cause she’s gone, she says, shes better off on her own”
This means that this girl has left her boyfriend/partner and she thinks that life will be better without him. “better off” can mean financially (money), but in this context it means happier and stronger emotionally. On her own=alone....ie without her boyfriend.
ncurran said on July 29, 2004 05:28:
I was raised is correct. it is in the passive voice because we are raised by someone (our parents)...it means they looked after us when we were young and taught us....it means the same as “I was brought up by...” if u know what that phrase means.
As for the northern way, well i assume the song was written about Sweden, but could have been used for many other countries. It is talking about growing up in the north of the country and having a name from a north of the country.Its a cultural thing too...i assume because it is Sweden it means that the character was brought up in a different/more traditional way because they never lived in the south where life is different...perhaps cos the cities are in the south and the north is more deserted, perhaps more family orientated with different values.
Hope I have explained this simply enough, let me know if u understand
flower said on July 29, 2004 06:16:
’Northern’ way has (imho) nothing to do with the north of Sweden.
’Northern’ is about the Scandinavian country’s, northern Europe.
xuseam said on July 29, 2004 06:46:
“Better off on her own ” is no problems as I thought too.
My geography is not too bad, Yes, Sweden is in the north of Europe, I understand a lot. The character in this song seems to come from the north of Europe. She is singing about herself. Oh, ncurran, thanks your simply explains.
Sascha said on July 29, 2004 06:50:
Funny topic! A phrase in MATAH I don’t get: “Slow morning news pass me by...” Is this correct? Shouldn’t it be “Slowly morning news...” Or does it say that the passing news are slow? Sounds a bit strange for me!
xuseam said on July 29, 2004 06:58:
I think, slow is adj for ’morning news’, slowly is adv for ’pass’. But plz don’t believe me, I am improvimg my Englsih now.
xuseam said on July 29, 2004 07:05:
I want to know where is ’Cinnamon Street’. Dose that street exist in Sweden or other Europe countries? Is it famous too?
Roxreporter said on July 29, 2004 16:27:
That night when Sally really gave it all, and made us small boys look quite tall, pore old Jefferson left the ball... what’s that all about ey. I like the drive in this song a lot but I don’t really get much of the lyricks.
Zerot said on July 31, 2004 03:10:
There is this phrase in MATAH that I certainly don´t catch: “But didn´t he blow my mind this time?”
AURYTE said on July 31, 2004 06:43:
I think that last phraze in MILK AND TOAST AND HONEY means that charecter’s life isn’t affected by his/her partner. This is how I understand it.
Roxer93 said on August 1, 2004 09:31:
No.
The character certainly IS affected.
To blow someone’s mind is to surprise/shock them.
In this context, it has been a positive experience. It has left her deeply affected, wanting more.
Zerot said on August 1, 2004 19:51:
@Roxer93: thanks!
Another thing is in You Can´t Put Your Arms Around What´s Already Gone, when it says “I saw red, stayed at home”. I don´t find the meaning to this phrase...
Roxer93 said on August 3, 2004 06:36:
“I wish I could fly, around and around. Over this town, the dirt on the ground......”
She’s just mentioning all the things she could fly over.
AURYTE said on August 3, 2004 06:48:
And I have a question. What does it mean A THING ABOUT YOU?
PS You Roxer93 look like a star...
Roxer93 said on August 3, 2004 08:39:
I look like a star??? How do u know what I look like?
A thing about you is the same thing as a crush on you.
AURYTE said on August 4, 2004 09:33:
I meant, that in this topic you are a star, cos you get lots of questions.
Kiwein1 said on August 4, 2004 20:28:
He wants to say that the expression “a thing about you” has the same meaning like “Crush on you”... :-)
ncurran said on August 5, 2004 00:11:
Yeah “A thing about you” and a “crush on you” have similar meanings except COY is more childish...a crush is generally not very serious....just means you find someone attractive and is mainly used refering to teenagers having a crush on someone. ATAY is a little more serious....i think of it meaning more of an addiction, or infatuation. I have a thing about X....means there is something about X that gets you going everytime. Maybe you dont understand fully why X has such an impression on you, but they are strong feelings.
ncurran said on August 5, 2004 00:13:
When love is wilder than the wind.....could mean just about the strong feelings...a very strong love, or it could mean a lot of turbulence in the relationship, a strong love but not stable with lots of fighting and arguing....probably the second one since per said this was about a friend getting a divorce
Roxer93 said on August 5, 2004 05:51:
@AURYTE: Thanx! :)
@Kiwein1: I’m a she. :)
@ncurran: Thanks to you also for clarifying my answer on the subject of ATAY & COY.
ALSO: Apologies for my smart arse behaviour towards you on previous pages! It wasn’t called for. Sorry mate!!!! xxxxx :)
Roxer93 said on August 5, 2004 05:58:
Surrender- tie the cover to the ground.
Another one lost in translation???
Kiwein1 said on August 5, 2004 07:21:
@roxer93: sorry! I know how it feels to be called a man. ;-) Happened to me before, too!
ncurran said on August 5, 2004 16:29:
roxer, dont worry, u didnt offend me...i know how easy it is to have a heated discussion on the internet when u dont know someone or their face...i am sorry if i was a bit abrupt at times aswell
as for “tie the cover to the ground”, I have thought about this and listened to the song again, and i do find it a bit confusing....it could well be that it was a swedish phrase that was lost in the english translation. After all i think most of the POP album was translated from Swedish for Roxette wasnt it?
The only thing I could think of, was when i listened to the whole chorus....Surrender, Tie the cover to the ground, dont turn around and walk away again.
The “dont turn around and walk away again” line suggests that this is a relationship that has been on and off, and now the character wants to stop this and make it more permanent. So the “Tie the cover to the ground” part could just mean to tie the relationship down, make it stable and permanent. The cover could just be used as a metaphor, though the phrase is a bit strange in the song.
I dont know, its just an idea, its the only thing i could think of....i am probably wrong
RobS said on August 6, 2004 07:46:
thats a really good explanation for that lyric in Surrender, i’ve wondered how that was supposed to fit in there!
Roxer93 said on August 6, 2004 10:34:
@ncurran: Yep, sounds good to me (Surrender).
Thanks for your understanding. I don’t think that I had read your posts thoroughly enough before shooting my mouth off! I’m not normally like that (if you can believe it). I guess it comes down to what you said about the realisation that our idols are less than perfect.
Thanks again! :)
Zerot said on August 6, 2004 21:50:
A few more ;-)...
The first one is “Wind up”, I couldn’t find it in the dictionary. This appears in Real Sugar: “...I’m windin’ up with none, just zeroes no ones, just space with no air...”
And the other one is in “How do you do!”, this sentence: “I love your blue-eyed voice, like Tiny Tim(??) shines thru, how do you do”
Roxer93 said on August 7, 2004 06:28:
“Wind up”: In this context means the same thing as to “end up”. To end up with nothing. Or “in the end”. In the end he has achieved nothing.
“Blue eyed voice”- I have no idea. I think it’s just another one Per made up.
Tiny Tim was a singer. www.tinytim.org
Roxer93 said on August 7, 2004 06:42:
Tiny Tim was famous for a song called “Tiptoe Through The Tulips” in the ’60s.
The only tiny thing about him was his ukelele!
RobS said on August 8, 2004 04:29:
Here’s one that i’ve pondered over abit and can’t make any sense of it, but it sounds cool! From Staring at the ground-
I carry your wounded dreams
Like the devil’s deeds in the pocket of my jeans
anyone got any ideas??
ncurran said on August 8, 2004 11:49:
ok rob, ive come up with another theory for this one...although is does have me really confused aswell, they great thing about lyrics and poetry is that u can take your own interpretation from it.
Again this song is about a broken relationship and the singer is wishing she could put the relationship back together. The first chorus says “What’s lost cannot be found
I can’t return your tears
If I ever live to be a thousand years “
I can’t return your tears seems to suggest that the singer was in someway responsible for their partner being hurt, or at least they feel that they are someway responsible.
The second chorus says, “Coincidence put you down
He won’t withdraw those tears
If you ever lived to be a thousand years”
This suggests that there were also factors that she couldnt control so she doesnt shoulder all of the blame.
The last chorus and the one you were asking about says” I wish I could bring the spring to your door
To the coldest side of town
I carry your wounded dreams
Like the devil’s deeds in the pocket of my jeans “
I think, the i carry your wounded dreams is her taking responsibility for her part in the breakdown in the relationship. Her partners dreams of happiness were damaged by her in some way.
Then the devil’s deeds part basically meaning the things she did wrong in the relationship
in the pocket of my jeans, means she is still thinking about her mistakes, feeling guilty, keeping them close to her, maybe to learn from them.
Again, this could be a load of rubbish, but its the only thing i could come up with.
RobS said on August 9, 2004 08:45:
Thats a very insightful breakdown of that lyric, ncurran. Until we get a rundown from Per explaining what all his lyrics mean, i think i’ll go with that :-)
ncurran said on August 10, 2004 03:33:
These lyrics are pretty confusing, but i’ll give it a go...i like this, it is fun to make your own interpretation from poetry or lyrics.
Verse 1 “I knew this would happen and I don’t want to be around
when it gets out.
I’ve closed the last picture and painted the windows
inside and out. “
This verse seems to be about some self-induced isolation, hiding from the outside world, perhaps because of something the character has done that some people on the outside world do not like or approve of.
“I knew this would happen and i dont want to be around gets out”—seems to suggest that something has happened or is about to happen, people are about to find out about something that has been secret.
“I’ve closed the last picture and painted the windows, inside and out” The picture could be the vision of the character him/herself, she/he will no longer be visible to the outside world when she/he is hiding from people around her/him. Painting the windows inside and outside is the line that talks about cutting him/herself off from people around her/him. Painting the windows outside of the house would mean people couldnt see in, painting inside would mean she/he couldnt see out, so it seems like the character wants to cut him/herself off or hide completely from people around her/him.
Verse 2—“From sparks to the fire, from here to obsession they cover the end.
Twisting a match and see the reflections of hunters of men.”
“From sparks to the fire” suggests that this situation is about to get worse, perhaps when outsiders find out about the secret.” From here to obsession they cover the end”, this part i am not sure of, perhaps it could mean that people will be angry when they find out, be obsessed with their anger, and not allow the situation to be resolved or end until there is some vengence.
“Twisting a match and and see the reflections of hunters of men”
This goes back to the metaphor of the blacked out windows of a house inside and outside...from the inside when she twists/lights the match, the light is enough to see the shadows of the angry people outside...hunters of men...people who are out for revenge against the character.
The chorus,
“Voices - cracking the night,
voices - that cut like a knife,
voices - hear them singing...”
This could be the voices of the people outside, their anger heard from inside....breaking the silence.
The bridges,
” Give me your dreams and I’ll give you my time,
together/until we’ll cross the borderline.”
This is looking forward to the solution of the situation, and as the character is talking to someone in this tone suggests the situation involves someone else, perhaps he/she is involved with someone whose family does not approve, or something similar....the borderline, crossing the border just signifies escaping from the situation, the final solution to the problem.
roxgirl_germany said on August 10, 2004 04:21:
“Cinnamon Street”:
I read in an interview (where Per was asked what street Per had in mind when writing the song) that he had Lärkvägen in Halmstad on his mind.
Roxer93 said on August 10, 2004 12:29:
@ncurran: I often wondered what “painting the windows inside and out” and “cracking the night” meant. Hadn’t really thought about it before. Thanks! :)
ncurran said on August 12, 2004 04:03:
thanks roxer and lawyer for the compliments...yes lawyer i do write poetry and song lyrics sometimes aswell, though not many people have read them...they are not that great...i used to do it a lot more when i was younger, though i still do it occasionally nowadays.
as for the pyschology thing, yeah i think i can read people pretty well...i left my job in scotland a couple of years ago cos it was basically an office job sitting in front of the computer all day....not for me at all. Ill go back to scotland next year and i’m thinking of going into social work or something similar that involves helping/working with people, though my ultimate goal is to be a writer, though there is no rush for that to happen.
the funny thing is that a lot of these questions i have answered here i have never actually thought about before until the question was asked, i have never really thought about the meaning of surrender or voices, but when u actually study the lyrics they are very clever.....it shows per actually does write great lyrics...especially the “painted the windows inside and out” i think that is a great lyric.
Roxer93 said on August 13, 2004 05:37:
In Joy Of A Toy, the character is asking their lover if they are serious about the relationship, or if they are just playing around. “The joy of a toy, is it all that you came for?” The “toy” being the character asking the question. (If so), “you can kiss this love goodbye.”
Ncurran, I think you’d be able to explain the other two better than me. Probably the above aswell! ;)
ncurran said on August 13, 2004 09:50:
lawyer, the stuff i have written is all over the place on little bits of paper, but i will look through it over the next week or so and send some to u...and u can post what u like on your site, i have no problem with that.
As for the songs, I will do my best but i warn u i am not on top form today as i got pretty drunk last night and am suffering a bit mentally and physically....i’ll start with Joy of a toy since Roxer has already commented on that one and ill do the others later.
Roxer I think you got the interpretation of this song exactly, so i’ll basically just be adding to your comments.
Verse 1:
“You wake me up in the middle of the night and burn the cover down. You’re on the phone in the air like a record try to spin me around. Oh won’t you move away, oh honey get away”
There is a lot of anger in the tone, as this is basically the end of the relationship. The character is woken by a phone call in the middle of the night...not sure what he means by burn the cover down, but might just mean that the character was sleeping comfortably under the covers and the phone call took this comfort away. “You’re on the phone in the air like a record try to spin me around”
This is a metaphor, i think basically talking about the character being led on by their partner, messing with their mind...maybe their mind is spinning, unable to understand the situation fully and why he/she is acting in such a way.
The chorus:
“The joy of a toy, is it all that you came for? The joy of a toy got the look of a lie. The joy of a toy put the hurt into action. The joy of a toy, you can kiss this love goodbye.”
The chorus is basically what Roxer talked about....the characters lover has being using them, not taking the relationship seriously....joy of a toy..something to play with...the character has put a lot into the relationship and has been hurt because they were just being used. It is basically saying the relationship is over because the lover did not take it seriously
Verse 2:
“How can you win when you don’t know a thing what love is all about? Don’t want to fight so get out of my sight I won’t surrender now. It’s independence day, oh honey get away.”
This verse is about the character making a clean break....independence day meaning being single again....he/she cant be bothered investing time in the relationship anymore when it is one sided. He/she doesnt want to fight, but wont surrender meaning that he/she is unwilling to stay in the situation of being used by this person who obviously never returned the love that he/she gave.
Anyway, i probably could have said more, but i’ll stop now...i’ll tackle the other 2 songs later when my frame of mind is better and i have recovered from this hangover!
Roxer93 said on August 13, 2004 10:43:
Ncurran: You sure have some insight into Per’s mind! Have you seen the movie “Being John Malkovich”? Perhaps we should change the title! Looked behind any filing cabinets lately? hehe
sfchemist said on August 14, 2004 11:32:
I think burn the cover down refers to the phone conversation, the lover reveals something (an affair perhaps) and in that moment removes the safety (cover) of the relationship. This kinda fits with the whole not taking the relationship seriously as well.
Btw, I can sympathize with the hangover this morning.
ncurran said on August 15, 2004 06:23:
sfchemist, yes i think u are right about the description of that line.
lawyer, i am still around, have just been really busy this weekend...i will get around to sending some of them poems soon.
Here is my analysis of Call of the Wild
I think this song is about unrequited love...he is in love with this girl but she has no idea.
verse 1:
“I know her
And every notion I get from her I wear inside
I know her
All of the broken leaves of love she leaves behind
Oh-don’t you hide away from the rain
Oh-can you tell me the name of this game?
I got to get thru to you”
This verse suggests that he knows who this girl is, but perhaps doesnt know her too well..every notion i get from her i wear inside...this means that every time he sees her, he takes something from every acknowledgement she gives him, perhaps if she smiles or something, this makes him think about what she thinks about him and he lives with this, with the hope they can be together. “the broken leaves of love she leaves behind.” this talks about how he feels when she goes away, he feels empty and broken hearted.
“Oh-don’t you hide away from the rain
Oh-can you tell me the name of this game?
I got to get thru to you”
This talks about the frustration he feels in this situation. He just wishes he could know how she feels about him and he wants her to know how he feels about her. He is fed up of the unspoken feelings and wants the game playing to end so he knows the truth.
Chorus:
“Behind the door, another wall”
this refers to the continual frustration at meeting an obstacle at every turn. he feels like he will never resolve the situation
“A lonely cry, a call of the wild”
A lonely cry is him feeling lonely, call of the wild creates an image of him isolated from those around him aswell....being stuck in the wilderness, almost like a dream world. He is calling to be rescused from this wilderness of his mind...hopefully by her.
“A dancing daze, an empty face”
A daze, suggests his mind is all mixed up, he feels like his emotions are all over the place, he cant understand it. an empty face, could be about her, he cant read what she is thinking...it could also be about him, an empty face suggesting feeling no emotion, he almost feels numb to all the pain because he is so confused.
“A crystal high, a call of the wild”
i have no idea what he means by crystal high
“And there is something that sweeps the dark
A lover’s dark, the call of the broken heart
Wrapped in the night, behind these eyes
Oh hear the cry, the call of the wild”
This refers back to his pain, his loneliness signified by the darkness.....thinking about his pain and his broken heart, he cant think about anything else, and behind his eyes is his mind, thinking, contemplating his broken heart, again calling to be rescued.
“I know her
And in my mind I dream of her
How she aches without me
I know her
And every heart is a lonely hunter when she walks by
Oh-can you read the hurt in my eyes?
I got to get thru to you”
In this verse he is dreaming that the feelings he has for her are returned, and that she loves him too, although the tone is very doubtful, and he probably realises it is just a dream.
“every heart is a lonely hunter when she walks by”
this sounds like he has put her at some kind of iconic status....a magnificent lady that everyone wants and admires.
And the verse ends with another appeal to her...he just has to let her know how he feels in some way.
sfchemist said on August 15, 2004 08:16:
I took “all of the broken leaves of love she leaves behind” to mean he has been stalking her, not in a creepy way but just to be near her. The broken leaves are where she’s walked and he is willing to take anything he can get of her even if its only her footprints.
Its interesting to hear someone else’s opinion though, I’d not given it a great deal of thought before.
ncurran said on August 15, 2004 10:16:
thats kind of what i was getting at sfchemist, the way he feels when she walks away, the leaves that she stands on and breaks as she walks away used as a metaphor for her standing on his heart and breaking that too.....not sure about the stalking part, but u could be right....thats the thing,we can all read into the lyrics in our own way, but we would never know what was actually meant by them unless Per himself told us, and in a way its better that he doesnt, because that is the beauty of art, music, poetry...that everyone can take away something from it themselves, and it doesnt need to be what the original creator meant either.
ncurran said on August 15, 2004 10:22:
lawyer, i am still thinking about soul deep i have a few ideas but im not totally sure which one is better...i’ll write again later
ncurran said on August 16, 2004 05:01:
lawyer, ill send the poems sometime this week
anyway, here is my attempt at understanding the soul deep lyrics...this one was pretty difficult and i am probably wrong so others might have better ideas, anyway here it goes....
I think this song is about a girl who has had problems in her relationship. She is still not totally sure if the guy she is with is “the one”, but she does feel like she is in love with him….she is not sure however exactly how he feels. I think he hasn’t been taking the relationship seriously and may have even cheated on her, or at least treated her badly.
Verse one:
“Save a prayer for a sinner and a saint, my baby’s coming back
Say a prayer, hide hide away yea baby’s coming back
Hey hey hey, ain’t gonna trouble his wandering mind
Gonna take on the time to find out if my love is”
I think the sinner is her boyfriend, and she is the saint…when she says “my baby’s coming back”, it could be that he has either been away somewhere for a while, but I think it is more likely that it means he has either cheated on her or hasn’t been devoting enough time to the relationship, but now he says he wants back with her. She says “hide hide away” because she doesn’t want to seem too keen around him, or be too easy…she wants to play it cool because of the way he has been acting. “Aint gonna trouble his wandering mind” means a similar thing, she doesn’t want to scare him off by being too full on, she will keep some of the emotions to herself. The last line shows she wants to take things slowly even though her feelings are deep, as she wants to be sure this relationship is meant to be.
Chorus:
“Soul deep - spinning the heart round a wire
Soul deep - a heavenly wave
Soul deep - heating the heart like a fire
Soul deep is taking my breath away-ay-ay”
The chorus is basically describing the feelings she has…even though she finished the last verse saying she wanted to take her time to find out if her feelings are Soul Deep (soul deep meaning for real, genuine, from the bottom of her heart, a unison of souls and not only minds and hearts), it is obviously that she has really deep feelings for him. Her the feeling in her heart…spinning, heating up like a fire, feeling breathless…all signifying the strong feelings and emotions she has for this man.
Verse 2:
“Save a tear till the curtain will fall, well I’m saving them all for you
Knock on wood, is it understood that I’m saving it up for you
Hey hey hey, love is a hustle just a moment behind
Gonna walk on the line to find out if my love is”
The second verse. “Save a tear till the curtain will fall, well I’m saving them all for you”. Till the curtain will fall is a metaphor, using the start of a performance at the theater to signify the moment when she will finally know if this love is for real from both sides. “knock on wood” is a phrase meaning luck…hoping that something bad wont happen…well we actually say touch wood in the UK, but I think this might be the US equivalent…anyway, she is hoping for the best, holding out and waiting for that moment. The “Love is a hustle” line is just suggesting that it is going to be a struggle to save this relationship, she might need to fight for him, and it wont be long until she will know for sure if the relation ship is going to survive.
Verse 3
“Save a prayer for a sinner and a saint, my baby’s coming back
Say a prayer, hide hide away yea yea baby’s coming back
Hey hey hey ride on the soul train now I’m too close to hide
Gonna take on the time to find out if my love is”
Verse 3: the first 2 lines the same as before….the third line suggests she has already invested so much of herself in this relationship it is too late to back out now…she just has to go along for the ride and hope she doesn’t get hurt in the end.
AURYTE said on August 16, 2004 07:53:
Actually I never realised that subject I learned at school (interprate poetry) will be used in reality.:) Hope I will be able to help ncurran with that. Though English is not my mother language.
MiracleMan said on August 17, 2004 03:55:
I realize that this may be a bit on the late side, but in Joy Of A Toy, when she sings:
You wake me up in the middle of the night and burn the cover down. It’s a booty call.
Her man is calling in the middle of the night for a little late night nookie.
The rest of the song is her pushing him away because she doesn’t want to be used only for sex. She’s not a toy to be played with both emotionally and sexually.
sfchemist said on August 17, 2004 08:39:
Another possibility for verse 2: save a tear til the curtain will fall.
For me this is saying she is waiting for the relationship to end, she knows that he will leave/stray again. The curtain falling represents the end of the performance, but in the next line she says knock on wood so she is still hopeful that he won’t. She’s also realistic coz she’s still saving her tears for then.
Other than that, I can see where you are coming from ncurran. MM, interesting idea puts a slightly different spin on the whole song. I don’t think I would have ever thought of it, but now you’ve mentioned it....
ncurran said on August 17, 2004 12:03:
lawyer, no problem...dont expect too much, they are not that great...
and MM/sfchemist...i think its great to get other peoples ideas...the truth is we will never know the true meaning of most of these songs (at least the less obvious songs) unless Per gave us the meanings himself. But in a way it is better if he never does, as that is the whole beauty of any form of art, that we can make our own interpretations and take from it what we want/need.
Roxer93 said on August 18, 2004 01:08:
Maybe his own love life wasn’t going too well at that time. Artists often use their own life experiences as a basis for their work.
I thought there was a similar feeling to some of the songs on HAND. I got the feeling there was something going on with himself and Asa. Especially considering he doesn’t thank her in the booklet thingy. But that could be just me....
ncurran said on August 18, 2004 03:50:
well i think that most but not all songwriting comes from personal experience, but also mixed in with other lines to make it flow musically....i don’t think per’s music is totally biographical, though I’m sure some of his experiences are reflected in his songwriting. He already said that “I was so lucky” was about his son for example.
It could be that per wrote these songs when he was going through tough times in his relationship, but we don’t know that for sure.
And to answer your question about From one heart to another, yes that line does refer to 2 people coming together, but the song overall is about the end of a relationship. I could write more details later if you want.
And lawyer, yes you can adapt the format of the lyrics as you like. The reason I wrote Verse one, chorus, etc is that the chorus is in a slightly different format to the verses, so someone reading it would understand that it is meant as a song...it might be an idea to copy and paste the chorus between each verse so that it flows properly and then the headings could be deleted, but it is up to you. You do what you think looks best. If you want me to send them again in a different format let me know.
Starrox said on August 20, 2004 12:26:
Per doesn’t thank Asa in the HAND-booklet? Well, guess who Woody (the first person Per thanks!) is...
AURYTE said on August 20, 2004 12:33:
In my opinion, title HALF A WOMAN, HALF A SHADOW describes desperate, mysterious, but unhappy woman.
ncurran said on August 21, 2004 05:25:
lawyer, i will take a look at these few songs over the next couple of days...i am quite busy this weekend
Roxer93 said on August 21, 2004 10:19:
@Starrox: I had no idea who Woody was, I just assumed it was some guy. Now that you mention it, “Screamin’ Lord Gee Titus” makes sense! Silly me! Thanks for clearing that up for me!!
Roxer93 said on August 21, 2004 10:45:
I’m gonna have a go at “Half A Woman, Half A Shadow.” Ncurran will probably have to clean up the mess later!! Sorry in advance!
I think this is about a woman who is broken hearted after a breakup. I think it is her fault that the relatioship has ended. Now she is feeling incomplete. The “shadow” means that she feels that part of herself has gone.
Ncurran- I have added you to my msn messenger list, if that’s ok. I won’t be offended if it’s not. I’ll take you off after 30 days, as per my procedure, if you have not responded.
ncurran said on August 23, 2004 04:29:
ok, sorry its taken a while...i’ll start with half a woman, half a shadow cos this was the first song asked about and discussion has already begun on it.
Roxer I think you are exactly right about the meaning of this song. I will go into more details below.
I think its about a break up of this womans relationship...as u said roxer the shadow representing the part of her she left behind...a lot of people say that when they are in love they become one person, one soul....well the shadow is still in the background. She has lost part of herself when she lost her partner, but the shadow and pain from the break up is still behind her, almost haunting her...she can’t shake it off.
Verse one:
“Daylight is breaking again.
I hide in the dark.
I’m watching the rain.
You’re out of touch.
You’re out of reach.
What can I say, I never wanted it this way.”
This verse is highlighting the pain that she feels now her man is gone. The sun is rising outside...life is going on around her...but she is hiding in the dark...cutting herself off from the world. Watching the rain...rain is often used as a metaphor for unhappiness rather while the sun is used for happiness, so she is kind of wallowing in her unhappiness.
You’re out of touch/out of reach...talking about her partner leaving, she has not heard from him. its over.
What can i say, i never wanted it this way....she really felt this was true love and she cant believe that it has come to an end.
Verse 2:
“Love sleeps all alone.
The cold telephone, I know the heart.
Yes, I know the kind.
The kisses of fire, turning to grey.
I never wanted it this way.
I always wanted you to stay.”
Love sleeps all alone...she is still deeply in love but he is no longer around
The cold telephone....he has not called her, or been in touch
the kisses of fire, turning to grey....showing that there was great passion in the relationship, fire representing the passion, and imagine the colours of fire, red and yellow fading to gray...the passion being drained from their relationship...at least from his side.
The relationship may have been going badly, but she loved him dearly and wanted him to stay.
Chorus
“Cause I’m half a woman, half a shadow.
Wash my pain away,
Cause I’m half a woman, half a shadow.”
As i explained at the beginning, and roxer said earlier, this is the part of her that has been left behind after the end of the relationship. she wants the pain to end....she could also be calling on him to come back to her to end the pain.
Verse 3:
“Love always changed with the trees, the spring and the leaves, the waves on the sea.
Wilder than light the wind in your eyes led me astray.
I never wanted it this way.
I always wanted you to stay.”
Here she is talking about the effect he had on her....she was deeply and passionately in love with him and still is....she was completely obsessed with him in a way.....
it may also suggest that the ride was a bit of a roller coaster, the love changed, there was always new feelings, new desires, the relationship was never boring...it may have been turbulent at times.
The song overall is about her feelings, she wants this man back, he was her everything and she doesnt feel complete without him. These are her feelings, she doesnt talk about how he felt but we dont know if this was one-sided or not, although it does sound that she thinks he has deserted her. she still wants to make the relationship work but he doesnt seem interested anymore.
ncurran said on August 24, 2004 14:38:
lawyer, as roxer said on page 4 i talked about wilder than the wind, i think the phrase is used in the same way in both songs....in both songs he is refering to the love/feelings being wilder than the wind. Its not actually a phrase used in english, but just a play on words that i take to mean the love being strong/impulsive/almost out of control....it is just emphasising how strong the feelings are. its actually quite a clever phrase....it creates quite strong imagery, and fits well into the song. Per can write some very meaningful lyrics when he wants to.
ncurran said on August 24, 2004 14:39:
lawyer, by the way, i will get around to answering some of the other questions about songs u answered on the previous page....i am very busy at work this week so have limited time to sit down and think about it, and i would rather answer the questions properly than sit down and do a rush job.
AURYTE said on August 25, 2004 07:02:
@lawyer. I guess Scorpions have the song with the title Wind Of Changes...
sfchemist said on August 25, 2004 20:47:
It interesting how its nearly all old songs that have come up so far. Anyone got any thoughts on this?
antz said on August 25, 2004 21:22:
Because lyrics like “I feed the ducks with a bun only to find me in love with you” don’t really need an explanation!
ncurran said on August 26, 2004 03:29:
“without a shadow of a doubt” or “beyond a shadow of a doubt” is an idiom in english. It means that it is one hundred % certain..no doubt at all. a shadow meaning a trace of something....there is no shadow...no doubt.
in the roxette song shadow of a doubt, it is about a relationship that is over, “its all over now, no shadow of a doubt”....meaning it is certain that the relationship is over, no going back.
AURYTE said on August 26, 2004 07:03:
Yeah. I agree with ncurran.
And I have nothing against MAKE MY HEAD POP.
sfchemist said on August 28, 2004 10:09:
So you are saying that Per’s lyrics have their depth over the years? Hmmm. This needs a serious Rox listening session to check this theory out. (well any excuse)
sfchemist said on August 29, 2004 09:21:
Ok here’s my attempt at hiding under a halo, your mouth is alive
The halo, as in the thing on angels heads, creates an image of goodness. The fact that she is hiding under it implies a certain coyness or shyness reinforcing the good/saintly image. Your mouth is alive, to me, creates a very seductive image, the mouth being for kissing etc. So you get this contrast between the saint/angel and the temptress.
As for walking on thin ice to get through the night. If you are walking on thin ice you have to tread carefully to stop it breaking so they are tip-toeing around the conversation(?) possibly to avoid a fight that will end the relationship. To get through the night, well, they feel that if they can just last this one night everything will be ok afterwards. However, if I remember correctly the line is I won’t be walking on thin ice, in which case they are going to face up to the problem regardless of the consequences.
Hope that’s ok. I’m sure ncurran can explain it better in the context of the rest of the song.
AURYTE said on August 29, 2004 09:58:
If you have time, you are welcome to read my opinion about that line from DANGEROUS.
Walking on the ice is a dangerous thing cos it can easily break. So you must tip toe, walk slowly and carefully. It requires a lot of attention fron the character. But he says “I WON’T BE WALKING ON THIN ICE TO GET THROUGH THE NIGHT”. The word “night” I assume with love, friend or lover, relationship. So the character doesn’t want to do so much for the relationship, maybe because he receives no answer from his lover. I mean, that the character was doing so much, but he is disappointed.
Mary said on August 29, 2004 10:13:
And I would understand it more that the character doesn’t really wanna be involved with the other person.
Get out of my way!
Get out of my sight!
I won’t be walking on thin ice
to get through the night.
I won’t be walking on thin ice - I won’t be risking anything with you unnecessarily.
I never analyzed lyrics but it’s interesting reading it all here.
ncurran said on August 29, 2004 11:56:
ok, here is my take on dangerous. to summarize in a few lines the song about this girl he is attracted/drawn to in some way. However, although something is pulling him towards her he doesnt understand her fully and thinks he might get hurt. there is something about her which is a bit dangerous, almost ruthless....hes basically trying to talk himself out of getting involved with her although he feels attracted to her.
Here is a breakdown of my interpretation of the lyrics:
“You pack your bag
You take control
You’re moving into my heart
And into my soul”
pack your bag, moving into my heart and soul....this is talking about how he is having feelings for her, she is taking over his heart/emotional side in some way, he feels drawn and attracted to her.
“Get out of my way!
Get out of my sight!
I won’t be walking on thin ice
To get through the night”
This is the other voice in his head pushing her away, perhaps the rational side of him fighting against the feelings he is having for her. He doesnt want to be a part of a relationship where he has to walk on egg shells to please her.
“Hey, where’s your work?
What’s your game?
I know your business
But I don’t know your name...”
This is about him not understanding her.....I know your business but i dont know your name....this is meaning he maybe knows a bit about her and her life, but he thinks this is a front, he doesnt know the real her, where she is really coming from.
“Hold on tight
You know she’s a little bit dangerous
She’s got what it takes to make ends meet
The eyes of a lover that hit like heat
You know she’s a little bit dangerous”
Although he sees logically that he shouldnt get involved with this girl, she has a very seductive aura around her. She is perhaps quite manipulative in some ways, and she will get what she wants...”the eyes of a lover that hit like heat”...the fact that one look from her is enough to convince someone to do something for her. “she’s got what it takes to make ends meet”...she knows how to get what she wants from those she gets involved with.
“You turn around
So hot and dry
You’re hiding under a halo
Your mouth is alive”
this girl probably comes across to people that know her as being quite innocent and naive....what he is saying here is that there is another side to her that he can sense...she is not nearly as innocent or pure as people would believe.
“Get out of my way!
Get out of my sight!
I’m not attracted
To go, go deeper tonight”
Again, trying to push her away, he doesnt want to get anymore involved as if he does he feels that it will be too late....he needs to get out of this situation now while his mind can still think rationally or she will have complete control over him and he will get hurt
AURYTE said on September 7, 2004 04:25:
Personally I believe that THE LOOK is just word play to describe strong, beautiful, passionate and quite feministic woman. When I listen to THE LOOK, I always image woman in leather biker’s outfit. :)
Roxer93 said on September 7, 2004 12:40:
T-bone, is a cut of beef, usually referred to as T-bone steak. The bone in it is shaped like a T.
The rest I’ll leave to ncurran!
ncurran said on September 7, 2004 15:26:
Actually Auryte is correct. There is actually no meaning to this song, so there is no point in me trying to explain it. Per wrote the music and wrote the words as a guide lyric to help him remember the tune. He intended to change the lyrics later, but then he decided to keep the original words, so actually the whole lyric is just a play on words that fit well together, i dont think there is a hidden meaning.
This is taken from www.roxette.co.uk (Song FAQ):
“Per has had to answer the question about how this song was written many times and patiently trots the story out. He had the idea for the melody and wrote a “guide” lyric that was really nonsense to help him remember it. It got left in a drawer and some time later he thought it looked quite interesting and was encouraged to leave it as it was. Marie persuaded him that he had to sing it as it needed more “attitude” then technical prowess.”
Starrox said on September 11, 2004 12:53:
“Whacha gonna tell your mother/brother/father?” = What are you going to tell...
“Lemme go” = Let me go
skuhm said on September 13, 2004 19:10:
Hello everyone, new roxette fan here :) I just wanted to say I love this topic, nferdan and Roxfan and the others, your suggestion are great. If I come up with another lyric I don’t get (there are plenty of them but can’t remember right now) I will write here.
Mary said on September 14, 2004 01:52:
Skuhm, welcome to TDR! Hope you’ll have a good time here!
Lawyer, hopefully I didn’t break any “rules” by having visited your website also already a week ago; it’s awesome and really the largest website I’ve seen! I haven’t read everything yet but liked what I’ve done so far. NCurran’s poems are excellent! I myself write as well but mine are too simple; LOL!
NCurran, where have you been? I wrote you some days ago but haven’t heard from you yet.
ncurran said on September 14, 2004 05:02:
dont have much time, i have to get ready for work.... yes lawyer i did see your site....i was very impressed with what u did with my poems. TY very much....i’ll write more later, i’ll also have a look at Dressed for success, but i dont have time right now.
And mary, i already replied to you a few days ago....i’ll send the mail again in case u didnt get it.
Mary said on September 14, 2004 09:34:
Oh, I didn’t get your message. Well, it seems there are problems between my Seznam address and certain mail servers. You can write me to my other address or contact me on MSN (details in my profile).
Starrox said on September 14, 2004 14:19:
@lawyer: Oh, I see - you should have written this the first time ;-)
ncurran said on September 14, 2004 14:26:
Lawyer, my opinion on Dressed for success is that its about a young girl/woman (or could be a man of course) trying to find her way in the world.
She probably left home relatively recently and is trying to make a life for herself. She doesnt quite know where her life is going, shes saying she quit her job and its “another time where I get close to the bone”. Close to the bone is an expression that basically means pushing the boundaries of how someone can act behave/act say things. Seems like this girl is pushing her luck in life.
Whatcha gonna tell your brother/father etc, is basically talking about how she is going to tell them about her latest failure, to them it must look like she is not getting anywhere.
She’s obviously met someone who shes either involved with or becoming involved with aswell, and maybe she thinks her family will not approve.
getting “dressed for success” might have a double meaning aswell, it seems like the girl has great ambition, not only in love but maybe she also wants to hit the “big time” i.e, be famous. I am still not sure if the success the song is talking about is success only in love, or also the meaning of being a big star, but i have the feeling it might mean both. Of course it depends on your own interpretation.
Mitya said on September 15, 2004 13:24:
in the beginning of the topic “Breathe” was discussed and the mistake in ” it swept away”, and i just thought maybe it‘s not “it swept away” there, but “it‘s swept away” pronounced the same due to assimilation s~s( like it‘s=it was)
tinytim said on September 15, 2004 16:30:
I couldn’t read all of the pages because of time lacking, so I’ll reply what lawyer asked in the first page...
1. Hallelujah is the same than Praise to Jah, where Jah is the abreviation of Jehovah, the name of God.
2. Frank Sinatra is Sinatra. And Sinatra, well...he’s Sinatra. Just didn’t understand what the hell that lyric meant.
3. never got a clue of that line either.
4. nuff said.
Roxer93 said on September 16, 2004 04:32:
mmmyes tinytim, perhaps you do need to read a bit more! Those Qs have already been answered. ;)
Hey great idea, Lawyer! Will the Roxette Dictionary be available for purchase through Coolbluez? Maybe you could make an e-book.
ncurran said on September 16, 2004 15:54:
Aaaah...these explanations are getting harder every time....paint is a hard one. I’m not sure, but i can try and make my interpretation from it.
The song is basically about someone who is deeply in love, but is in love so deep that it scares him...kind of out of his depth.
“I’ve got to tighten my wire from the sense to the soul.I find my back to the wall when it’s time to go. WHat is this tighten my wire?”
I think these lines are talking about the fact that he is quite confused because everything is up in the air, his heart is racing, thoughts are running through his head. He wants to get things clear in his mind...link up his feelings and emotions with his common sense and mind.....thes sense being the feelings and the soul being him, his mind his heart and identity. So he wants to somehow make sense of the love he is feeling and fit it into his life.
“I’m getting lost in the riddles of the modern man. I’ve got it up down all around tied to the bone. “
What exactly is this bone all about?
Lost in the riddles of the modern man is basically about the confusion in his life....being a guy in love...how does he deal with all this. Up down, all around highlights the confusion again, his mind is all over the place. “Tied to the bone” I am not sure about. I think it could be that all this confusion is getting him down...tied to him...your bones are inside your body, hard, if you imagine something attached to them, then it is there for good...so he could mean that this confusion is with him all the time, and he doesnt see an escape.
Hope this has made sense......
Roxer93 said on September 18, 2004 03:33:
Life is going good, lawyer!
I said “purchase” ’cos most really good stuff available on the net, one usually has to pay for! I’m glad we won’t have to pay to see the Dictionary on your site!
Roxer93 said on September 20, 2004 09:40:
Woohoooo!!! 200th reply!!!
Wasif- I’m on my lunch break right now! I’ll watch your video as soon as I can. Looking forward to it!!
I haven’t been online as much as usual lately. Will be on lots in the next few days, catching up (provided I don’t get called in to work, that is)!
skuhm said on September 20, 2004 21:56:
Hi people! I know Per’s said The Look’s lyrics were just guide lyrics and that they seem rather meaningless, but I do think they do have some meaning. In my opinion they’re trying to describe a girl which definetly has something special about her: the attitude, her strenght, her will. Here’s my attempt at interpreting the lyrics:
1-2-3-4 walking like a man
Hitting like a hammer
She’s a juvenile scam
Never was a quitter
Tasty like a raindrop
She’s got the look
Well, it’s obvious: she walks like a man, that is, she’s a very tough girl, and she’s not a saint. She never leaves thing unachieved and she’s got personality.
Heavenly bound
Cause heaven’s got a number
When she’s spinning me around
Kissing is a colour
Her loving is a wild dog
she’s got the look
Wow, now this does look meaningless. Heaven’s got a number, maybe that means she’s like a goddess, perfect but human and touchable: she’s a got a (phone) number. The last three verses: she has a wild way to love and is definetly a hot kisser =)
She’s got the look (She’s got the look) She’s got the look (She’s got the look)
What in the world can make a brown-eyed girl turn blue
When everything I’ll ever do I’ll do for you
And I go la la la la la she’s got the look
The guy’s obviously mad about this incredible girl and wonders what can he do to make her notice him.
Fire in the ice
Naked to the t-bone
Is a lover’s disguise
Banging on the head drum
Shaking like a mad bull
She’s got the look
Here I need help from a native speaker. Ncurran, are you around? Fire in the ice and shaking like a mad bull can be two more metaphors describing her wild attitude and temper.
Swaying to the band
Moving like a hammer
She’s a miracle man
Loving is the ocean
Kissing is the wet sand
She’s got the look
A girl like this one is a great dancer (she sways to the band), again as has been said before has a very tough attitude and gets everything she wants (a miracle man). Then, Per compares love with the ocean (both can be powerful and huge), which makes sand wet when it touches it, the way lips get wet when we kiss.
That’s my version, what do you think of it? Some parts are really open to interpretation... By the way, the title, The Look could both refer to her appearance, as in: she looks great; or thw ways she looks with hewr eyes, as in: if you watch her eyes, you inmediatly see this girl’s special.
Skye said on September 20, 2004 22:29:
This has been a very educational discussion......things i’ve not thought about.
It IS fun finding meaning in the lyrics.
They don’t have to be perfect for me though.....after all music is the universal language.....oui? lol.
It’s fun to see how different people can interpret the same lyrics in different ways.
In the song Dressed for Success...the answer Marie gives for one of the questions about “Whatcha gonna tell your Mother” ( or brother, i can’t remember which ).
And she answers..........” oh..oh.....oh..oh........OH “
i’ve tried giving that response to a few questions before......and ummm..............didn’t come off to well.....lol.
:-)
mdekort said on September 21, 2004 10:47:
’heaven’s got a number’ could also be that the narrator/guy is on ’cloud number nine’. In Holland we say ’I’m in heaven number 7’ or ’I’m in 7th heaven’ and that’s what they also say in Sweden.
So, the guy is on cloud number 9 (when she’s spinning him around) > he’s very much in love and/or happy.
Cu,
MC (being logged in on Mdekort’s PC)
Roxer93 said on September 22, 2004 09:19:
lawyer: I believe “Look Sharp” means to be dressed smartly, well dressed, dressed for success hehe. I’m gonna watch your video RIGHT NOW......
AURYTE said on September 22, 2004 12:18:
Could someone tell me what MARIE says in the end of A THING ABOUT YOU? (when the song is fading - out.) I hear HER singing “And after mid hour what to do”, but I’m not sure about it...
tavo said on September 22, 2004 12:54:
@auryte: she says “and i don´t really know what to do”, that is, she repeats part of the chorus.
ncurran said on September 22, 2004 15:31:
Lawyer, I think Cry is a story of unrequited love...ie the character is in love with someone, but they have not returned those feelings are not being returned. To just describe the lines you quoted might not explain it fully, so i’ll do the whole song...i’ll try to keep it short.
Verse one:
“Living here without you is not an easy way of life.
I spend my time without you,
I try to make it all worthwhile.
Standing in a rainfull coming down from the sky.”
This is describing how hard life is for the character living without the other person. He/she is trying to be happy, but it seems impossible without the other person. Standing in the rain, basically signifies the sadness, as rain does so often in lyrics and poetry.
Chorus:
“Why should I cry over you?
Why should I cry cry cry over you?”
She realises she should not be letting her life revolve around the hopes the feelings being returned....asking the question why should she cry for him, when he obviously doesnt cry for her as he doesnt have the same feelings.....its easier said than done though.
Verse 2:
“I keep on thinking about you.
I’ve got no private pride to hide.
I’ve built my world around you
like a call without reply.
My love has lost direction,
she’s got the sun in her eyes.”
She cant stop thinking about him, but is starting to realise that it is pointless to revolve her life around this unrequited love. She is never going to be satisfied by him.
The lines you were asking about ’i’ve built my world around you’ means that all her plans, hopes and wishes for the future revolved around him, so if she cant have his love then all these plans fall apart. ’like a call without reply’ is describing the love she is giving as a call to him, but there is no reply (he isnt giving love back).
’My love has lost direction’, means she realises that the plans she had with him probably dont have a future. ’She’s got the sun in her eyes’...If you can imagine if the sun is bright it distorts your vision, so you cant see clearly....in the same way, the love and feelings she had had blinded her from reality.
Bridge:
“Hearing your footsteps,
loud on my stairs
a walking...
living without you.
Feeling the sweet sweet smell of love in the air.
I can feel it
living without you.
Kissing the face that I see everywhere
but I’m living without you,
living without.”
These are just dreams again, hearing your footsteps on my stairs...imagining that he is coming to visit her. Or maybe when she hears someone outside her door, she always thinks it might be him when it never is.
Kissing the face that i see everywhere....again she always has him in her mind, and she is imagining being with him and being close to him.
Overall in the song, she is still dreaming of being with him, but beginning to realise that it isnt going to happen and she needs to get over him.
ncurran said on September 22, 2004 15:38:
Now for shadow of a doubt, i’ll just give my explanations for the first verse which you asked about. if u need the whole song, let me know.
“I heard your heart,
you held it close to me.
The wild embrace,
the silent sea,
a whisper of imagery for Lovers Supreme.”
This song is about a break up, but this verse is about the relationship before it broke up.
Lovers supreme....supreme being the best...so they obviously had a great relationship.
“I heard your heart, you held it close to me”..if you can imagine lying next to someone, holding them, and you hear their heart beat, that is what this line is talking about...in the past tense of course.
“The wild embrace, the silent sea, a whisper of imagery for lovers supreme”
an embrace is some kind of physical contact...a wild embrace suggests there was alot of passion involved....wild in contrast to the silent sea, this could mean that it is a memory of embracing by the sea, or it could be just the imaginary “picture postcard” of love, embracing someone wildly by the silent sea.
A whisper of imagery for lovers supreme, means thinking about the way they were together in his mind...they were perfect, and there are many great memories of times they had together.
I hope I explained this well, it was pretty hard to explain.
Lawyer I also had a look at the video, it looks great.
Anyway thats all for now....
RobS said on September 23, 2004 08:36:
theres some great interpretations of Per’s lyrics, keep’em comin’.
One thing that i’ve wondered is in ’Cry’, the lyric “My love has lost direction, she’s got the sun in her eyes.”
The whole song is sang in the first person except that one phrase, why do you think that is?? or is the “she” referring to her “love” that’s lost direction?? (does that make sense?)
AURYTE said on September 23, 2004 12:39:
@RobS. It’s interesting what you have noticed. “She” can mean love. If we put together ncurran’s interpretation of sun and yours of love, it really makes sense, in my opinion.
Roxer93 said on September 23, 2004 12:52:
Sorry lawyer, yes it does mean that too. It can mean both things, actually.
ncurran said on September 23, 2004 14:03:
rob, yes i think the “she” is refering to the love...i think using the 3rd person narrative puts emphasis on the love by giving it its own persona...it being so strong that is has a charatcter of its own that cant be controlled.
and lawyer, i cant explain about the people on the LS sleeve. Unfortunately my CD is back in scotland and i am in korea just now, so i only have the album on my ipod, maybe someone who has the album with them can look at it.
RobS said on September 27, 2004 08:58:
@lawyer: the pics of the man and woman on POP and LS, i always figured they’re just random pics that they thought fit the albums style, but i could be wrong.
And the “she” is the love she had for her partner, i think ncurran explained this the best in the post above.
AURYTE said on September 29, 2004 12:52:
I want just to repeat Oldaq75 question “how is GYLLENE TIDER pronounced?”
Roxer93 said on September 29, 2004 14:06:
Hey lawyer! I think wonderful balloon is another one that Per just made up, but I could be wrong.
Sisters o’ soul, I think ncurran would be the one to explain that.
I’m hoping you got a good result! Fingers crossed!
ncurran said on October 5, 2004 18:09:
lawyer...i’ll get round to it soon...its a bit late tonight to be doing it..3am, i normally need time to think about these things before i write any thoughts, and i’m too tired right now.
m-cvk said on October 6, 2004 20:51:
It’s hard to explain how it is pronounced as in many countries the sound of for instance an ’y’ is different. In some GT songs the name is being pronounced. As I’m right this is in ’Skicka ett vykort, älsking’ (’Please Mister Postman, kom med kort, ge mej Gyllene Tider’) and in the song ’Gyllene tider för Rock ’n’ Roll’.
Mary said on October 7, 2004 09:45:
Well, I’m never so much sure about phonetical transcription but I’ll try anyway to put it in the English way:
Yillenneh teeder
Well, at least my screenreading program reads it quite corectly.
roxmyworld said on October 7, 2004 14:45:
And,ehm.........I don´t want you to think I am an idiot,but,What does ´´mantra´´ mean?..........Maybe it could sound silly but I really don´t know.
eee7 said on October 8, 2004 11:16:
A mantra is closest in meaning to a “spell” in magick. Well, at least those who utter it expect the mantra to have some meaning :) (no offense meant to any religion)
eee7 said on October 8, 2004 11:40:
7Twenty7 [moved over from the new thread I created in the Roxette forum]:
What’s the reason for this song to be born as it was? I’ll be grateful for any background info on this.
Perhaps it’s based on a real incident? The truth is often more interesting than the imaginery, and I find it hard to believe that Per or Marie just had an idea one day to drag a Boeing 727 and make a song around it.
Mitya said on November 5, 2004 13:44:
can somebody help me please - I don‘t quite get what Per sings in the beginning of “Sheena is a punkrocker”(before the chorus), does anyone know what words are there?
Starrox said on November 6, 2004 15:25:
“Sheena ia a punk rocker”, of course, why else would he haven written “I don‘t quite get what Per sings in the beginning of “Sheena is a punkrocker”“? ;-) It’s one of the songs by the Ramones Per covered in 2002...
Anyway, here are the lyrics - HTH!
Well the kids are all hopped up and ready to go
They’re ready to go now
They’ve got their surfboards
And they’re going to the discotheque a go go
But she just couldn’t stay
She had to break away
Well New York City really has it all
Oh yeah, oh yeah
Mary said on November 7, 2004 11:30:
The B-side of Per’s single “I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend” that came out in 2002 and was also on a Ramones tribute compilation “The Song Ramones The Same”. I’m quite surprised you haven’t heard of it cos it’s been already some time ago and it was sure mentioned here and on the lists.
Mitya said on November 9, 2004 15:37:
Thank you, Starrox, now I see, the words are so simple and I couldn‘t understand when listening, shame on me. But I didn‘t know myself it‘s a song by The Ramones. When one of the fans I knew gave me a CD with it, she told me it‘s a song Per recorded WITH The Ramones and i wondered why he should play with them, anyway the song is beautiful and I love it.
Mitya said on November 10, 2004 14:54:
Heart that‘s made of stone - it‘s not literally of course but just a person with a rude heart, in the meaning one who maybe doesn‘t fall in love and can easily break your heart.
you‘ve got to face the floor - frankly speaking, this doesn‘t make much sense for me either, perhaps, it means smth like- you have to look where you‘re going.
Mitya said on November 19, 2004 13:34:
Hey, Roxer93 and Lawyer, have you found that song “Sheena”? If not, I could try to send it to you, if you want; though I‘ve never sent music by e-mails, I don‘t know how to do it, I understand very little in computers.
Roxer93 said on November 19, 2004 23:45:
Hey, Mitya! Yes. Please send it to me. I would be most grateful. It’s pretty easy to do. If I can do it, anyone can! [email protected]
Mitya said on November 22, 2004 14:50:
ok, i‘ll try
lawyer, what do you mean “I can make a new video for that”, do you mean you will shoot it yourself? If you mean Marie‘s new album, i don‘t yet have it, it‘s released today in this country, so I will maybe bye it.
RobS said on November 24, 2004 10:39:
“I ran a long long way from home to find a heart that’s made of stone.”
To me it sounds like she’s leaving a relationship, and trying to get over it, learning to cope with the heartbreak.
With knocking on every door, here’s my take on the phrase “Hey now honey, you got to face the floor, your headed for the heart but you couldn’t find the door, could you?”
“you got to face the floor” - she won’t tell her boyfriend straight up what’s going on.
“headed for the heart” - the new lover
“couldn’t find the door” - i’m a bit fuzzy on this one, but i’m guessing that she can’t find a way out of the current relationship, or otherwise she is literally looking at the floor on the way out of the house so she can’t see her boyfriend judging her as she leaves?!
Can anyone clear that up??
Starrox said on November 24, 2004 11:09:
Here’s my take, probably doesn’t even make sense, but anyway...
He (=”you” in the song) has to face the facts - he wanted her to fall in love with him (-> he wanted “into her heart”), but he didn’t succeed (-> he didn’t find the way into it)
Kazza said on November 25, 2004 00:09:
“I ran a long long way from home to find a heart that’s made of stone.”
I think this one means she spent a long time looking for love, but all she ended up with was a broken heart.
“I fall asleep to the sound of “Tears of a clown”, a prayer gone blind.”
I think “tears of a clown” means someone who was once extremely happy is now extremely sad.
It could also be a reference to the Smokey Robinson song “Tears Of A Clown”.
“A prayer gone blind” perhaps a prayer unanswered.
“Down to the bone” She feels the love right through her entire body, it is so intense.
“You’ve got me running back again”. She wants desperately to be back in his arms again.
Zerot said on December 19, 2004 18:29:
Don´t know if this has been consulted before, but in Secret that she keeps the lyrics say “..the tears on the pillow she don’t want me to see..”. Shouldn´t it be “doesn´t” instead of “don´t”?
RobS said on December 20, 2004 08:06:
sounds like one of Per’s trademark lyrics where he plays around with the english language just to fit his songs! Then of course the song is back from 86, so maybe his english wasn’t as good back then.
RuRoxLove said on December 20, 2004 09:33:
I think “the prayer gone blind” because of the many tears lost;-
Kazza said on December 21, 2004 03:05:
“Trains roll on by means exactly that- they’re passing by (the wheels are rolling).
Making love with/to is the same thing. When you’re making love WITH someone, you’re also making love TO them. I think that was just a space-filler.
“It’s not the money he spends when you want to buy a daydream” Maybe this is just a nonsensical line about wasting money on whatever she feels like buying.
Ncurran will probably be able to read more into this one.
Mitya said on December 23, 2004 15:50:
Hallo! Anybody here listens to “Konstpaus “? Help me with some lines:
“du kan komma/nar havsisen fryser” (in OhYEAOhYea[OhOh])
What‘s this “havsisen”? (maybe I looked up in an old dictionary, but there was no such a word there at all).
Mitya said on December 24, 2004 14:42:
I understood now; Anti-Mario, thanx!
one more in “Harplinge”, ok? - “dar heagarden star”: gard-en is yard or house, but what‘s this “hea”, so I can‘t translate “heagarden”
@Anti-Mario: do you have ready translations?
RobS said on August 1, 2006 11:41:
I don’t like bringing threads back from the dead, but this one was quite interesting, and i was wondering about a song.
I’ve been listening the Joyride album abit lately and Physical Fascination(great song) but i can’t quite figure out what Per is getting at with the lyrics.
So, what’s your take on Physical Fascination??
pwbbounce (moderator) said on August 1, 2006 12:54:
That’s anyones’s guess. Actually not one of my fave’s really.
It’s obvious that in the chorus it all comes down to the Physical Fascination when you fall for someone. “All succumb to the physical fascination”.
But I’m not sure about the verse
Sascha said on August 1, 2006 13:16:
This is indeed a cool thread! And we’ll have some fresh lyrics to talk about soon...
Kathrin said on August 1, 2006 19:36:
Lawyer you’re kidding me!
Even I know Sinatra even though I’m only 17 Years old!
fridapeeples said on August 2, 2006 02:14:
I’ve never spent to much time thinking about the deeper meaning of Per’s lyrics- but I am enjoying reading other peoples.
One thing that cracks me up though is the amount of debate over little grammatical errors in the first couple of pages of posts. I mean...we’re talking about a band that for their first 8 years or so printed “ROXETTE ARE PER GESSLE & MARIE FREDRIKSSON” on every single release!
Sascha said on August 2, 2006 06:32:
I’m not sure about english, but in german that would be totally correct:
1. Roxette ARE Marie Fredriksson and Per Gessle = focus on the persons.
2. Roxette IS Marie Fredriksson and Per Gessle = focus on Roxette.
tavo said on August 3, 2006 14:44:
sasha, you´re right. i don´t know about german, but i´m majoring in english and “roxette are” is just as grammatically correct as “roxette is” depending on the emphasis, of course (the band as a whole, or each member in particular).
onlywhenidream said on July 11, 2004 18:53:
okay - first of all - number 1: Hallaluhja (wrong spelling - nevermind) is a word of praise - literally. If you do something and it has taken a long time to do or really hard you say ’ say hallaluhja - it’s finished.
number 2: Sinatra ???!!! Theis is a reference to the brilliant Frank Sinatra - AKA Old Blue Eyes.
number 3: I have wondered this too for a while. I think it could be ’touchez l’amour’ - touching love....
number 4 - when push comes to love...literally this is when a push (i.e. you push someone) comes to a shove (a more forceful push). But in this case it means that when you really have to make a decision...
hope this helps a bit. It is a sunday evening and I only got back from clubbing at 5.30 this morning so am not quite compus-mentas so pease forgive me - and anyone else please improve on my impoverished efforts!
Mat