Bellman's lullaby
One of the greatest joys I have had these last five years is playing music with my daughters. The youngest is playing the flute and has a Swedish song-book. We just played this typical Scandinavian tune, with its sudden shifts between major an minor chords and she loves it.
It is very melancholic lullaby written 18th of August 1787 by the great Swedish poet and musician Carl Michael Bellman for his son, Carl. The text is typical of the late baroque period sometimes called rococo. The first couple of verses are about the shortness of life, the last are more friendly... they talk about making paper cuts and singing together, and the fine golden clothing his mother has for him.
Here is a rendition by the Swedish folk singer, Lena Willemark. It is a typical example of the things I mention in this post.
That's a pretty, but very melancholic song. It suddenly made me think of the suicide rates in the Scandinavian countries, despite its beauty.
Well, it gets even worse if you know the lyrics.
This is a fast translation of the first verse:
Little Carl sweet sleep in peace!
There will be more than enough time for waking up.
time to see our evil time (epoch)
and her crazy taste.
The world is an island of sorrow;
just when you are breathing good
you are going to die and become dust.
Thank you for the translation. I feel much better now 8-).
You're messing with us :-) right? If not, for all the little Carls in the world
source: tenor.com
'fraid not... But little Carl found some consecration... I mean desecration... no, consolation! in his guitar and formed a band with his friends. So now he is enjoying the healing energy of music!
If one buys the CD, does it come with a noose ;-)
I don't know if you are familiar with this, but it was a very popular national radio program in America from Minnesota, where many of the people are descendants of Scandinavians.
It's actually pretty humorous -- just hearing an American singing in Norwegian is funny enough, but it is about the Norwegian bachelor farmers
:- )
You only get a noose in the deluxe cd pack. In the plain version it's a moose.
I read once that the Scandinavians that emigrated to the US almost all went to Minnesota, Michigan and Wisconsin (and the neighbourhood states), and it sounds like the Norwegian bachelor farmers have not changed one bit in spite of the relocation. The food is slightly different, and the beers seem to be easier available though.
What a storyteller! I instantly knew the song. It is a Danish cabaret song that was popular in the other Nordic countries. It's a sentimantal sailors song.
Wow, that's amazing someone preserved that bit of history on YouTube. BTW, that radio show was a beloved fixture in America, there are books about the fictional town, and hundreds of hours of radio shows online -- the characters described in them have become real in people's minds.
It's especially "gemütlich" to listen to them on dark cold winter days, must be the Scandinavian influence.
Sadly, the storyteller, also a beloved figure, had his career and reputation ruined this year as part of the "me-too" movement. I don't remember the exact details, but after a show he hugged a fellow cast member and during the embrace his hand touched her bare back. A decades long career went up in smoke.
We'll at least he didn't commit suicide like the theatre man in Sweden who was later completely rehabilitated. The Swedish press is really crazy these days. They accuse people without having even the slightest prof. Now the guns have finally rotated towards the newspaperswhich is completely justified.
BTW - I am listening to Ringström and it is fun that he calls us xenophobic when 15-20% in both countries vote for national conservative and anti-muslim parties. The only difference is, I think, that the Swedes do not discuss it... yet.
Just noticed you are danish, my grandfather lived in gjorlev before coming to the U.S. His parents were danish and Swedish.
Many migrated to the US, almost 10% I think I heard. I have family Canada and I also think in California.
I love your friends drawing. So simple but somehow so much going on at the same time. Could you post some more of their work?
He is dead 200 years ago. You can find him on Google: https://www.google.com/search?q=sergel+drawing
It looks a bit like some of the Rembrandt sketches.
Yes, there is some resemblances.
Keep it up!
This post has been voted on from MSP3K courtesy of @Scuzzy from the Minnow Support Project ( @minnowsupport ).
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