Carnival (The Cardigans song)

"Carnival" is a pop song by the Cardigans. It was released in 1995 as the first single from their second album Life. It gave the group their first appearance on the UK Singles Chart, reaching number 72 in June 1995. After their next single, a re-issue of "Sick & Tired", reached the top 40, "Carnival" was re-pressed and reached a peak of number 35. This release also peaked at number 44 in the Netherlands, becoming the band's first single to chart there.

"Carnival"
Swedish CD single cover
Single by The Cardigans
from the album Life
B-side	"Mr Crowley" "Emmerdale"
Released	16 March 1995 (1995-03-16)
Format	CD single
Recorded	1995
Length	3:20 (single/radio edit) 3:37 (album version)
Label	Trampolene
Songwriter(s)	Peter Svensson Magnus Sveningsson Nina Persson
Producer(s)	Tore Johansson
The Cardigans singles chronology
"Sick and Tired" (1995) "Carnival" (1995) "Sick & Tired (reissue)" (1995)

"Carnival" was the first released material by the Cardigans on which Nina Persson received a writing credit, on this occasion alongside bassist Magnus Svenningsson whom she would later supersede as the group's primary lyricist. The song concerns the narrator's unrequited love for a boy, and mentions a "carnival" (the description actually appears to refer to a funfair) which the narrator would like to attend with the boy but does not go because he never responds to her. The song's verses include the sound of what appears to be a hammond organ.

The single's B sides were a cover of Ozzy Osbourne's "Mr Crowley", one of several Osbourne and Black Sabbath cover versions released by the group; and "Emmerdale", an instrumental which shared its name with their previous album, but did not appear on it.