Swedish Communist sing song

Here is a fun song from 1970s Swedish prog commies ‘Nationalteatern‘ (the National Theatre).

Song translation and explanation below. By users LolTheForce on SongMeanings.net

Nationalteatern (The National Theater) – Kolla kolla (Lookie lookie)

If you’re born amongst proletarians and deal
with narcotics and if you’ve already been
punished once then it’s easy to get caught
now and then

I want to feel Free, free, free
It’s my philosophy, phy, phy (NOTE: This rhymes in swedish <.<)
Lookie, lookie, can’t
you see I’m a nice guy
Even if I’m in jail today
you’ll have to agree that
that’s not where I wanted to go.
NO!

I’ll get a job, first chance I get.
Leather armchair and my own phone.
When I get out of here,
silly me, was
thinking that I was strong,
but I ended up in a park
and made my living from selling … (NOTE: Here you’re supposed to realise that they mean “selling drugs” because it rhymes in swedish (park, knark))

(NOTE: Most of the chorus is gibberish and doesn’t mean anything)
Hadelätten da da
umpapa
one musn’t do (that)
not good
hadelätten da da
umpapa
That’s what I said
that wasn’t good
umpapa

What an idiocy, cy, cy
to sell a load, load, load
Lookie, lookie
I have myself to blame
even if i don’t like the locale that much
you’ll have to agree that
it serves a purpose
The warden makes an exampel
breaks a guy
put a label on him.
So when I get out of here
my heart aches
like a dagger thrusting into it
when you meet some people
and fiddle about with a real ……… (NOTE: I have no idea what they mean here)

Hadelätten da da …

But if you’re honest instead
and keep working in the thief’s society
and if you’re miserly enough
you’ll become a millionare in due time
provided that …

You get out of here at all
Just take a loan from the bank
Move to Skanör,
make your living as a factory director
and live until you … (NOTE: Here they mean “leva tills man dör”, which means “live until you die”)

Okay, okay, kay, kay
Take a look at me, me, me
Lookie, lookie,
I’m already labeled for the rest of my life
Even if I might be set free someday
you’ll have to agree that
it’s not overreacting.
Easy to be dilligent, hard-working and decent
I might as well drive straight into the creek
So when I get out of here
in a stolen Amazon (NOTE: a type of Volvo car)
I’ll spend the first day
barging into the city
and let loose like … (NOTE: Let loose like hell)

Hadelättan da da …

*END*

There ya go.
Basically it’s a song about getting in jail and then being marked for life even after you did you time. You get out in society again but for all people care you’re still a criminal.

~ by swedishzine on March 2, 2010.