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That moment at 7 years, a starting point... a point where he became more conscious of realities and expectations in life.
Once I was seven years old, my mama told me,
"Go make yourself some friends or you'll be lonely"
Once I was seven years old
It was a big big world, but we thought we were bigger
Pushing each other to the limits, we were learning quicker
By eleven smoking herb and drinking burning liquor
Never rich so we were out to make that steady figure
Once I was eleven years old, my daddy told me,
"Go get yourself a wife or you'll be lonely"
Once I was eleven years old
I always had that dream, like my daddy before me
So I started writing songs, I started writing stories
Something about that glory just always seemed to bore me
'Cause only those I really love will ever really know me
Once I was twenty years old, my story got told
Before the morning sun, when life was lonely
Once I was twenty years old
(Lukas Graham!)
I only see my goals, I don't believe in failure
'Cause I know the smallest voices, they can make it major
I got my boys with me, at least those in favor
And if we don't meet before I leave, I hope I'll see you later
Once I was twenty years old, my story got told
I was writing about everything I saw before me
Once I was twenty years old
Soon we'll be thirty years old, our songs have been sold
We've traveled around the world and we're still roaming
Soon we'll be thirty years old
I'm still learning about life
My woman brought children for me
So I can sing them all my songs
And I can tell them stories
Most of my boys are with me
Some are still out seeking glory
And some I had to leave behind
My brother, I'm still sorry
Soon I'll be sixty years old, my daddy got sixty-one
Remember life, and then your life becomes a better one
I made a man so happy when I wrote a letter once
I hope my children come and visit once or twice a month
Soon I'll be sixty years old, will I think the world is cold
Or will I have a lot of children who can warm me?
Soon I'll be sixty years old
Soon I'll be sixty years old, will I think the world is cold
Or will I have a lot of children who can warm me?
Soon I'll be sixty years old
Once I was seven years old, my mama told me,
"Go make yourself some friends or you'll be lonely"
Once I was seven years old
Once I was seven years old.
MAKE YOURSELF SOME FRIENDS= To make friends, to get to know people. The singer introduces the song’s two lyrical themes, loneliness and family. Throughout the song, Lukas pushes against loneliness by attempting to remember and heed his parents' advice.
LONELY= /'ləʊnlɪ/ Dejected by the awareness of being alone.
WE THOUGHT WE WERE BIGGER= By being young, they were bold and brave thinking they were bigger than everyone else so they were pushing each other to do different crazy things to become bigger and, by doing that, they were learning life lessons quicker than other people.
PUSHING= To exert pressure or force; in this case, they push each other to the limits.
BY ELEVEN= Around eleven; not later than eleven.
SMOKING HERB= Smoking herbs refers to the use of cannabis. Lukas grew up in Freetown Christiania, a tiny self-proclaimed “autonomous community” within Denmark’s capital city, Copenhagen. Established in 1971, the area has become a hub for the illegal cannabis trade, giving the area a reputation as a heaven for both peace loving hippies and hardened criminals.
BURNING LIQUOR= Hard liquor that 'burns' when you drink it.
DADDY= /'dædɪ/ (Informal) Father. Continuing the theme of the first chorus, his dad gives some simple relationship advice. Lukas' father was a driving force behind Lukas' career. Lukas' father died in late 2012, shortly after the band started having its first real success. In a documentary about Lukas Graham’s attempt to enter the U.S. music market, Lukas spoke about the importance of his father to his music.
GLORY= /'glɔ:rɪ/ Fame, honour. Despite (or perhaps because of) his early success as an actor and singer, Lukas has never been enamoured with the trappings of fame. His focus is on the people who truly matter.
BORE= /bɔ:/ To tire or make weary by being dull, repetitious, or uninteresting.
'CAUSE= (Informal) Because.
ONCE I WAS TWENTY YEARS OLD, MY STORY GOT TOLD= The singer explains: 'In 2009, when I was 20 years old, I spent six months in Buenos Aires, Argentina, learning Spanish, writing songs, drinking wine. That’s where I realized that writing songs was one of the most fun things in the world. The same year I spent a month living alone in New York. And when I came back from NY, I knew I wanted to have a live band, and I started writing my first songs with Stefan Forrest'.
GOAL= /gəʊl/ Aim, objective. The result or achievement toward which effort is directed.
FAILURE= /'feɪliə/ Unsuccessful attempt; an act or instance of failing or proving unsuccessful.
MY BOYS= He is talking about the music band members. AT LEAST THOSE IN FAVOR, it might be a reference to former bandmate Anders Kirk, who left the band in late 2011 over creative differences.
SOON WE'LL BE THIRTY YEARS OLD= This chorus marks the transition of the song from biography to speculation, as Lukas imagines what his future will hold.
ROAMING= /'rəʊmɪŋ/ Act of wandering; to move about without purpose or plan.
I'M STILL LEARNING ABOUT LIFE= Lukas refers back to earlier lyrics to show how his life has progressed. He imagines himself with a successful music career. He will be married with children and will have found true friends (MY BOYS) to share his life.
SEEKING GLORY= Trying to obtain fame or success.
MY BROTHER, I'M STILL SORRY= He calls out in sadness to his friends who were unable to escape their rough upbringing in Christiania, even to those who are in jail.
SOON I'LL BE SIXTY YEARS OLD= Lukas looks into his future and, not knowing what it will look like, uses his dad’s life for comparison, seemingly in order to remain hopeful instead of fearful. His father died at a relatively young age (61 years old), but fondly treasured his relationships with his own adult children.
I WROTE A LETTER ONCE= He is referring to how even the smallest thing like writing a letter or making a phone call to your parents when they are older means the world to them, and he hopes his kids will do this when he is older.
WARM= /wɔ:m/ Fill with affection.
The lyrics are by the singer himself, under his full name, Lukas Graham Forchhammer, an indication of his cross-national heritage. It's a highly emotive song. The singer recalls his childhood, his hopes, his dreams. He looks forward to turning 60. It's personal. “I couldn't go any further than 60 because my father died at 61,” Graham, who is 27, has said.
Grahan was born and brought up in Christiania, Copenhage, perhaps the most intriguing aspect of the whole story. In, but not part of Copenhagen, Christiania is the closest the modern world has to an autonomous village-size utopian community, a place where dogs run wild and dreamers dream new ways of life. No guns, no cars, no fireworks; lots of street murals and a house made entirely out of windows. Its mission statement was written by Jacob Ludvigsen, one of its many founders. For him, it was “a self-governing society whereby each and every individual holds themselves responsible over the wellbeing of the entire community”. The community has its own anthem, with the opening line “People get filled with shit about us”. It has a slogan: “Lev livet kunstnerisk! Kun dode fisk flyder med strommen” (Live life artistically! Only dead fish follow the current). And it has a flag: three yellow dots on a red background. It's said the dots represent the Os in “love love love”.
Learn more about Christiania here.
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