Hi! It's been ages since I last did an assignment. I tried to finnish this one in time, but I didn't manage. I hope you forgive me.
Leaving Rovaniemi, 1939
Verse 1:
Through the cold to Sweden I'll flee.
God! Let no russians follow me.
I'm still young, I don't want to die.
I dream of a place, warm and dry.
Chorus:
Farewell my brothers!
Take care of your heart as well as your gun.
Farewell my sisters!
Beware! The war has begun.
Verse 2:
At that place where no Russians go,
where human blood don't color the snow.
I pray my hate and fear will die.
When I find that place, warm and dry.
Chorus
Verse 3:
Ideologies will kill with rage,
as history turns a new page.
Pray those of us who did survive
... then want to be alive.
Chorus
Hmmm, maybe I have to explain why this fit the assignment...
verse 1: A wish to survive the escape to Sweden
verse 2: A wish to remain sane when she (i thought of the teller as a she) reach safety.
verse 3: A wish of a better future world = don't let the nazis or stalinists win!
You're forgiven, Jonsi....if the rest of your songs are as good as this, the only reason we have to be angry with you is that you should post more often....
Excellent lyrics, reads smoothly....there's one small thing I'd change...
"Take care of your heart before your gun...." doesn't quite sound right, if you're fleeing an invading force, you'd want to take care of your gun first and foremost....!
maybe "Take care of your heart as well as your gun", only a small change, but puts things into perspective.....
really good song, though, and a really different take on this weeks assignment.....
:D :D :D
Vic
"Sometimes the beauty of music can help us all find strength to deal with all the curves life can throw us." (D. Hodge.)
I'm happy that you like my lyric. It's about my grandma. Most of my songs are a lot worse than this one, sadly...
I think your suggestion is excellent! I think "take care of your heart as well as your gun" instead of "take care of your heart before your gun" does in a strange way make the message clearer. Maybe because it, as you say, put things into perspective. It's easy to be a pacifist when you don't face an angry man with a gun. Thank you!
I have some thoughts about the first two lines in the last verse. My brother's electronica group have allready decided to record this song. But he was not sure he liked the mentioned lines. What do you people say? Should I change them? Are they good as they are?
Hi Jonsi,
This is a terrific piece. I really love it. I think the first two lines in the last verse are a bit awkward. What about:
ideologies will kill with rage
as history turns another page,
pray those of us who do survive,
still want to be alive.
It only changes the second line, but perhaps it reads more smoothly?
just my $0.02.
-- Scratch 8)
-- Scratch 8)
"...if heartaches were commercials, we'd all be on TV" -- John Prine
42
Thank you Scratchmonkey! Your suggestion is great! That 2nd line works a lot better. I change the lyric immediately!
Though I wonder if the song may need an extra line or two, after the change. Or is it still clear what the last line means?
I change the line "... still want to be alive" to "... then want to be alive". Is that better?
hey jonsi:)
I like this one a lot!
where human blood don't color the snow.thought that line is grand.
I loved the 3rd verse before and now even more after the littles changes scratch suggested. I think it is still clear what you mean by the last line(if that last line you refer to is '...still want to be alive'...or do you mean another line?). by the way a very beautiful line.
hope you'll be posting more often now:)
bluenightangel
"oh, eventually it will break your heart" - anders wendin
Thank you bluenightangel! I changed the last line a little bit. I think it became clearer, but as you said it allready was clear, I guess I don't have to think about it anymore.
By the way, I see that you are from Germany. Do you also speak english as a second language?
