“Not a Damn Thing Changed” by Lukas Graham

“Not a Damn Thing Changed” is a piano-led ballad by the Danish band Lukas Graham. The song finds the narrator lamenting on how things have stayed the same in his life and that of his friends. He feels so sad that the only change in their monotonous life is death. The lyrics  go on to pay tribute to the narrator’s friends – both living and dead alike.

According to the band’s frontman, Lukas Graham, this emotional song is a tribute to a childhood friend of his named William. William tragically committed suicide in January 2018, leaving Lukas utterly devastated. He penned this song in response to William’s premature death.

Who was William?

He was a close friend of Lukas. The pair grew up and “walked through life” together in Christiania, Copenhagen. According to Lukas, William was three months older than him.

Lukas grew up in Christiania

Both Lukas and William grew up in Christiania (also known as Freetown Christiania). As a matter of fact, Lukas was born and raised in Christiana. For those who might not know Christiana, it is a commune located in the Danish capital city, Copenhagen. As of 2018, the commune had about 1,000 residents. Lukas is the most notable resident of the commune. At the time of William’s death, Lukas was still living in Christiania. He remained in Christiania despite achieving fame.

Music video for “Not a Damn Thing Changed”

The official music video of this piano ballad was filmed in Christiania. It features Lukas’ childhood friends. At the beginning of the track, Lukas can be seen at a funeral. He later goes to a bar to drink and perform to a sad audience made up of his pals. They later go on to play a game of soccer under the rain. They hope doing so would take their minds off the pain of losing their loved one.  The band dedicated the clip to the memory of the late William.

Below is the highly emotional music video of this touching song:

Facts about “Not a Damn Thing Changed”

• Lukas Forchhammer co-wrote the track with Morten Ristorp, Hedegaard, Don Stefano, David LaBrel and Hennedub.
• The song’s co-writers Ristorp and Hennedub handled its production. The song and its accompanying video came out on October 12, 2018.
• This track is Lukas Graham’s second single of 2018. The first was “Love Someone“.
• “Not a Damn Thing Changed” can be found on the band’s third studio album 3 (The Purple Album).
• The track’s artwork features the real-life childhood friends of Lukas.

The official artwork of the single. In the picture are childhood buddies of Lukas.

How did William die?

According to Lukas, he hanged himself.