December 13, 2005
Bertje, that's Jazz VI
So I'll join the man. Music should be beautiful. One of the bands that consistently have produced beautiful music over the last thirteen years is Bo Kaspers Orkester. I got my first really dirty copy of a BKO album in 1997 from a gentleman called Senad Angelov. A Swede who was doing the expat thing in Amsterdam at the time. I've sadly lost contact with him, in spite of him having moved to Stockholm again. We live no more than 15 km apart. But one of his gifts to me was BKO's music.
The albums were Amerika and På Hotell, and contained jazz inspired Swedish pop. Actually I later learned the term for their music was eclectic. In spite of me not speaking a word of Swedish at the time, I loved their music for the swing, the feel and the absolute craftsmanship that the musicians showed. Great stuff.
People in Sweden call BKO a boring band, a band for pensioners. Too nice, too friendly. Those people should go blow it out the other hole because if you really listen to BKO's lyrics you'll find that apart from lovely and beautiful they can be insanely cynical, hard, rough and critical too. I guess it's the same crowd that calls Eminem the fuck-you man because they don't bother listening to the man's message. Or perhaps lack the capacity to do so.
So, I'll put up a song by Bo Kaspers Orkester from their first album, Söndag i Sängen. It was released in 1992, and contains samples and themes from great jazz songs. Det går en man omkring i mina skor contains a sample from Ella Fitzgerald's Too damn hot, the song Simtur i viken is definitely based on a theme from All blues off Miles Davis' Kind of Blue. They didn't just jack it though, both songs are a BKO original and good to boot. These songs do fall in the humourous or nice category. A man ranting about how all his alleged sins were committed by the man walking in his shoes, and another about how nice it is to swim in the Baltic sea.
However the song I want to post is of a different kind. It's a bit depressing. It's a slow, jazzy eulogy to a dead friend. Since I've recently been in the market for thoughts about death and depression, I would like to share some of it. But no worries, because it's a beautiful tune. In spite of the subject matter I'd say it lifts my spirits when I listen to it. I've also translated the lyrics for non-Swedish speakers.
Jorden Snurrar - The earth turns
Farewell my dear friend, if you're off somewhere else.
The flowers I picked have to do for a wraith.
You know how it is and in church all the benches are empty.
I think it is written when one loses all,
in time one gets it again thousandfold.
And the earth still revolves at yesterday's rate,
Just you wait, I'll get to you soon.
But thank you my friend for the time we were two,
they're digging your grave while I stand here and watch.
We have drunk together so often,
we were almost like brothers.
I'd forgotten what a man can take,
so remember now you've come to pass
that the earth still revolves at yesterday's rate.
Just you wait, I'll get to you soon.
I remember how we daydreamed away,
over foreigns shores and to
girls who tasted of chocolate.
Who's gonna dream with me today?
Farewell dear old friend, farewell my dear friend,
cause people like us are never asked
to sing in heavenly choirs
on the day of days.
So I pray for your soul though I normally don't
I've prayed all the prayers I learned as a kid,
and the earth revolves at yesterday's rate.
If you wait I'll be there soon.