Immaginate di partire per la Svezia, ospiti di un ragazzo di 23 anni di nome Jens Lekman. Immaginate che questo ragazzo nella sua camera della prima casa da solo nel centro di Göteborg cominci a raccontarvi disteso sul letto, occhi fissi al soffitto, musica in sottofondo (Morrissey, Nick Drake, Jeff Buckley, Beck) la propria adolescenza, le proprie piccole storie d'amore, le manifestazioni. Immaginate che vi apra il proprio cuore, che vi confidi il proprio passato, le proprie esperienze, così dolorose quando sono state vissute, ora soltanto da ripercorrere col sorriso sulle labbra, indizi di un'adolescenza appena finita di cui si comincia a comprendere il valore, solo ora che ci è scivolata tra le mani.
Ecco, le canzoni di Jens Lekman sono questi racconti, malinconici e sorridenti, spontanei e sinceri: vi racconterà le proprie avventure con Julia, con Silvia, l'amicizia con Lisa, gli scontri a Göteborg tra new global e polizia...
L'album colpisce fin dal primo ascolto: colpisce la voce di Jens, il suo talento, la disarmante spontaneità, gli arrangiamenti e le melodie: tutto è perfettamente curato, archi, fiati, cori concorrono a creare un'armonia equilibrata e come lontana nel tempo, rendendo i pezzi ancora più profondi, frammenti di vita vissuta che arrivano al cuore.
Le canzoni di Jens sono melanconiche ballate d'autore, canzoni d'amore tra indie pop e folk che, riprendendo la linea tracciata da Kings Of Convenience, Sondre Lerche e dagli altri cantautori nordici, stupiscono per la loro immediatezza, per la grazia, l'abilità di un giovane e bravissimo compositore, per il fascino e l'attenzione che il racconto di un amico meritano: Jens vi parla da amico, ascoltatelo. Rimarrete affascinati da questo talento.
Elenco tracce e testi
02 Happy Birthday, Dear Friend Lisa (03:31)
Oh happy birthday, happy birthday.
Little Lisa, today is your day.
Sing hallelujah, you know they blew ya'.
There are too many, candles in your cake.
But don't you worry, there's no hurry.
The Jehovas are standing by your door.
And they're offering, eternal suffering.
Eternal life, but you say no.
Turn on the radio, clean the windows.
Do it in slow-mo, as the day unfolds.
Oh how the sun shines inside you, just like I do.
These days are gold.
The nights are silver, they make you shiver.
Tomorrow the Jehovas will come by.
And they will ask you of and excuse.
Not to accept eternal life.
But I love you, yes I love you.
But I would never kiss your lips.
'Cause there's a friendship, a lovely kinship.
Here's a tulip to match your eyes.
Oh drinking cheap wine to bosanova.
You're a supernova in the sky.
The Jehovas, in their pull-overs.
Are no Casanovas, like you and I.
Oh happy birthday, happy birthday.
Happy birthday to you.
Oh happy birthday, happy birthday.
Happy birthday to you.
Happy birthday to you.
Oh happy birthday, little Lisa.
Happy birthday to you.
03 Do You Remember the Riots? (02:30)
Do you remember the riots in Gothenburg
In the summer of 2001?
Boy, we sure had fun!
I held your hand so proud
It was shaking from what I learned was doubt
The warm summer sun
And I saw my face on a screen
They filmed us from a helicopter
The most frightened face I've seen
Red in the face like a lobster
Do you remember the riots in Gothenburg
In the summer of 2001?
Boy, we sure had fun!
Down the avenue
Black, black crew are throwing rocks
At the cop stand then everything stop
They started a bonfire
A couple of days prior
I wanted to do that too
Burn down the avenue
And I saw my face on a screen
They filmed us from a helicopter
The most frightened face I've seen
Red in the face like a lobster
Your hand slipped out of mine
I couldn't see no love in your eyes
I knew what I had to do
Burn the avenue
I'm not a political fighter
And I don't even have a cigarette lighter
But I wanna see that fire
I just wanna see that fire
I just wanted to see that fire
Burn down the avenue
Do you remember the riots in Gothenburg
In the summer of two thousand and one?
Boy, we sure had fun!
04 You Are the Light (By Which I Travel Into This and That) (03:23)
Yeah I got busted
So I used my one phone call
To dedicate
A song to you on the radio
Yeah I got busted
In custody
I imagined our melody
Being played on a grand piano
I saw your face in front of me
It was perfect clarity
I saw a light in the end of the tunnel
And it was you
Chorus:
'Cause you are the light by which I travel into this and that
You are the light
You are the light by which I travel into this and that
Yeah I got busted
I painted a dirty word on your old mans Mercedes-Benz
'Cause he told me to do it
Yeah I got busted
But soon they released me 'cause the cops were sad
And they didn't know how to prove it
Ooh
I saw your face in front of me
It was perfect clarity
I saw a light in the end of the tunnel
And it was you
Chorus:
'Cause you are the light by which I travel into this and that
You are the light
You are the light by which I travel into this and that
It sounds so obvious, so obvious
Why would anyone need a map or a compass?
It's so beautiful
To be guided by you
'Cause you are the light
Chorus:
You are the light by which I travel into this and that
You are the light
You are the light by which I travel into this and that
You are the light light light light
You are the light
05 If You Ever Need a Stranger (To Sing at Your Wedding) (03:18)
If you ever need a stranger
to sing at your wedding
a last minute choice then I am your man
I know every song, you name it
by Bacharach or David
every stupid lovesong that's ever touched your heart
every power ballad that's ever climbed the charts
You think it's funny
my obsession with the holy matrimony
but I'm just so amazed to witness true love
And true love can be measured
through these simple pleasures
they are waiting there for you to be discovered
I would cut off my right arm to be someone's lover
Maybe I'll meet her there tonight at the wedding buffet
I walk up to her when she's caught the bouquet
And oh, it's just like a whirlwind
07 The Cold Swedish Winter (03:49)
I met her in a snowstorm I was outdoor plowing
She just walked up to me and said Hey boy how's it going?
I admire her straightforwardness and brushed away my French
As a signal of well being and excepting her challenge
We went home to her place and cooked up some chili
Wormed us from the inside 'cause the outside was chilling
We had to be quiet to not wake up her family
But I made a highpitchsound when her cold fingers touched me
She said
Schh, please be quiet
I know you don't want to but please deny it
She said
Schh, please be quiet
I know you don't want to but please deny it
When people think of Sweden I think they have the wrong idea
Like Cliff Richards who though it was just poring gonorrhea
And Lou Reed said in film blue in the face
That compare to New York City Sweden was a scary place
They seem to have a point after meeting with this girl
Maybe not Cliff Richards but Lou had surely met her
The doubt in her eyes when I said I wanted to kiss her
For the sake of liking her not because of the blizzard
She said
Schh, please be quiet
I know you don't want to but please deny it
She said
Schh, please be quiet
I know you don't want to but please deny it
'Cause the cold Swedish winter is right outside
And I just want somebody to hold me through the night
The cold Swedish winter is right outside
And I just want somebody to hold me through the night
In 2000 years this place will be covered by ice
And the people who dig us up will be in for a big surprise
When they're carefully studying our calcium Nordic bones
They will find them closed, our hearts of stone
Singing that
The cold Swedish winter is right outside
And I just want somebody to hold me through the night
The cold Swedish winter is right outside
And I just want somebody to hold me through the night
10 When I Said I Wanted to Be Your Dog (04:38)
Everyday make a fine loaf of bread
And after work just before sunset
You hang down to the city park
There you're alone with the burbs in the dark
And I've seen other people do that too
But they're older than your twenty-two
They lost hope and soon they'll be gone
They'll just vanish with the setting sun
But I know, yes I know,
They're flying within you again,
But I won't let them get you
'Cause you're my only friend
You're my only friend
When I said I wanted to be your dog
I wasn't coming on to you
I just wanted to lick your face
Lick those raindrops from the rainy days
You can take me for a walk in the park
I'll be chasing every single lark
I'll be burying all the skeleton bones
Peeing on every cold black stone
But I know, yes I know,
They're flying within you again,
But I won't let them eat you
'Cause you're my only friend
My friend
My only friend
You're my friend
Carico i commenti... con calma
