His first Swedish album, Ballader och oförskämdheter (Ballads and rudenesses), was released in 1964. His first Dutch album was released in 1972, after ten successful Swedish albums.
He emigrated to Sweden with his parents in 1949 at the age of twelve. He was educated as a social worker and hoped to become a journalist, but became increasingly involved in music, performing at events for students. His idiosyncratic humor and social engagement is still gaining him new fans. Cornelis Vreeswijk is often considered as one of the most influential and successful troubadours in Sweden. In 2010 a Swedish drama film, called Cornelis, was made about his life. It was directed by Amir Chamdin.
Cornelis Vreeswijk explained in one of his few interviews that he had taught himself to sing and play in the fifties by imitating his first idols Josh White and Lead Belly. His first album, Ballader och oförskämdheter (Ballads and rudenesses, 1964), was a hit which immediately gained him a large following among the emerging radical student generation. In this period he also played with Swedish jazz pianist Jan Johansson and his trio. His songs "Ångbåtsblues" ("Steam Boat Blues") and "Jubelvisa för Fiffiga Nanette" ("Joyful song for Clever Nanette") are classics from these recordings. His abrasive, frequently political lyrics and unconventional delivery were a deliberate break with what he was later to describe as a Swedish song tradition of pretty singing and harmless lyrics, "a hobby for the upper classes". Influenced by jazz and blues and especially by the singing style and social criticism of Georges Brassens, Vreeswijk "speak-sings" his "insults", and compels his listeners to pay close attention to the words.
His 1965 loose translation of Allan Sherman's masterpiece "Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh" remains beloved to Swedes as "Brev från kolonien" (Letter from the summer camp) decades later, and could be said to have passed into folklore.
A political singer with a bohemian lifestyle, Vreeswijk remained controversial in the sixties and early seventies, idolized by his fans but disapproved of by many others for his "rude" language and persistent interest in "unsuitable" people like prostitutes and criminals. Some of his records were blacklisted by the public broadcasting company Sveriges Radio. During this period, he not only wrote and recorded songs now considered classics, such as "Sportiga Marie" ("Athletic Marie") and several affectionate salutes to the ever less employable "Polaren Pär" ("My Buddy Pär"), but he was an actor on the stage, receiving considerable critical acclaim, most notably as Pilate in the Swedish version of Jesus Christ Superstar, and as Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof. He participated in Melodifestivalen (the Swedish preselection for the Eurovision Song Contest) in 1972 with "Önskar du mej, så önskar jag dej", which finished sixth. He also appeared in movies, including Svarta Palmkronor (Black Palm Trees, 1968), which was filmed on location in Brazil. Spending four months in Brazil began Vreeswijk's lifelong interest in Latin American music and social and political conditions, later seen for example in his Victor Jara album of 1978.
Later in his career, Vreeswijk was to gain increasing fame and a wider audience both for his songs and his other work. He published several volumes of poetry in his lifetime and left a considerable manuscript legacy of poems which have been published since. He also became an important musical interpreter of the works of other people, recording the songs of Carl Michael Bellman, Evert Taube, and Lars Forssell. His fresh, bluesy renderings of Bellman and Taube, who had up to then been classics belonging to the "harmless" tradition that Vreeswijk despised, were artistic and commercial successes which extended his fanbase. The choice of Bellman was significant: Bellman's lively, romantic, pastoral, drinking and sometimes bawdy songs have gained him the somewhat undeserved reputation of being a drunken womaniser. Vreeswijk may have enjoyed the association of being "something of a Bellman himself".
Vreeswijk's own best-known songs of the later seventies and early eighties tend to be dark in tone, like "Sist jag åkte jumbojet blues" ("Last time I Went by Jumbojet Blues", a metaphorical bad trip) and "Blues för Fatumeh", both addressing heavy drug addiction. Even though in this period Vreeswijk was a prey of tabloid scandal and was in the news for his drinking problem and his debts (about both of which he spoke with frankness) rather than for his achievements, he remained highly creative and productive and he is also known as the co-writer of the Hep Stars song "Speleman" which was released for their album Songs We Sang 68'
Towards the end of Vreeswijk's life his reputation soared again, aided by the televising of some highly regarded nightclub shows, and by Agneta Brunius' TV documentary Balladen om den flygande holländaren (The Ballad of the Flying Dutchman) in 1986. By the time of his death from liver cancer at the age of fifty, Cornelis Vreeswijk had become an icon of the Swedish music scene, and he was honored with burial at the cemetery of Katarina kyrka, a national cemetery in Stockholm. In 2010, Cornelis, a movie about his life, premiered in Swedish cinemas. Norwegian singer Hans Erik Dyvik Husby (previously in Turbonegro) played the role of Vreeswijk.
In 1966, the Dutch broadcasting organisation VARA invited Vreeswijk to the Netherlands. He translated several of his songs into Dutch, and wrote a couple of new ones. One of his songs, "De nozem en de non" ("The Greaser and the Nun"), was released as a single, without much popular success. His first Dutch album was only released in 1972, after ten successful Swedish albums. 100,000 copies of Cornelis Vreeswijk were sold, and the single "Veronica" became a big hit after it was picked up by the pirate radio station Veronica. His old song "De nozem en de non" was then re-released with much success. His later albums could not match the success of the first one, and Vreeswijk never achieved the fame in the Netherlands that he did in Sweden.
Nowadays, only "De nozem en de non" is still known by the general Dutch public. Vreeswijk still has some fans in the Netherlands, however, and in 2000 the Cornelis Vreeswijk society was founded.
One reason for his lack of popularity in the Netherlands was the impression that Cornelis Vreeswijk was a bit old-fashioned. Because of his long stay in Sweden, the Dutch pronunciation and idiom that he had learned to speak in his youth were out-of-date in the seventies and eighties.
Although he was fluent in both Dutch and Swedish, the latter became his primary language. His Stockholm-accented Swedish was famously witty and expressive, and in an interview he once suggested that the process of learning the language in his teens might have energized his use of it: "It doesn't just fall over you like when you're a baby and fed daily with words and food. You become freer, less respectful. ... Swedish is such a different language. Pure, distinct, beautiful. It has few synonyms. But they're many enough for me".
Polaren Per är kärlekskrank
Cornelis Vreeswijk Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Polaren per är kärlekskrank
skjortan är ren och blicken blank
blicken är blank av kärlekskval
osammanhängande e hans tal
Ann Katarin Rosenblad, skönaste damen i vår stad
helt utan konkurrens jag svär
Polaren Per är full av glöd
blicken e blank och kinden röd
kinden e röd och per förstörd
men Ann-Katarin e oberörd
Ann-katarin rosenblad tuffaste damen i vår stad
hårdare än granit jag svär
"Jävlar i det" sa polaren Per
Hon bjöd mig hem till sig en kväll
vi satt i hennes dyschatell
och drack en massa alkohol
fantastiskt vad den damen tål
Ann-katarin Rosenblad, hon sveper en 8 drinkar i rad
utan att blinka, jo jag svär
"Jävlar i det" sa polaren Per
Jag hade med mig min gitarr,
spelte och sjöng med känsla och darr
och när jag bad om en kyss till tack,
så fick jag en smäll så läppen sprack
Ann-Katarin Rosenblad, temprament till den milda grad
muskler och stål både här och där
"Jävlar i det" sa polaren Per
Men kärlekens makt är stor som ni vet
först var hon kall men sen var hon het
först sa hon nej, och sen sa hon ja
därefter blev allt som det skulle va'
Ann-Katarin Rosenblad
först var hon sur och sedan glad
därefter fylldes hon av begär
"Jävlar i det" sa polaren Per
Men kärleken var av kortvarig art,
ut ur mitt liv försvann hon med fart
då hade jag knappt ett öre kvar
och nu e hon inte anträffbar
Ann-Katarin Rosenblad, dyraste damen i vår stad
kostade mer än det smakade där
"Jävlar i det" sa polaren Per
Polaren Per e kärlekskrank,
skjortan e ren och blicken blank
blicken e blank och Per förstörd,
men Ann-Katarin e oberörd
Ann-katarin rosenblad, stans största, ja ni får gissa vad
men det är just precis vad hon är
"Jävlar i det" sa polaren Per
The lyrics of Cornelis Vreeswijk's song Polaren Per är kärlekskrank depict a story of unrequited love and the harsh reality of relationships. The opening lines describe Per, the singer, as love-sick, with a clean shirt and a blank gaze filled with the agony of love. His speech is muddled with fragments, showcasing the intensity of his feelings. The object of his affection is Ann Katarin Rosenblad, the most beautiful woman in town, who remains unrivaled. However, Per's advances do not interest her.
As the song progresses, we see Per's love turn into an obsession. He is full of passion, his cheeks flushed, and his eyes wild. Rosenblad continues to remain indifferent to him, and Per grows more agitated. He describes her as tough as granite and strong, daring even to consume eight drinks without faltering.
Per's attempts to win her affections fail terribly when she slaps him hard when he tries to kiss her. However, as is the tendency of human emotions, Rosenblad's feelings change too. She initially rejects him, but then, much to Per's surprise, her attitudes towards him soften, and they begin a relationship.
Unfortunately, their love does not last long, and Rosenblad disappears from Per's life without a trace. He is left penniless, and she is deemed the most expensive girl in town. The song's title, Polaren Per är kärlekskrank, which means "Friend Per is Lovesick," represents Per's desperate state, with his clean shirt and hollow gaze symbolizes his unrequited love.
Line by Line Meaning
Polaren per är kärlekskrank
Per is lovesick
skjortan är ren och blicken blank
His shirt is clean and his gaze is blank
blicken är blank av kärlekskval
His gaze is blank due to the pain of love
osammanhängande e hans tal
His speech is incoherent
Ann Katarin Rosenblad, skönaste damen i vår stad
Ann Katarin Rosenblad, the most beautiful lady in our town
helt utan konkurrens jag svär
No one can compare to her, I swear
"Jävlar i det" sa polaren Per
"Damn it," said Per, his friend
Polaren Per är full av glöd
Per is full of passion
blicken e blank och kinden röd
His gaze is blank and his cheeks are red
kinden e röd och per förstörd
His cheeks are red and Per is destroyed
men Ann-Katarin e oberörd
But Ann Katarin is unaffected
Ann-katarin rosenblad tuffaste damen i vår stad
Ann Katarin Rosenblad, the toughest lady in our town
hårdare än granit jag svär
Harder than granite, I swear
"Jävlar i det" sa polaren Per
Damn it," said Per, his friend
Hon bjöd mig hem till sig en kväll
She invited me over to her home one evening
vi satt i hennes dyschatell
We sat in her living room
och drack en massa alkohol
And drank a lot of alcohol
fantastiskt vad den damen tål
It's amazing how much she can handle
Ann-katarin Rosenblad, hon sveper en 8 drinkar i rad
Ann Katarin Rosenblad, she can down eight drinks in a row
utan att blinka, jo jag svär
Without batting an eye, yes, I swear
"Jävlar i det" sa polaren Per
"Damn it," said Per, his friend
Jag hade med mig min gitarr,
I had my guitar with me
spelte och sjöng med känsla och darr
I played and sang with emotion and trembling
och när jag bad om en kyss till tack,
And when I asked for a kiss, thank you
så fick jag en smäll så läppen sprack
I got a punch that split my lip
Ann-Katarin Rosenblad, temprament till den milda grad
Ann Katarin Rosenblad, with a temperament to the mild degree
muskler och stål både här och där
Muscles and steel all around her
"Jävlar i det" sa polaren Per
"Damn it," said Per, his friend
Men kärlekens makt är stor som ni vet
But as you know, the power of love is great
först var hon kall men sen var hon het
At first she was cold, but then she was hot
först sa hon nej, och sen sa hon ja
At first she said no, and then she said yes
därefter blev allt som det skulle va'
After that, everything was as it should be
Ann-Katarin Rosenblad
Ann Katarin Rosenblad
först var hon sur och sedan glad
At first she was sour, but then happy
därefter fylldes hon av begär
After that, she was filled with desire
"Jävlar i det" sa polaren Per
"Damn it," said Per, his friend
Men kärleken var av kortvarig art,
But the love was short-lived
ut ur mitt liv försvann hon med fart
She disappeared from my life in a hurry
då hade jag knappt ett öre kvar
Then I barely had a penny left
och nu e hon inte anträffbar
And now she's not reachable
Ann-Katarin Rosenblad, dyraste damen i vår stad
Ann Katarin Rosenblad, the most expensive lady in our town
kostade mer än det smakade där
Cost more than it was worth
"Jävlar i det" sa polaren Per
"Damn it," said Per, his friend
Polaren Per e kärlekskrank,
Per is lovesick
skjortan e ren och blicken blank
His shirt is clean and his gaze is blank
blicken e blank och Per förstörd,
His gaze is blank and Per is destroyed
men Ann-Katarin e oberörd
But Ann Katarin is unaffected
Ann-katarin rosenblad, stans största, ja ni får gissa vad
Ann Katarin Rosenblad, the biggest in town, you can guess what
men det är just precis vad hon är
But that's exactly what she is
"Jävlar i det" sa polaren Per
"Damn it," said Per, his friend
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CORNELIS VREESWIJK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Aeonia
I LOVE to hear that people that is even not from sweden can listen to this song and get fond of it :)
Jolle920
Denhär är så sköön! fett bra text också! "Och när jag bad om en kyss till tack så fick jag en smäll så läppen sprack" de är för faan genialt! R.I.P Cornelis Vreesvijk du var bäst.
Simon
så vacker sång. han är verkligen en av dom få som spelar så bra
wambotcha
Älskar denna melodi, Polaren pär är kärlekskrank! Underbar! :D
Astraldrifter
Sveriges bästa visförfattare! han kommer alltid finnas i våra hjärtan..och till dem som kallar han Holländare han e faktiskt svensk spelar ingen roll vart man kommer ifrån utan vad man känner sig som =)
Holger
Finns ingenting som går uppemot lite Cornelis. Ryser av välbehag
Micke Nilsson
Den här visan är en av mina favoriter med Cornelis den är så fartfylld och så bra !!! :-)
PaintItBlack !
Hahah så jävla härlig låt! :D Min polare Jessica gjorde om den här låten o sjöng den till mig! Älskar Cornelis <3
Lennie Rosen
alla hans texter var ju genialiska .
Robin Feck
Корнелис малаца харашо спел.