Lund

Lund is an indie pop song by Hello Saferide. It was composed by Annika Norlin and released as track 4 on the album More Modern Short Stories From Hello Saferide on 2008-09-27.

On the recording, Norlin plays guitar and sings lead vocals, Andreas Mattsson plays piano and guitar, Tomas Hallonsten plays Hammond organ, Cecilia Linné plays cello, Fredrik Hultgren plays drums, and Jens Lagergren plays bass.

Personal

After hearing Hello Saferide in an indie playlist in 2013, I sought out more of the band and came across this song, which I instantly liked, and, after absorbing the lyrics, quickly became my favorite by the band, and one of my favorite songs ever.

The thing I love most about this song is just how uncensored of a view it gives to this encounter. Assuming it's autobiographical, Annika is openly talking about her formative years, not just about one of her first crushes, but her decision to have sex for the first time, and how it didn't work out due to the callousness of the boy she was attracted to. The story is sad, not just because the boys are indifferent to her admiration, but also because, years later, she still wants them to like her, but still assumes they won't. It's almost masochistic because she still views them as warmth in the cold, but there is still a little defiance from her sarcastic response, "shocking!" and the fact that she has become a popular musician despite their insults.

As far as the music is concerned, the solo piano is a fantastic opener, and it's fitting how the band picks up as Annika begins describing how amazing the boys are. The addition of the organ is really wonderful and makes the music more robust. I like how it ends with the same sad solo piano.

Lyrics

Two brothers from the south of Sweden came to stay with me.
One of them would have gotten my virginity.
But he didn't know that back then, did he?!
He didn't know that back then.

He went a bit rough on my poetry.
Said, "There's no chance in hell this will ever grow to be anything."
He said, "I mostly like Dylan myself."
I said, "Shocking!"
Well, he said something I didn't understand,
'cause he came from the south of Sweden;
he spoke just like a Dane.

You should have seen these brothers!
Freckles all over their pale bodies.
And when they spoke,
they made you feel like summer just broke through,
though it was fall
They made it obvious I was too young;
not interesting at all.

I always wanted to go to their hometown and knock on their door,
and say something interesting or revolting that they'd never heard before,
to make them change their minds after all this time:
Look! There was some cool in me, you know!
They probably still won't think so.

And I'm in Lund again, and nothing's fixed that ever was broken.
And I'm in Lund again, and I still don't get things right.
And I'm in Lund again, and maybe they have grown up,
maybe they are here.
Because there's a glow of spring in the hall tonight.
There's a glow of spring in the hall tonight.
There's a glow of spring in the hall tonight.
There's a glow of spring in the hall tonight.

Videos

Album version.

Live at Storsjöyran in Östersund, 2009-08-01.

Same venue, worse video, better audio.

Links