Was listening to "Forever Young" on the radio while I was baking some cookies earlier today and was struck by what it actually sings about - the prospects of nuclear war.
This made me think about other songs from the 1980s and early 1990s that had a clear political significance for that time in (albeit recent, but important part of) history. It doesn't feel like that there are any songs of that kind anymore, or? Maybe it's because we haven't had such a historic change in the world since then? There is of course a lot of important change, both negative and positive, for example as a result of globalisation and climate change, but maybe it's too much of a gradual change to generate songs of the same calibre so-to-speak? Or maybe there's just too much music in general these days so "political" songs go un-noticed? Or perhaps I just don't listen to the lyrics as much anymore?
In addition to "Forever Young" I was thinking of Scorpions "Winds of Change" (original video version here).
Hm, du har nog rätt. fast i ärlighetens namn hade jag ingen koll på att Forever Young handlade om kärnvapen!!! Men så var den ju poppis ugnefär när min engelska låg på en betydligtlägre kunskapsnivå än nu...
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Saltis - Alltså inte jag heller förrän jag stod där i köket igår och lyssnade ordentligt. Men Winds of Change och några andra låtar kände man ju till redan då som "politiska". Och jullåten "Do they know it's Christmas" eller vad den nu heter ;)
ReplyDeleteWhat is Winds of Change actually about then?
ReplyDeleteHarley's World (or Britgirl) - The end of the Soviet Union (and the Cold War) and freedom for millions of people (in former USSR and Eastern Europe)
ReplyDeleteOj, det hade jag inte heller koll på att Forever young handlade om kärnvapen... Men jag får fortfarande rysningar när jag hör Winds of change även om jag tyckte att den spelades totalt sönder när det begav sig. Jag kommer ihåg hur spännande det var när muren föll och ja, det kändes ju verkligen som "winds of change". Förresten, har du hört Eva Dahlgrens sång om muren (från Ett blekt blondins hjärta) - jättebra den också!
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Petra - Jag visste inte heller det som sagt men det är min tolkning efter min senaste lite nogrannare lyssning. Jag får också rysningar, och speciellt när man ser videon med bilderna från 60-talet och framåt. Jag visste inte att Eva Dahlgren också sjungit om murens fall - ska kolla upp låten!
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ALPHAVILLE RULES!
ReplyDeleteVilkan minnen! Det helt absurda är att de var så sjukt stora men vad hände sen?? För några år sen var de på en väldigt liten o menlös studentnatiion i Lund (blekingska) och hade spelning. Mkt märkligt.
ok, var tvungen att kolla upp året - 1996, så några år sen var 12 men iaf.
ReplyDeleteOk thanks. It's just that my husbands ex wife requested that song when we were at the same venue once. It was meant for him so I guess she was glad for her freedom? Idk! Lol!
ReplyDeletePappabloggen - Skrev en kommentar i morse men den försvann och sedan var jag tvungen att gå till jobbet. Antar att Alphaville sällar sig till kategorin "one hit wonders". Men hade de inte en till hit i alla fall? Kul att de kom till Lund! För er. Men sorgligt för dem som sagt. Ja, tiden går fort när man har roligt! :)
ReplyDeleteHarley's World - Yeah, it must have been the change and the freedom wish! ;) She should have requested that song that goes something like "I'm looking for freedom". So your older children have a different dad from little Harley? Sorry for the personal question, you don't need to answer if you don't want to!
Ok I'll tell you the tale of how we met if you promise not to judge. Lol!
ReplyDeleteThe children are all both of ours because I met him when I was 15 and we had our first when I was 16! (She is now 16 herself!)He is 10 years older than me but has never really looked that much older. My parent's were not at all happy at first but they saw how nice and mature he was and that he truly did love me and as they have a 14 year difference themselves,decided that seeing as I was pregnant,that they didn't want to drive the daddy away from me.Sort of like locking the stable door AFTER the horse has bolted?!
All this would have been fine if he (I didn't know at first or obviously wouldn't have dated him!) wasn't in the process of a failing marriage.She had moved out but I guess was kinda expecting she might come back at some point. They had got together too quick and too fast a year before I met him and he (having been abroad ttly alone and fed up for a few months) said yes to her asking to marry him. He felt that she was looking for someone with a good paycheck to provide for her son (that wasn't his...following?!Lol!)
Plus he was feeling so lonely that it seemed like a good idea despite he never quite felt right about it.
They were only happyish for about 6 months before they realized that they didn't actually know each other that well at all and couldn't seem to get on.Hence her moving out and him starting to enjoy my attention.I don't think he intended to fall for anyone else but it just happened.
Anyway,it's all water under the bridge now and although I might do things differently now,I wouldn't swap him for the world and he has been a great husband in so many ways. His ex later remarried and has more kids and is happy too.
The End. :)
Ok this is weird. I should have just said yes they are all his too.Lol!
Japp men Alphaville???? Hm, jag var nog för ung då som sagt. När de andra låtarna kom var man väl lite äldre. Iallafall Wind of change.
ReplyDeleteMen Do they know it´s Christmas var jag nog också rät "liten". Å andra sidan var det sådan hype kring denna låten att det liksom inte gick att missförstå vad allt handlade om.
idag kanske de mest politiksa låtarna egentligen är rap och hiphop. Inte politiskt som under Kalla Krigettiden men flera av dessa artister skrier ju texter som är rätt samhällskritiska och som handlar om tillvaron "på gatorna". Kanske långt från vad "alla" upplever i sin vardag men ändå. Sedan finns såklart en hel drös med "f-ck you bitch" texter också såklart.... vilket inte är så "politiskt" då...
Kram!
Harley's World - Thanks for telling your story! I think it sounds romantic, at least now in retrospect. If I had been your parents I would have been worried and sceptical too, especially with you being so young and him 10 years older, and you getting pregnant at such an early age (hd you heard of contraceptives?! ;). Also, I'm of course familiar with the UK's "problem" with teenage pregnancies, as many relationships at that age, sadly but perhaps natural, don't end up as successful as yours. But for you, 16+ years later it it's very clear it was the right decision. Glad to hear things turned out well for his ex-wife too.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing!
Saltis - Jag var nog också för ung för Alphaville när de var stora, men låten hängde ju med ett tag. Men det året den kom (1984, enligt wikipedia) hade jag "no clue". Jag kände nog bara till Carola då ;)
ReplyDeleteLite mer om "Forever Young" enligt Wiki: "Forever Young" hyllar ungdom och negativ till ålderdom och handlar även om död. Den är påverkad av att den är skriven under det kalla kriget, och refrängerna är något gladare än verserna, som handlar om "The Bomb", som atombomben ibland kallas.
Sista meningen var ju lite komisk :)
Du har nog rätt anh hiphop och rap och det är ju sant att ganska mycket musik är samhällskritik. Man borde lyssna lite mer på texterna helt enkelt!
Kram!
Anna
ReplyDeleteLol! Yes I had heard of contraceptives but I always from a very little girl, loved to play with dollies and pretend I had children. I had a difficult father to live with and I was being bullied at school so to be honest I just wanted to grow up and start my own family straight away. I was very mature for my age (If not slightly mad!) but of course I wouldn't condone teen pregnancy's. I'm not sure really what I was thinking but I wasn't afraid of starting an adult life and having a family was my main goal. It was only later that I began to see that a career first would probably have made a lot more sense as I have never had the courage to go back into education. (I have social phobia's that would make it VERY difficult to sit in a class environment anyway!)
I was very lucky that my guy wasn't just in it for the fun.