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User Name Thread Name Subject Posted
GUEST,Karl Jansson ADD/info: Swedish protest song from World War 2 (6) Lyr Add: THE NOTORIOUS HORSE FROM TROY (Swedish) 12 Jun 11


The famous swedish vaudeville artist Karl Gerhard wrote a song highly critical of the Swedish government. Sweden allowed Germany to transport trains with soldiers to Norway, and censored people too anti-nazi. The also started to build some concentration camps, deported jews to Germany, and exported lots of stuff to Germany.

Karl Gerhard sung this song, and the prime minister phoned him personally. According to the prime minster, Karl Gerhard was not allowed to sing the song, because it had upset "them", as he called it. A ban was issued, and the song prohibited. It is very famous in Sweden, and I tried to tranlate it to english. Certainly, lots have been lost in the translation, but at least, a little grasp of it may be felt.

What do you all think of this, the song and the story around it?


THE NOTORIOUS HORSE FROM TROY

Everything recurs, and out of the times' dregs and moulds
a frightening phantom appears
Even Greece itself had their Wandervögels
brought up in Sparta and Rome

From the shadows of centuries, and out of the dust of millenniums
a mysterious ghost in the present time emerges.

It's the notorious horse from Troy
modernized to the fifth column
The Major Quisling is nothing but a parrot,
imitating for all that he thinks he is worth

Visibly, we are we only peaceful lads
with a greek shaving-brush in every hat
but in a flash we may pull out our bows
and storm Troy from inside by night
Because the Europe that loudly is shouting,
that might is right, has now got their symbol
It's the notorious horse from Troy
once again playing its old heroic part...

Among the wild horses that have galloped
on Mrs. Clio's tilt-yards
is it the Trojan Horse that's been less embarrassed
by lifting its tail here and there
In the horse ring of world the politicians stand
as stupid Augusts in a parading line -- Hurray!

It's the notorious horse from Troy
that got out from the stable of history
in the riders' entrance-way the statesmen may moan
and some have sugar in their pockets, just if
the horse may be possible to tame
It's highly neutral politics
We Swedes associate with him in concord
he is now running in regular traffic (note: German troops transported by Swedish Trains to Norway)

In some newspapers they say "Oh well",
"we support the right... but preferably the right HORSE"
"and for the notorious horse from Troy"
"the odds of today are undeniably best"


Where Achilles found the terrain Lavre
the horse bolted in with great success
Cause he started to yearn for L'Havre (note: Havre also means Oats in Swedish...)
before he was prepared for the Musée
With the fifth leg the horse sat of,
if I haven't been misinterpreting the greeks' Iliad

So by the notorious horse from Troy
Marshal Foch's old wagon was pulled to Berlin
by foot the leader was walking on the Avenue
de'L Opera and came to the Hôtel des Invalides
He said good day to Napoleon Bonaparte
who was said to be turning in his sarcophagus
asking "Are Monsieur going to go rubiconning?"
"and walk on the water? I never managed to do that..."
And Adolf answered "Well, without joking..."
"it's not me who's been taking this village"
"It's the notorious horse from Troy,"
"now quenching its thirst in Vichy."


During the days of Gustaf Adolf and King Carol
the Swedes were fighting in fire and cold
the Kingdom of the Sweden was rules by its own laws
and a lion was seen on its shield
A hedgehog has now become he symbol of our land
but I know one more true and appropriate today

It's the notorious horse from Troy
by democrats saddled and shoed
a gathering-jade for palace and hovel
with huge blinders, allowed to be stared at

Our old lion was quickly made retired
when the emergency waring "Hoarse Frederik" sounded for the first time
it was to a sheep waved by Bagge (Note: A name also meaning Ram)
and by Rutger it could essen, pour nut

But hasn't the thought soon arisen,
in everyone, both poor and tycoon
that it is the notorious horse from Troy
that all the time has been called "MEIN KAMPF"


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