I got really into First Aid Kit in 2020, and found their songs a great solace during the first lockdown. I still go back to them often, and this song stands out in particular. It's from Ruins, the band's 2018 album apparently inspired by Klara Soderberg's break-up. Perhaps more proof that hard emotions can inspire some of the best art.
Anyway, some observations: this is another 6/8 song, and another great example of how that time signature can be used to great effect without sounding twee or waltzy. I particularly like the way different instruments emphasise different beats of the bars - the electric guitar picking out just beats 1, 2 and 3 throughout the chorus for example.
On Genius.com, the sisters themselves comment "We felt like this song had a very old timey 50s ballad vibe". I get that now, although it wasn't what hit me the first time. It just struck me as heartfelt, and very clearly expressing the feeling of plans which fall away. Great song-writing basically.
Klara does an amazing vocal job on this one (and as always), stretching the syllables in a slightly unexpected way on the refrain ("Why do I do this to, ooh-ooh-ooh my-eye self ..."); Johanna comes in to sing verse 2, giving that variation on vocal tone which makes many of First Aid Kit's songs memorable.
The structure appeals to me too - it's a classic build and build, and then a fairly sudden slow down to a gentle ending - no drawn out coda or fade out here. There's also a nicely done repeat of the first line lyric to round out the song to great dramatic effect. "Book-ending" the song you could say.
Shout out to the use of strings too.
I've linked below to the whole album - this song appears at track 3 and it's good to hear it in context.