Blue Swede was a Swedish pop/rock band from the early to mid-70s that succe… Read Full Bio ↴Blue Swede was a Swedish pop/rock band from the early to mid-70s that succeeded with a few singles that covered other artists' material, played in a deliberately 'kitsch' and 'novelty' sound. The band was originally called "Blåblus" (Swedish for "blue denim shirt") and featured vocalist Björn Skifs of the band Slam Creepers singing the lead vocals. The band got their international break-through in 1974 with their cover of the 1969 B. J. Thomas ballad "Hooked on a Feeling" as adapted by British pop eccentric Jonathan King. Their "Hooked on a Feeling" was a commercial juggernaut, shooting all the way to the number one spot in the U.S. Hot 100 chart and gaining serious airplay worldwide.

The group additionally had a U.S. top 10 hit with "Never My Love", a cover of pop band The Association's tune. Also of note, the group recorded a 1975 medley that combined Tommy James and the Shondells' "I'm Alive" and Deep Purple's "Hush", which played better in Scandinavia than anywhere else and brought them to a bombastic arena rock sound more aggressive than their general style. Over the years, Björn Skifs has had a moderately successful solo career in Europe. "Hooked on a Feeling" has experienced many surges of popularity, happening more recently in 2014 as part of its inclusion in the film 'Guardians of the Galaxy'.

I Didn't Sing
Blue Swede Lyrics

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If you take the sun and you take the fun
Of a California day
I take my hat off to ya

[?] If you take my car on a credit card
Make everything okay
Well I say hallelujah

I'm getting lonelier by the minute
This kind of life's got nothing in it
For a city boy
Looking for a piece of home

I didn't sing in the New York subway
I didn't pay all my New York dues
Just to be here on a foggy mountain
Call it California (call it California)
Call it California blues

There's a place to go
You can see the snow
Only 15 miles away
And that's supposed to get ya

But you've got no friends
Where the sidewalk ends
'Cause you might look in their eyes
And they 'aint gonna let ya

I haven't seen one sight out of season
To me that's more than enough of a reason
For a city boy
To write another letter home

I didn't sing in the New York subway
I didn't pay all my New York dues
Just to be here on a foggy mountain
Call it California (call it California)
Call it California blues

(I) I didn't sing in the New York Subway
(I) I didn't pay all my New York Dues
Just to be here on a foggy mountain
Call it California blues

(I didn't sing in the New York
Subway) I didn't sing in the New York Subway
(I didn't pay all my New York dues) I didn't pay my dues
(Just to be here on a foggy mountain) Just to be here on this mountain

Call it California (Call it California)
Call it California blues

Overall Meaning

The Blue Swede's song "I Didn't Sing in the New York Subway" is about the challenges of adapting to a new environment. The song tells the story of a city boy who moves to California in search of a better life. He reflects on his journey and what he has left behind in New York, where he used to sing in the subway and pay his dues, but is now struggling to find his place in a new town. He acknowledges the beauty of the California landscape with its sunshine and mountains, but he still feels lonely and disconnected from the people around him.

The lyrics convey a sense of nostalgia for the past and a desire to belong somewhere. The singer feels like an outsider in California because he doesn't have any friends, and the people he meets are not welcoming. He longs for the familiarity of his old life but also recognizes that he can't go back. The chorus repeats the phrase "call it California blues," which suggests that even though the singer is living in a beautiful place, he's still unhappy and struggling to find his way.

Overall, the song is a commentary on the difficulty of adjusting to a new environment and the emotional toll it can take on a person. It highlights the importance of community and connection and the challenge of finding those things when you're in a new place.

Line by Line Meaning

If you take the sun and you take the fun Of a California day I take my hat off to ya
If you can ruin the best thing about this sunny state, then you've got my respect

[?] If you take my car on a credit card Make everything okay Well I say hallelujah
If you can make my problems disappear with a magic credit card, then I'll shout hallelujah

I'm getting lonelier by the minute This kind of life's got nothing in it For a city boy Looking for a piece of home
I'm feeling more and more isolated in this empty life that has nothing for a city boy searching for a place to belong

I didn't sing in the New York subway I didn't pay all my New York dues Just to be here on a foggy mountain Call it California (call it California) Call it California blues
I didn't struggle in New York just to end up on this foggy mountain in California with nothing but blues

There's a place to go You can see the snow Only 15 miles away And that's supposed to get ya
There's a nearby snowy location, but even that's not enough to make me happy

But you've got no friends Where the sidewalk ends 'Cause you might look in their eyes And they 'aint gonna let ya
You don't have any real friends here, because they won't accept you for who you are

I haven't seen one sight out of season To me that's more than enough of a reason For a city boy To write another letter home
I haven't seen anything out of the ordinary, and that's reason enough for me to write another letter back home

I didn't sing in the New York Subway I didn't pay all my New York dues Just to be here on a foggy mountain Call it California (call it California) Call it California blues
I didn't go through the struggles of New York just to end up on this foggy mountain in California feeling nothing but blues

(I) I didn't sing in the New York Subway (I) I didn't pay all my New York dues (Just to be here on a foggy mountain) Just to be here on this mountain Call it California (Call it California) Call it California blues
I'm repeating once again, I didn't go through the hardships of New York to be stuck on a foggy California mountain with nothing but blues

Writer(s): brian potter, dennis lambert

Contributed by Christopher I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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Comments from YouTube:

Lynn Keiner

5y↑1

I love Bjorn Skifs and Blue Swede. Great memories!!!!

Lady Love

Loved watching Bjorn. ❤

Brian Molko

can you add another live videos, please

Нашхо новый

i need a lyrics, please

souldeep69

2y↑1

If you dig the sun and you dig the fun
Of a California day
I take my hat off to ya

If a big backyard and a credit card
Make everything OK
Well I say hallelujah

I′m getting lonelier by the minute
This kind of life's got nothing in it
For a city boy
Looking for a piece of home

I didn′t sing in the New York subway
I didn't pay all my New York dues
Just to be here on a foggy mountain
Call it California (call it California)
Call it California blues

There's a place to go
You can see the snow
Only 15 miles away
And that′s supposed to get ya

But you′ve got no friends
Where the sidewalk ends
'Cause you might look in their eyes
And they ′aint gonna let ya

I haven't seen one sight out of season
To me that′s more than enough of a reason
For a city boy
To write another letter home

I didn't sing in the New York subway
I didn′t pay all my New York dues
Just to be here on a foggy mountain
Call it California (call it California)
Call it California blues

(I) I didn't sing in the New York Subway
(I) I didn't pay all my New York Dues
Just to be here on a foggy mountain
Call it California blues

(I didn′t sing in the New York
Subway) I didn′t sing in the New York Subway
(I didn't pay all my New York dues) I didn′t pay my dues
(Just to be here on a foggy mountain) Just to be here on this mountain
Call it California (Call it California)
Call it California blues
~~~
Words and Music by Dennis Lambert and Brian Potter