The Cardigans

Released: August 12, 1996

Songwriter: Peter Svensson Nina Persson

Producer: Tore Johansson

[Verse 1]
No, not again
Oh, what a man
Just who I thought that I wanted to have
Oh, don't do that
Don't use that bat
That's all it takes to make me falling flat

[Pre-Chorus 1]
No, not again
A loser I am

[Chorus]
I love you tonight
You are my knight
Cure and assure and make me feel alright
Tomorrow you'll find
I'm not around
But don't be uptight 'cause I loved you last night

[Verse 2]
Vacant and free
Yeah, that is me
Just tell me how and I'll please you for free
Tell me I'm good
I know I'm bad
Lies make me feel fine although it is sad

[Pre-Chorus 2]
No, not again
Not one more man

[Chorus]
I love you tonight
You are my knight
Cure and assure and make me feel alright
Tomorrow you'll find
I'm not around
But don't be uptight 'cause I loved you last night
Right

One of the most pleasing pop groups of the ‘90s, the Cardigans specialized in sugary confections that would grow annoying very quickly if they weren’t backed by solid musicianship and clever arrangements. The band’s 1995 breakout album, Life, reflected the Cardigans at their most saccharine – the sunny disposition of vocalist Nina Persson being the major argument in favor – and critics inserted the group into the space age pop revivalist camp. the Cardigans later proved that they were more difficult to pigeonhole, however.

Even the band’s origins showed that their later appearance was quite misleading; two heavy metal fanatics formed the group in October 1992 in Jonkoping, Sweden. Guitarist Peter Svensson met bassist Magnus Sveningsson in a hardcore group, though he had previously trained in music theory and jazz arranging. The two later grew tired of metal and decided to form a pop band with vocalist Nina Persson – an art-school friend who had never sung professionally – plus keyboard player Lars-Olof Johansson and drummer Bengt Lagerberg.

All five Cardigans moved into a small apartment in 1993 and began recording a demo tape that entered the hands of producer Tore Johansson later that year. He liked what he heard and invited the group to record at his Malmö studio. Signed to the dance-oriented Stockholm label, the Cardigans released Emmerdale in May 1994. The single “Rise & Shine” became a hit on Swedish radio soon after the release of the LP, and a readers poll in Sweden’s Slitz magazine voted Emmerdale the best album of 1994.

more tracks from the album

First Band on the Moon

From the album

First Band on the Moon (1996)

The Cardigans popular songs

HeartbreakerThe Cardigans

The Cardigans

First Band on the Moon