I bought Joyride at Esso. Or had it become Statoil? The cassette tape cost 79 SEK. Petrol 8 SEK per liter. The cover promised good. Colorful burning background. An elephant. A blonde girl who looked strong and cool in a short hairstyle. And a guy with big hair and dark eyes.

I learned the songs without being able to speak English. Feejding smiled a whisper, Spending May time, Oooohhhexaajted jutatchinthenaajyt

I saved the weekly money and bought Look Sharp next time. Ö, R and I listened together. Sat on rag rugs on the floor of our room. Pressed play. Rewind. Fast forward. Turned page. Played again. Island was a little older. Said that it was Per G who wrote all the texts. That it was he who made them so good. That Marie F was just an appendix. But I had heard his dad say about a football player. R was a little brother and agreed. Yes, I said too.

But why were it the songs she sang that we listened to all the time? Wattjugonnetelljåbrother ajdåntnooo, Holdontajt juno shisalibadengeroos.

In the six, it was me and S who listened to Roxette. We had been shocked by an interview in Okay that Per G had written Joyride for his wife Åsa leaving him a note on the dining table. Hi your stupid skull, I love you. The enchantment got itself a thorn. What? Were they not a couple? We had also read about Roxette's successes all over the world, but that there were critics who were skeptical of the lyrics? We loved them unreservedly. I was safe with S.

He loved Marie's voice as much as I did. He agreed that without her Roxette was nothing. That she was Queen of Rain and queen of all.

But a lunch break came J , who used to listen to us before, and had Nirvana with him on CD which he got from his big sister. S disappeared. It didn't matter that I learned helpful English and sang Listen to your heart, when it's calling for you. They took over the tape recorder in the classroom and I got to listen to my freestyle.

Losing you ... Things will never be the same