While doing an incredible job for NRK traveling around and reporting, he also raised money for a Norwegian coastal rescue service (redningsselskapet). He also started recording tunes he learned on his journeys around the country and the world. This resulted in many recordings . Erik Bye was voted to be the 3'd most important Norwegian citizen of all time in 2005. He died in 2004.
He will always be known for the humour and radiation of positive energy.
Gudmund Gudmundson
Erik Bye Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Et fjes fra fjerne tider
Et krigeransikt fra i går
En døl med glad karsjett
Nå har han fått mundering
Og en blank pistol i neven
Hans munn er morsk og mandig
For det er Gudmund Gudmundson
Som er hos fotografen
Som rå rekrutt hos oberst Hegg
I 1863
Men ennå er det mange mil
Til Sydens grønne sletter
Hvor han skal dø med blodig bryst
I Lincolns blå armé
Ja, det var den gang det
Men ingen skal felle tårer over femtende Wisconsin
Ingen skal sørge lenger over Valdreskompani
Det vokser ingen roser over Chickamaugas skanser
Og menig Gudmund Gudmundson, from the old country
Hvem var du Gudmund Gudmundson
Med angst og ild i blikket?
Hva var din drøm og tanke
I din siste røde stund
Da døden satt i ganen
Og du sank i kne mot gresset
Og boret dine negler
I en blodig, fremmed grund
Forbannet du den dagen
Du reiste over havet
Var munnen fylt av heder?
Var den lukket om en bønn?
Eller skimtet du Wisconsin
Og en hytte og en kvinne
Som hadde ventet lenge
På en skrinn soldaterlønn
Du spør og spør min sønn
Men ingen skal felle tårer over femtende Wisconsin
Ingen skal sørge lenger over Valdreskompani
Det vokser ingen roser over Chickamaugas skanser
Og menig Gudmund Gudmundson, from the old country
Du tier Gudmund Gudmundson
At du er av de tause
Ja, det skal ingen landsmann
Kunne legge deg til last
Men stupte du i Lincolns tro
På frihet for de mange?
Og hørte du i døden
At en slavelenke brast?
Du falmer Gudmund Gudmundson
Og dine trekk blir borte
De svinner i en skodde
Som av tusen riflers røk
Snart er du tatt av vinden
Og ingen skal få vite
Om menig Gudmund Gudmundson
Var due eller høk
Nei, det er ingen spøk
Men ingen skal felle tårer over femtende Wisconsin
Ingen skal sørge lenger over Valdreskompani
Nå hviler Gudmund Gudmundson ved Chickamaugas skanser
Og tier som en kriger skal når striden er forbi
The lyrics of Erik Bye's song "Gudmund Gudmundson" paint a vivid picture of a young soldier named Gudmund Gudmundson, whose image is fading from a wall. The lyrics describe him as a warrior with a proud demeanor, holding a pistol, yet his eyes betray a sense of retreat. This sets the tone for a poignant exploration of his journey as a soldier during the Civil War in 1863, under the command of Oberst Hegg.
As the song progresses, it delves into the harsh realities of war and the ultimate sacrifice made by Gudmund Gudmundson. The lyrics lament the fact that no tears will be shed over his fallen comrades from the 15th Wisconsin or the Valdres Company, highlighting the often forgotten sacrifices of soldiers from the old country. The imagery of bloodshed and loss is juxtaposed with the bittersweet nostalgia for a bygone era.
There is a sense of introspection in the lyrics as they question Gudmund Gudmundson's thoughts and feelings in his final moments on the battlefield. Was his journey across the ocean filled with honor or regret? Did he envision a peaceful life in Wisconsin with a loved one waiting for him? The lyrics probe into the complex emotions of a soldier facing mortality, grappling with the consequences of his choices.
The song concludes by acknowledging Gudmund Gudmundson's silent sacrifice, honoring his memory as a fallen warrior who now rests at Chickamauga's redoubts. It contemplates the nature of heroism and the anonymity of those who fought in wars, emphasizing the solemn dignity of a soldier's silence when the battle is over. Overall, the lyrics of "Gudmund Gudmundson" by Erik Bye poignantly capture the human experience of war, remembrance, and the enduring legacy of those who have fought and fallen.
Line by Line Meaning
Det blekner mot meg fra en vegg
A faded image on the wall catches my attention
Et fjes fra fjerne tider
A face from distant times
Et krigeransikt fra i går
A warrior's face from the past
En døl med glad karsjett
A cheerful soldier from the valley
Nå har han fått mundering
Now he has his uniform
Og en blank pistol i neven
And a shiny pistol in his hand
Hans munn er morsk og mandig
His mouth is brave and manly
Men hans øyne slår retrett
But his eyes show fear
For det er Gudmund Gudmundson
For it's Gudmund Gudmundson
Som er hos fotografen
Who is at the photographer's studio
Som rå rekrutt hos oberst Hegg
As a raw recruit with Colonel Hegg
I 1863
In 1863
Men ennå er det mange mil
But there are still many miles to go
Til Sydens grønne sletter
To the green plains of the South
Hvor han skal dø med blodig bryst
Where he will die with a bloody chest
I Lincolns blå armé
In Lincoln's blue army
Ja, det var den gang det
Yes, that was back then
Men ingen skal felle tårer over femtende Wisconsin
But no tears shall be shed for Fifteenth Wisconsin
Ingen skal sørge lenger over Valdreskompani
No longer mourn Valdreskompani
Det vokser ingen roser over Chickamaugas skanser
No roses grow over Chickamauga's earthworks
Og menig Gudmund Gudmundson, from the old country
And Private Gudmund Gudmundson, from the old country
Hvem var du Gudmund Gudmundson
Who were you, Gudmund Gudmundson?
Med angst og ild i blikket?
With fear and fire in your eyes?
Hva var din drøm og tanke
What was your dream and thought
I din siste røde stund
In your final red moment
Da døden satt i ganen
When death was near
Og du sank i kne mot gresset
And you fell to your knees on the grass
Og boret dine negler
And dug your nails
I en blodig, fremmed grund
Into a bloody, foreign ground
Forbannet du den dagen
Did you curse the day
Du reiste over havet
You crossed the ocean
Var munnen fylt av heder?
Was your mouth filled with honor?
Var den lukket om en bønn?
Was it closed in prayer?
Eller skimtet du Wisconsin
Or did you catch a glimpse of Wisconsin
Og en hytte og en kvinne
And a cottage and a woman
Som hadde ventet lenge
Who had waited long
På en skrinn soldaterlønn
For a meager soldier's pay
Du spør og spør min sønn
You ask and ask my son
Men ingen skal felle tårer over femtende Wisconsin
But no tears shall be shed for Fifteenth Wisconsin
Ingen skal sørge lenger over Valdreskompani
No longer mourn Valdreskompani
Det vokser ingen roser over Chickamaugas skanser
No roses grow over Chickamauga's earthworks
Og menig Gudmund Gudmundson, from the old country
And Private Gudmund Gudmundson, from the old country
Du tier Gudmund Gudmundson
You remain silent, Gudmund Gudmundson
At du er av de tause
That you are among the silent
Ja, det skal ingen landsmann
Yes, no countryman shall
Kunne legge deg til last
Blame you
Men stupte du i Lincolns tro
But did you fall in Lincoln's faith
På frihet for de mange?
For freedom for the many?
Og hørte du i døden
And did you hear in death
At en slavelenke brast?
That a slave shackle broke?
Du falmer Gudmund Gudmundson
You fade, Gudmund Gudmundson
Og dine trekk blir borte
And your features disappear
De svinner i en skodde
They fade in a haze
Som av tusen riflers røk
Like the smoke of a thousand rifles
Snart er du tatt av vinden
Soon you are taken by the wind
Og ingen skal få vite
And no one shall know
Om menig Gudmund Gudmundson
About Private Gudmund Gudmundson
Var due eller høk
Whether you were a dove or a hawk
Nei, det er ingen spøk
No, it's no joke
Men ingen skal felle tårer over femtende Wisconsin
But no tears shall be shed for Fifteenth Wisconsin
Ingen skal sørge lenger over Valdreskompani
No longer mourn Valdreskompani
Nå hviler Gudmund Gudmundson ved Chickamaugas skanser
Now Gudmund Gudmundson rests at Chickamauga's earthworks
Og tier som en kriger skal når striden er forbi
And remains silent as a warrior should when the battle is over
Contributed by Jake P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@Shad0wplay
Gull er fornavnet. Tusen takk for evig Erik Bye. Hele Norge elsker deg <3
@bardbrekke6338
Erik Bye - The One And Only