sverige sång och dans!

Ever since Björn and Benny partnered up with Sir Tim Rice to create the world greatest musical about strategic boards games, I have had a lusting passion for Swedish songwriting. This is firmly added to my 'Swedetopia' list, which has also been filled with bounties of assorted cheeses and milks.

Generalisations be damned, the Swedes love to sing like no one else. Even after decades of losing Eurovison in the post-ABBA years, they still get enough. While Sunday television in Australia is reserved for Cricket, Football, Motor Racing, or the captivating Arts Sunday - in Sweden its wall-to-wall sing-a-longs all afternoon. Think Spicks and Specks without the comedy or questions, and you've got the idea.

So, when my fellow corridor pals and I were left tipsy by Swedish sunshine, volleyball, and Gordon's London Dry Gin - the evening became a interweb karaoke night. The only conditions were that songs must be from Sweden/Australia and be preferably of bad taste. Now, thanks to the history feature of my internet browser - I can reverse time/space/and alcohol memory loss and present some of my favourites from the evening:

Bag in the Box
~ First one off the ranks and the holy hell - the Swedes weren't pulling any punches. Bypassing the obvious ABBA introduction into Swedish music, and heading right into corny party anthems circa 2006. The Australians in the room took great pleasure explaining the invention was supposedly created by our very own alcoholic population…



Highlights
~ Too many to mention. During the part were the two guys are pointing at each other, the accompanying translation is 'Where is the box?' with the reply being 'There is the box'. Brilliant.
Lowlight
~ The length. The Music.

Beds are Burning

After our ears were left bleeding, we thought it time to bring in something that actually made sense - Peter 'MP for Kingsford' Garret. Nothing makes an Australian male sound more incomprehensibly attractive to Swedish females than Garret-like singing. 'Owwwght wheaare thaa rivaaargh broaak'... I believe I even demonstrated the dancing in the kitchen - or that could have just been me trying to stand up straight in a muscial gin haze.



Highlights
~ Trying to convince Sweden he really is our Environment Minister.
Lowlight
~ Convincing Sweden he is our Environment Minister.

Boten Anna
~ The macarana, everything by aqua, las ketchup, mambo no.5, phil collins's entire back catalogue - all songs unfortunately destined to live forever in the pages of human creation. Like budget whipped cream, add this Swedish dancefloor 'filla' to the list. As you may know, the premise of the song is as absurd and nerdy as Battlestar Galatica X. Its a familiar tale. Boy meets girl (online). Boy falls in love. Boy mistakes this girl for a computer 'bot'. Boy sings horrible song, travels by pedal boat and strange yellow vehicle to the dancefloor to drown sorrows.



Highlights
~ The pedal boat at 0:15sec obviously.
Lowlight
~ Travelling in the open go-kart car with the computer laptop wide open. Risky, bordering on foolish.

You're The Voice!
~ Enough playing around Sweden. It was time to bring out the greatest 5:04sec of handclaps, bagpipes, piano and the voice has ever manifested. It was time to turn the pages over, and when that goosebump inducing wind up kicks in after the first minute - Wham! While I thought Sweden may find the 'woo oooh oooh yyaahaa! part somewhat familiar, I didn't expect everyone to follow in a mass sing-a-long.



Highlights
~ Everything. Including the bagpipes.

Lowlights
~ The fact it has to end.

Det Gör Ont
~ As a species, humans have needs. Food, water, shelter, clothing, expensive gin - this is what keeps up alive and happily intoxicated. Personally, I would add another 2 to that list - a slice of lime, and songs with key changes in them. I don't know what she is singing about and I don't care. Sweden has an entire genre of this exact music, over and over again. Its a perfect example of a great song made greatest.



Highlights
~ The spine-chilling key change.

Lowlights
~ Why only have one key change when you could have had at least 3?